Targets for copenhagen

We are just two weeks away from the political and NGO jamboree that is the Copenhagen summit.

By Kamal AHmedPublished: 6:00PM GMT 21 Nov 2009
Although it would, of course, be a cheap and churlish shot to highlight the vast environmental cost of flying all the delegates to Denmark's capital for a talkathon – so I won't – our report today on the number of businesses turning their back on the event should be of concern to all those who back the summit.
As the response on my Telegraph web page revealed when I asked readers on Thursday if business is only at Copenhagen to sign up to some warm words on global warming, many people don't see the point because they do not believe climate change is either happening or is man-made.
But putting that to one side, the important issue is our general use of resources. Environmentally efficient businesses should be economically efficient businesses as they do more work for less cost.
Whether you believe in climate change or not, that makes sense and should be the key driver to changing business behaviour.
What we need to see from Copenhagen is targets that business can understand in a timeframe that is deliverable. Anything else can be put to better use helping hot air balloons fly.