| Ricoh
Expresses Support for Joint Statement by the Global Roundtable on
Climate Change (GROCC)
Ricoh
Co., Ltd. (president and CEO Masamitsu Sakurai), supports a joint
statement drafted by the Global Roundtable on Climate Change (GROCC)1
and has added its name to the list of signatories.
The
joint statement titled "The Path to Climate Sustainability"
was drafted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)2,
based on scientific data such as the Fourth Assessment Report: Climate
Change 2007. The statement, from the perspectives of global environmental
conservation and economic rationality, stresses the need for the
world's governments, companies, and civil societies to more aggressively
address the reduction of CO2 emissions.
Ricoh
supports the statement with the understanding that it is essential
for all governments and companies to recognize climate change in
their policies and that the statement will help form an international
consensus about the urgency and importance of introducing practical
measures to prevent global warming while building of sustainable
energy systems.
Summary of the Joint Statement
- The world's governments should set scientifically
informed targets, including an ambitious but achievable mid-century
target for global CO2 concentrations, for "stabilization
of greenhouse gas(GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere at a level
that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the
climate system," in accordance with the stated object of
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- All countries should be party to this accord,
which should include specific near- and long-term commitments
for action in pursuit of the agreed targets. Commitments for actions
by individual countries should reflect differences in levels of
economic development and GHG emissions patterns.
- Clear, efficient mechanisms should be established
to place a market price on carbon emissions that is reasonably
consistent worldwide and across sectors in order to suppress CO2
emissions and promote technological innovations in this area.
- The world's governments should address energy
efficiency and de-carbonization in all sectors, allow businesses
to choose among a range of options as they strive to minimize
GHG emissions and costs, and promote these efforts.
- Governments, the private sector, and other
sectors of civil society should undertake efforts to prepare for
and adapt to the impacts of climate change since climate change
will occur even in the context of highly effective mitigation
efforts.
1. The
Global Roundtable on Climate Change (GROCC)
GROCC was launched in 2005 with The Earth Institute at Columbia
University as its executive office. The Roundtable aims to promote
international activities for the prevention of global warming. More
than 150 international organizations, central and local governments,
research institutes, universities, NPOs, and international enterprises,
participate in GROCC. These parties work together to develop an
improved global consensus regarding the danger of anthropogenic
climate change, and mitigation and measures for climate change while
considering the need to maintain economic growth and human development
around the world. One result of its activities is the joint statement.
For more information on GROCC, please access: http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/grocc/
2. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with
the aim of carrying out a comprehensive assessment, from scientific,
technological, socio-economic perspectives, of anthropogenic climate
change, its impacts, adaptation to climate change, and mitigation
efforts. Following the Third Assessment Report: Climate Change 2001,
the Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 will be released
in three parts from February to May 2007.
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