Although the challenges and risks of climate change are extensive, there are also growth opportunities. Leading companies no longer ask themselves how much emissions reduction will cost, but rather how much money they can make out of it. Savvy companies are exploiting the opportunities created by climate-change awareness, such as new products, markets and the competitive advantages posed by a low-carbon economy.

Major corporations, such as Wal-Mart, IBM, GE, Hewlett Packard and Intel, have assimilated environmental strategies as a means to achieve their corporate and shareholder goals. Companies have discovered that focusing on climate change has a sustained three-prong effect:

• Increased productivity
• Reduced cost
• New market opportunities