SUMARRY
Climate change is a foreign policy issue. If we do nothing, the world's leading scientists are saying that we will face catastrophic change on an unprecedented scale and speed. For example, half-decreasing of the grain they do today in some African countries as soon as 2020, reducing of crops across Asia by one-third by the time our children are children are middle aged at the same time as the population has risen by a quarter. That is, our fundamental needs and life in peace are to be underminded. Climate change is a business issue too. An unstable climate means an unpredictable world. According to one of the biggest insurance companies in the world, by the end of the decade direct losses will be running at 150 billion dollars a year the impact on the global economy could be as much as 20 percent of global gross domestic product, a huge risk for business. But there is also a great opportunity, investing in new technology and reduceing their carbon emissions, will have a strong competitive advantage as the world tackles the climate issue. Now we need a partnership in which we change to a low-carbon global economy. If politicians and businessman work together, It would be able to solve the problem of climate change. Governments will need to set the frameworks--the right blend of regulations, incentives and investment. Business will have to respond by putting their money and dynamism into implementing change. Next week in Japan, the symposium designes to build that partnership between Britain and Japan. This has been organized jointly with the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), and it will be attended by some of Britain and Japan's biggest and most successful companies. They are already treating climate change as a strategic issue that affects their investment plans and business development.
BY MARGARET BECKETT
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp
