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Published on November 24, 2007

"Climate change means a great challenge to China: there will be serious impacts from climate change on China, and great difficulty in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. China will increase the proportion of renewable energy to 10 per cent of the energy mix by 2010, equivalent to a reduction of 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide."

Lu Xue-du, deputy director-general of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology's Office of Global Environment Affairs

 

"As a company, we will reduce greenhouse gas emissions an additional 15 per cent from the base year 2004, reduce water consumption 30 per cent, reduce air carcinogens 50 per cent from the base year 2004 and ensure fleet fuel efficiency and that 100 per cent of our sites are ISO 14000 certified by 2015."

Montri Simagrai, managing director, Du Pont (Thailand)

 

"In areas covered by the mass transit system, even downtown like Silom and Sukhumvit, Bangkok residents will be educated to stop using cars and use the mass transit system instead, just like in Hong Kong and Tokyo. I will ask Bangkokians to participate in the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the capital 15 per cent by 2012."

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin

 

"We can no longer burn fossil fuels and use devices that increase global warming. Sustainability means avoiding unsustainable technology and behaviour in our generation. We need technologies that reduce energy consumption, meaning that we really need new materials and new physics."

Dr Hansjurg Leibundgut, professor of building services at the Institute of Building Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

 

"The 40 largest cities are responsible for a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. They are still growing and losing money from inefficiencies. The 40 largest cities - those with over 1 million population - produce 40-50 per cent of emissions. Their leadership role will be the catalyst for change."

Christopher Seeley, city director, William J Clinton Foundation's Clinton Climate Initiative, Bangkok

 

"In the Thai context, the climate crisis also brings opportunities to science- and technology-based businesses. Think how many business opportunities there are to increase manufacturers' productivity by more efficient energy consumption. This is just one obvious example."

Dr Sakarindr Bhumiratana, president, National Science and Technology Development Agency

 

"With our four-pillared strategy - technology, operations, infrastructure and economic measures - we will be a non-polluting industry with the goal of carbon neutrality in the medium term in order to reach zero emissions in the longer term."

Andreas Hardeman, assistant director, Aviation Environment, Swiss Intern-ational Air Transport Association

 

"Only not being part of the problem is not enough for today's situation; we should be part of the solution. As a company, in the past we grew sugar cane and sold molasses. Now we are stepping into producing energy from our factory's waste and heading for energy-efficient practices."

Dr Pipat Weerathaworn, director, Mitr Phol Sugarcane Research Centre

"Do you believe global warming is happening because of our behaviour and that we can help solve this crisis? If so, two things we need to do now are minimise emissions and maximise energy efficiency."

Dr Philip Yu, director, Environmental & Applications Engineering, TRANE Corp

 

Louise Lebel: "It is unfair if those individuals who have contributed least to cumulative emissions end up bearing the largest burdens in the pursuit of lower global or national emission."

Yukihiro Nojiri: "Southeast Asia will be vulnerable to degradations in food and fibre, biodiversity, coastal ecosystems, human health and land by global warming in the 21st century."

Han Seung-soo: "Markets could be a more flexible mechanism in controlling emissions than a mandatory capping and direct control of the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions."

The Nation