For Immediate Release
Genomatica Signs Copenhagen Communiqué Supporting Global Climate Agreement
Communiqué presented at the United Nations calls for a robust agreement at Copenhagen in December
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 24, 2009 – Today, Genomatica joins more than 500 companies worldwide in calling for an ambitious, robust and equitable global deal on climate change. The Copenhagen Communiqué is a concise appeal from a wide range of companies, encouraging policy makers to adopt emissions reduction targets that are globally equitable, lay the foundation for low-carbon growth and avoid locking in a high-carbon future. It outlines the key elements of an agreement that signatories would like to see at the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December.
“As a sustainable chemical company, Genomatica is doing its part to enable the chemical industry to become less dependent on hydrocarbons and greater stewards of the environment. We are calling on world leaders to establish a global climate agreement that will provide clarity on the economic implications of delivering low carbon solutions,” said Genomatica CEO and Founder Christophe Schilling. “A stable and clear climate policy will unleash more low-carbon innovation and economic growth.”
The Communiqué makes the business case for a strong and effective U.N. climate framework and offers a progressive global consensus on the shape of an agreement. The full text of The Copenhagen Communiqué is available in 19 languages at www.copenhagencommunique.com. It was presented to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday, during the U.N. Summit on Climate Change at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
“Signing the Copenhagen Communiqué makes good business sense for Genomatica and the global chemical manufacturers that have supported the appeal,” added Schilling. “Genomatica’s technology allows the chemical industry to dramatically reduce its carbon emissions, its energy intensity, and the resulting impact on climate change, while at the same time delivering improved profitability.”
The Communiqué warns that an unsatisfactory result from the conference in December will create uncertainty and undermine confidence in global economic growth. A strong deal in Copenhagen will provide clarity and certainty about the future direction of climate change policy, making it easier for businesses to plan long-term investments and create opportunities for growth in the technologies of the future.
The Communiqué calls for an agreement that includes a global emissions cap and long-term reduction pathway from 2013 to 2050. It outlines the key elements of an agreement, including measurement, reporting and verification of emissions; national or regional cap-and-trade markets, a framework to support adaptation and technology transfer in developing nations and a comprehensive approach to emissions from international travel and commerce.
The United Nations climate change conference takes place from Dec. 7 to Dec. 18 in Copenhagen. The meeting will represent the culmination of two years worth of intense negotiations among the 192 countries that are signatories of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (www.unfccc.int).
The Copenhagen Communiqué is an initiative of The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders’ Group on Climate Change, which is run by The University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership. Global partners in support of the initiative include The Climate Group, The U.N. Global Compact and WWF-International along with business associations and initiatives in many different countries.
U.S.-based companies in support of the Communiqué include Cisco Systems, Coca-Cola, eBay, Gap, General Electric, HP, Johnson & Johnson, Johnson Controls, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson, Starbucks Coffee Company, Symantec, Thomson Reuters, United Technologies Corporation and Yahoo!. European based companies include Adidas, Allianz, Air France-KLM, Barclays, BASF, British Airways, BT, BP, Deutsche Telekom, Enel, EDF Energy, HSBC, Lloyds of London, Marks and Spencer, Nestlé, Philips, Rio Tinto, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Reckitt Benckiser, Rolls-Royce, SAP, Siemens, Shell, Swiss Re, Tesco, Unilever and Virgin Group.
About Genomatica
Genomatica is a sustainable chemicals company revolutionizing the chemical industry with groundbreaking technologies that sustainably transform chemical production processes through biomanufacturing. Founded in 2000 by research scientists from the University of California at San Diego, Genomatica develops a broad range of biologically produced industrial chemicals from a variety of renewable feedstocks at a fraction of the cost.
A privately held company, Genomatica is backed by top Silicon Valley venture capital firms Mohr Davidow Ventures, Alloy Ventures and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Genomatica is based in San Diego.
For more information:
Emily Douglas, Genomatica
10520 Wateridge Circle San Diego, CA 92121
emily.douglas@ar-edelman.com
650-762-2945 phone
858-824-1772 fax