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Tackling Climate Change:
Taking action now for tomorrow's generations

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There is also potential for energy savings in the area of mobility and transportation through optimized drives, lower air and rolling resistance, the use of non-fossil fuels, and measures to optimize the flow of traffic.
And finally we must consider an area that is accessible for everyone:
Insulation in both the private and industrial sectors – in buildings and along the refrigeration chain.
In the industrial nations, improvements in materials and energy efficiency will certainly lead to significant reductions.

However, it is just as important that the latest technologies are also used in emerging markets and in the Third World to ensure that above-average growth is not associated with above-average greenhouse gas emissions.
Today, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases – ahead of the United States – is China, followed by India and Russia.
Large emerging markets will have to play a part in climate protection by implementing quantitative reduction targets from 2020 at the latest. Technology transfer will have a large part to play in this context.

Old and ecologically unfriendly systems and procedures have to be taken out of service and replaced with cleaner technologies tailored to the local conditions.
This is where the issue of energy generation and renewable energies comes into play. For example, I hardly need say that solar energy and photovoltaics are best suited to subtropical and tropical regions.

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If renewable energies and new technologies are to be promoted generally, the state must offer incentives to create a win-win situation for all market players. This brings me to the final two areas in the EU’s climate policy.
It is important to ensure that clean energy becomes cost-effective compared to today’s prices of traditional energy.
In the context of new energy technologies, oil-importing countries in particular will have a good opportunity to reduce their dependency on oil imports and turn their technological skills into competitive advantages.
With regard to Europe, the EU is determined to combat climate change, has set itself ambitious targets, and intends to work hard to realize them.

Let’s take a look at some of the specific incentives and regulations that the European Union plans to implement in order to spread the use of both new and existing environmentally friendly products and technologies.
This year, stricter regulations are already being applied to thermal insulation in the building sector. Low-energy buildings and passive houses are set to become standard practice from 2015 in many EU Member States.
In the traditional energy sector, the focus is to cut energy losses in energy provision and distribution.
In the energy sector, it seems likely that the appeal of wind power, solar energy and renewable raw materials will increase in line with the price of CO₂.
At the same time, decentralized energy generation will become increasingly significant in the future. To give you an idea of the potential that this development could offer, just think back to a spectacular decentralization process of quite a different nature that also seemed wholly unrealistic before it happened – the decentralization of data processing, which led to the introduction of the Personal Computer.

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This will open up inestimable opportunities and possibilities for innovative developers, manufacturers, service providers – and end consumers.
Savings have also been possible in the area of transportation for many years now. However, there is – also, for example, in Germany – still significant room for improvement in the use of local public transport systems.

The EU and Member States aim to change the attitude of drivers. The traffic in many major cities is already being reduced through access regulations.
There are plans to tighten the labeling of vehicles, particularly lightweight vans, and to influence buying and usage behavior through tax regulations.
Eventually, the public sector’s procurement patterns within the EU will also change slowly but surely – right down to regional and local level.
It is clear that even small shifts in the public sector’s buying patterns can have a major impact on manufacturers and suppliers.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, despite the EU’s determination to lead the way, the representatives in Brussels are well aware that we can only combat climate change if everyone pulls together.
Climate protection will only be a success story if politicians, businesses and social groups pursue a single course.
In this process, the companies are, so to speak, the engines that turn ideas into reality and deliver products and services for climate protection.

I am confident that the representatives of European industry and business agree with the appraisal of the challenge and the basic goals of the EU policy.
Nevertheless, it is understandable that European industry is very concerned about its competitiveness.
If the EU were not only to continue to lead the way, but eventually to go it alone, this would inevitably lead to serious distortions in global competition.
In the face of global competition, a company like Bayer, which is committed to social responsibility and the promotion of environmentally friendly sustainable development, must also be able to remain competitive in the long term.

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