The western world has suddenly become very conscious of its greenhouse gas emissions.  The Al Gore movie and book ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, the report by Nicholas Stern in the United Kingdom and a series of reports by the International Panel on Climate Change have raised the general awareness of and concern about global warming.  This concern has been amplified by a series of extreme weather events demonstrating how vulnerable we are and how fragile the environment can be.

In response to these concerns consumers are looking at ways they can reduce their carbon footprint from the goods they buy and consume and regulators are designing frameworks to encourage organisations to reduce their emission profiles.

There are already a number of emissions trading systems operating worldwide; regulated and also voluntary for those organisations that see market advantage in attaining a carbon neutral status. Despite the cost implications some organisations will be able to create new revenues and identify new sources of competitive advantage.

For business this is a period of rapid change. Deloitte can help you manage the risks and make the most of the opportunities. We have a team dedicated to helping you manage the transition to an emission constrained future. We draw on the experience of our team, and of the international Deloitte network, to help you develop effective strategies and plans to deal with the changes.

We can help you:

• Identify the strategies to maximise opportunities and minimise risks in the new environment.
• Design systems to capture the information to account for carbon and discharge assets and obligations.
• Carry out Carbon Risk Assessments
• Design and implement Carbon trading systems
• Carry out Carbon Audits
• Help with lean product design

Learn more about Deloitte's involvement in the World Economic Forum's Greenhouse Gas Register.

Discuss climate change in more detail:

Jacqueline Robertson – Carbon accounting, risk and emissions audit

Rajeev Palakshappa – Emissions trading and emissions strategy

Nick Main – Climate change issues and opportunities