makingit_25_pp14-15_siemens.qxp_print 17/11/2017 16:16 Page 14
A low-carbon economy: technologically possible, economically attractive Jenny Bofinger-Schuster on the need for joint action on climate change – and Siemens’ contribution to that effort
Photo: Siemens AG
Climate change is real. Pacific Islands cannot get out of the way of rising waters. Arctic maritime ecosystems cannot escape warmer waters. People often cannot flee hurricanes in time. And even someone read-ing the news in an armchair may find it impossible to avoid reports on how a changing climate endangers the lives of us all, worldwide, every day. While we do have a plan – the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the global temperature rise to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels – to date, international commitments towards this goal are not sufficient. Therefore, it is our obligation, and the obligation of others, to take more joint and forceful actions. For this, we do not only need international institutions and governments establishing frameworks and policies. We also need coalitions of businesses, academia and especially cities, which produce 70% of all emissions. The longer we delay
14 MakingIt
action, the more dramatic the actions that need to be taken, the more serious the consequences become. And the higher the price tag will be, as preventive actions today cost less than adaptive efforts tomorrow. At Siemens, as we support the Paris Agreement, we consider ourselves a leading partner in this effort, serving customers, governments and society. With respect to climate change mitigation measures, we take the entire value chain of our company into account – from sustainable supply
German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Siemens’ showcase “digital factory” with Professor Karl-Heinz Büttner (left), head of the plant in Amberg. Also pictured are Joe Kaeser and Ilse Aigner (CSU, Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria and Bavarian Minister for Economic Affairs, Media, Energy and Technology).