Make Green Pay, Davos 2007: CNBC video

Make Green Pay is a discussion coordinated by CNBC at this years Davos meetings. The link provided will take you to the video for the entire program. The topics discussed are as follows:

MOTION 1: Nuclear energy and cleaner coal are the only workable alternatives to oil

James Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Duke Energy argues for the motion that nuclear energy and cleaner coal are the only workable alternatives to oil. Today’s needs can only be met with today’s resources he says. Mr Rogers sees emission-free nuclear and advanced-coal technologies as the energy workhorses for the short-to medium term. Vinod Khosla, Founder and Partner of Khosla Ventures argues against the motion puts forward the case against the motion. He focuses on the hidden costs of nuclear and coal – the clean-up costs. Factor those in, he insists, and clean renewables start to look a whole lot more competitive.



MOTION 2: Markets are superior to regulation in leading corporations towards greener operations

In the board rooms and in the corridors of power there is increasing acknowledgement that the way in which we consume energy is damaging the earth. For most corporations though, changing attitudes are yet to translate into radically different practices. Reverend Nicholas Frances, Chief Executive Officer of Easy Being Green, puts forward the case for motion 2; that markets are the most effective influence on company behaviour. He says that a government’s ability to regulate will always lag the entrepreneur’s talent to innovate. Professor Daniel Esty, Hill House Professor at Yale University puts forward an opposing view. Professor Esty argues that business must be motivated to find solutions. Regulation, he points out, gives business the stability required for the risks associated with policy changes.



MOTION 3: A global carbon tax would do more harm than good

Professor Jose Goldemberg of Sao Paulo University reminds us that the developing world is unlikely agree to sacrifice economic development for an environmental agenda. He not only says that a global tax would do more harm than good but that to even aim for one would be unrealistic. Sir Nicholas Stern of the UK treasury and author of the Stern review stands against the motion. According to Sir Nicholas, companies must face with the full social cost of their actions and that, in economic terms, a common global carbon price would be the most efficient way of achieving this.