26 September 2011: Addressing the CEO Sustainability Forum in London, UK, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres drew a comparison between the battles of Lord Nelson, a famous British Admiral, and that towards sustainability. She stressed the need to act as “principled leaders” by moving forward, “even if the signs point to retreat, simply because we cannot afford defeat.”

Figueres provided an overview of the current status of the climate negotiations, highlighting progress achieved and challenges ahead. She noted that “national governments are taking important steps forward to build the institutional infrastructure that will support a global response to climate change.”

Figueres then outlined three reasons that have contributed to the slow pace of the intergovernmental negotiations, namely that: the deep North-South divide over historical responsibility still has more weight than the forward looking approach of respective capabilities; the “big players” are still under severe financial constraints and face domestic political constraints, which limit their political maneuverability; and the economic/social transformation needed for a two degrees Celsius ceiling is “nothing short of an industrial/energy revolution.” She concluded by urging business leaders to create a “virtuous circle” that can power new growth, create jobs in new sectors, help alleviate poverty and stabilize the climate. [Address by Christiana Figueres]