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CNBC ON DIGG

Companies That Cut Carbon Now Will Profit: Project Leader

Published: Monday, 21 Sep 2009 | 2:52 PM ET

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By: Cadie Thompson
Special to CNBC.com

Corporations who are seizing the opportunity to cut carbon emissions now, without government regulation, will profit more when regulation is enacted, according to a report released Monday by the Carbon Disclosure Project, an organization that measures companies’ carbon footprint.

“There will be winners and losers at the corporate level in climate change and an increasing number of companies are positioning themselves to be the winners, and that’s going to drive the change faster than the regulation,” said Paul Simpson, the chief operating officer of the Carbon Disclosure Project.

Among some of the leading companies already working towards a low carbon economy include Cisco [CSCO Loading... () ], Boeing [BA Loading... () ] and Consolidated Edison

[ED Loading... () ], according to a report the CDP released Monday. The report consisted of data from 409 corporations with 82 percent of the Global 500 Companies represented.

Currently, the CDP receives climate change strategies and greenhouse gas emissions data from over 2,000 organizations worldwide, according to the CDP’s Web site.

The threat of a future carbon regulation mandate may be one driving force behind the companies’ implementing change and reporting to the CDP, but the potential for profit is an even stronger force, said Simpson.

“These companies are now seeing that the opportunities to deliver products and services that will create the low carbon economy actually has the potential to make immense profit,” said Simpson. “The world needs to see the transition in our energy systems and companies have the technology to do that, and companies that get that right will actually make a lot more money.”