Does the Paris climate deal sideline business?

The Paris Agreement on climate change has been widely hailed as a historic moment, but the business community could be forgiven for feeling a little marginalised by the substance of the deal.

   In the whole 12-page document, there is just one reference to the private sector, tucked away in Article 6, where it talks of enhancing "public and private sector participation in the implementation of nationally determined contributions".

   By way of contrast, much attention is paid to the roles of such organisations as the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts, as well as the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice.

   Given that the behaviour of manufacturers and their choice of energy use is likely to be a big factor in achieving the deal's ambitious targets, this might be seen as something of a lapse. As it turns out, business groups did push for a bigger acknowledgement in the agreement, but their expectations weren't met.

   The US Council for International Business has said it is "disappointing" that the document makes no specific reference to business at all. In the words of Norine Kennedy, its vice-president of strategic international engagement, energy and environmental affairs: "Given how important business will be to delivering so many of the issues in the agreement, it would be appropriate for business to be mentioned."

Πηγή: BBC.com