-
3,641,114
MILLION TONS OF CO₂E IN THE ATMOSPHERE IN 2009
Atmospheric concentrations of CO₂e are rising due to increasing anthropogenic emissions. Unchecked, rising concentrations of CO₂e in the atmosphere will lead to catastrophic climate change.
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6,682,199
THOUSAND TONS OF CO₂E EMISSIONS IN 2007
Public electricity and heating in Annex I countries accounted for over 6.68 billion tons of CO₂e emissions annually in 2007.
-
4,626,841
THOUSAND TONS OF CO₂E IN 2007
Transport is responsible for approximately 20% of global anthropogenic emissions, or more than 4.63 billion tons of CO₂e annually. Source: UNFCCC, 2009.
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1,449,778
THOUSAND TONS OF CO₂E IN 2007
Buildings are responsible for an estimated 1.45 billion tons of CO₂e in Annex I nations and over 20% of global anthropogenic emissions annually. Source: UNFCCC, 2009.
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1,301,663
THOUSAND TONS OF CO₂E EMITTED ANNUALLY IN 2007
Annex I industry emissions are over 1.3 billion tons of CO₂e annually. Global industry emissions account for approximately 24% of annual anthropogenic emissions. Source: UNFCCC, 2009.
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1,304,628
THOUSAND TONS OF CO₂E IN 2007
Emisisons from agriculture in Annex I countries totaled more than 1.43 billion in 2007 CO₂e emissions.
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7,613,844
THOUSAND TONS OF CO₂E IN 2006 FROM INDIA AND CHINA
The EIA estimates that 2006 energy-related emissions from non-OECD countries accounted for approximately 30%, of global anthropogenic CO₂e emissions, or 15.4 billion tons. Source: EIA, 2009.
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1,000,000
THOUSAND TONS OF CO₂E EMISSIONS
Biochar could potentially remove over 1 billion tons of CO₂e annually. In general, carbon management solutions could remove billions of tons of CO₂e from the atmosphere annually.
After a successful business career and serving as Minister of State, José María Figueres was elected President of Costa Rica at the age of 39. As President he created a comprehensive national development strategy based on the tenets of sustainability: sound economics, investment in human development, and a strong alliance with nature. He pioneered the linkage between sustainable development and technology, work which he continued after leaving government by helping create and then leading the United Nations ICT Task Force as its first Chairperson. He was the first person to become CEO of the World Economic Forum, where he strengthened global corporate ties to social and governmental sectors. Later he was named CEO of Concordia 21, dedicated to supporting organizations that promote development and democratic values around the world.
President Figueres is currently Managing Partner of IJ Partners SA, an investment and wealth management company based in Geneva, investing in the 'real economy'. He holds an Engineering Degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Jean is the CEO of Virgin Unite, the entrepreneurial Foundation of the worldwide Virgin Group. In her previous life, Jean lived and worked on five continents helping to lead successful mobile phone start-ups in South Africa, Colombia, Bulgaria, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and the US.
Jean has long explored the overlap of the business and social sectors and has been involved in both, having worked for the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife in Australia, and in numerous volunteer roles, including a stint as a VISTA volunteer where she worked with - and learned from - homeless teens in Chicago.
In 2003 she was joint CEO of Virgin Mobile in Australia when she was asked to work with Richard Branson and the Virgin staff around the world to create Virgin Unite. The team works with Virgin's two hundred businesses worldwide and other entrepreneurs to help put driving positive change at their core. Virgin Unite also works with partners to create new approaches to social and environmental issues, such as a school of entrepreneurship for young people in Johannesburg and an entrepreneurial approach to rural health transport in Kenya.
Jean and Virgin Unite have also helped to incubate a number of global leadership initiatives such as the Elders and the Disease Control Room in sub-Saharan. Jean sits on the Advisory Board of the Elders and on the Board of the Bushbuckridge Health and Wellness Trust.
George Polk is the CEO of the Catalyst Project, which is currently advising a number of high net worth families on investments in businesses related to climate change.
Last year George worked with George Soros building an investment portfolio of businesses related to climate which would be both profitable and impactful. He also served as the Soros representative on the board of the Powerspan Corporation.
Prior to his investment work, George was Senior Advisor on Climate Change to McKinsey. Mckinsey has emerged as the global thought leader on the commercial response to climate change through its analysis of the costs of climate abatement and opportunities for its clients. George worked on policy initiatives and with the Cleantech practice advising technology businesses on how to grow their businesses more rapidly.
George Polk was also the Chairman of the European Climate Foundation, the largest funder of initiatives to change European policy on climate. George founded the ECF in 2007 with $75m from 7 major philanthropists. It is now the European sister organization to the U.S. Energy Foundation and the China Sustainable Energy Program, as a component of the Climateworks network.
George was also Senior Advisor to the ClimateWorks Foundation, globally the largest philanthropic funder of work on climate, and an additional small group of very high net worth individuals, designing and implementing major philanthropic strategies related to climate. He is also on the board of Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room.
Prior to working on climate change, George was a technology entrepreneur, most recently CEO of The Cloud, the leading broadband wireless network operator in Europe. George was recognized as Global Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, a Pioneer of the City of London, and has been ranked several times in the top 25 global technology agenda setters by Silicon.com.
He is a graduate of Harvard University and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and of the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
