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We've signed the Copenhagen communique

Date: Aug. 11, 2009 TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LEADERS August 2009 Re: Invitation to join other international companies by endorsing The Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change (Deadline for initial launch is 11th September, 2009) Dear Sir / Madam I am writing to invite your company to join with hundreds of other global companies by endorsing The Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change. This important document is set to become the definitive progressive statement from the international business community ahead of the crucial United Nations climate change negotiations this autumn. The Copenhagen Communiqué can be found in 19 different languages at: www.copenhagencommunique.com. As you may know, The Corporate Leaders’ Group on Climate Change published The Bali Communiqué and The Poznan Communiqué ahead of the UN climate meetings in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Both secured the support of over 150 of the world’s largest companies headquartered in countries and regions around the world including Australia, Japan, China, India, Europe, USA, and South America. The Communiqués also attracted global media coverage and were discussed at the highest of political levels. It is our sincere hope that your company will now join with members of the Corporate Leaders Group and other leading companies in endorsing The Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change which calls on governments to agree and ambitious, efficient and equitable international climate framework at the final negotiating meeting in Copenhagen this December. Why should your company support this initiative? A comprehensive international framework will facilitate a coordinated response to climate change which is, undoubtedly, in the long-term interests of the business community. Taking action now on climate change will be less costly and disruptive than waiting. A strong deal in Copenhagen will provide clarity and certainty about the future direction of climate change policy, making it easier for business to plan long-term investment and create opportunities for growth in the technologies of the future. Signing The Copenhagen Communiqué is the easiest and most effective way for your company to demonstrate leadership on climate change to your customers and stakeholders Major companies already supporting the initiative include Allianz, Anglo American, BASF, BP, Buenaventura, Cathay Pacific Airways, Cemex, Deloitte, eBay, GE, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, National Australia Bank, Nestlé, Nike, Pemex, Philips, Reckitt Benkiser, Rezayat Group, Ricoh, Rio Tinto, SAP, Shell, Skanska, Standard Chartered, Sungard, Swire, Tesco, Unilever, Virgin Group, Vodafone and Westpac. The full list of supporting companies can be found at www.copenhagencommunique.com Our hope and expectation is that The Copenhagen Communiqué will secure the support of over 500 of the world’s largest companies including several from every G20 country. This will demonstrate that there is a progressive consensus within the international business community in support of an ambitious, robust and equitable deal on climate change, and will provide world leaders with the support they need to reach such a consensus in Copenhagen. Our plan is to launch The Copenhagen Communiqué in the global media in the week commencing September 21st 2009 to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly meeting that is taking place in New York that week. Please find attached a short document providing an overview of the initiative. If you would like your company’s logo to be included in the publicity materials associated with this September launch we must receive your formal endorsement no later than Friday 11th September 2009. You can register your company’s support for The Copenhagen Communiqué by visiting our website (www.copenhagencommunique.com) and following the links in the bottom left-hand corner. Please note, the sign-up form is password protected and the password is “COP15Cambridge”. You will be asked to provide the following information: The full name and title of your corporate leader (CEO/Chairman) A point of contact for all future correspondence (and contact details) A copy of your company’s logo, so that it can be used in associated publicity materials Once you have registered, you will receive fortnightly updates, including news on the latest signatories and information in advance of the press launch in September. We are only seeking your company’s endorsement for this communiqué; there is no fee for supporting this crucial initiative. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to receiving your company’s endorsement as soon as possible. Yours faithfully Craig Bennett Co-Director of The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change Tel: +44 1223 768819 Email: copcommunique@cpsl.cam.ac.uk Ps: In addition to supporting The Copenhagen Communiqué, I would be most grateful if you could forward this email and the associated attachments to at least five other companies, and invite them to sign. We are particularly keen to gain additional support from companies based in Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey (all of which are members of the G20). The Communiqué can be downloaded in Arabic, Chinese, Czech, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu – at www.copenhagencommunique.com Many thanks! Return to the resources front page.