l organisations (NGOs), of which role is primarily to raise and publicise issues. They have made a considerable impact on world environmental politics, and are now granted observer rights at UN conferences. However, NGOs, like Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth, are more and more disappointed by the hypocrisy and slowness of inter-state co-operation. In fact, 'they often regard the nation state as part of the problem' (John Vogler, p244), and they therefore prefer to encourage community action.However, even though the international regulation on Climate Change is slow and contentious, many individual companies have already begun to implement some programmes to reduce GHGs emissions, by investing in more Energy Efficiency programmes and Green Power.Indeed, energy efficiency in business can lead to many competitive advantages. Measures can be implemented in several areas: building and facilities; production processes; end-use products; and transportation. These sectors provide many opportunities for cutting costs, increasing profits and enhancing the image of companies. Some ways to save energy include installing efficient lighting, capturing and reusing waste heat, insulating buildings and computerising heating and cooling systems. These kinds of programmes are almost risk-free and can provide high returns. Moreover, benefits can be easily measured, calculated and forecasted. In fact, energy efficiency is one of the most effective means to reduce costs and add value to a firm. There are several examples of benefits in taking energy-efficiency initiatives. First, it reduces direct costs: for some industries, gas and electricity represent a large share of operating costs, reducing energy consumption can therefore greatly diminish expenses. Even for companies that do not consume much energy, any energy savings influence directly their bottom line. Second, it improves utility rate negotiation: Indeed, electricity rates are often higher durin...
