Overcoming inertia and self-interests, the international community reached an agreement early today on the need to curb global warming and set the world on a path to a more sustainable future.

While both industrialised and developing nations came together in Cancun, no deal was struck on reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by burning fossil fuels.

Most observers acknowledged the agreement was much better than the non-binding Copenhagen Accord reached at last year’s UN climate change conference. Of the 193 nations attending the Cancun conference, only Bolivia rejected the agreement, saying it did not go far enough.

Greenpeace

While many of the EU’s environment ministers are still dithering over a possible move to 30% emissions cuts, it is heartening to see that big businesses are a step ahead.

29 companies, including BNP Paribas, Google, Unilever and Vodafone, have put their names to a declaration calling for tougher climate targets that has been sent to the EU institutions. The declaration supports recent statements from ministers from Denmark, France, Germany and the UK that higher emissions reductions will boost growth and create jobs, a point of view made forcibly by EU Commissioner for Climate Change Connie Hedegaard at an EWEA-organised debate last week in Brussels.

Ironically, the organisation BusinessEurope, which represents EU employers, was claiming almost at the same time that increasing the EU’s emissions reduction target would be “premature and even counterproductive” in a letter to the Belgian EU Presidency. It seems that some in the business community are more far-sighted than others in recognising the huge economic and job creation potential of zero-carbon technologies like wind energy. Certainly EWEA, which has 650 members including many businesses, believes an increase to 30% emissions reductions is crucial for Europe’s economy as well as its environment.

It is imperative that people approve of and share in the benefits of wind energy and other power-generating technologies if Europe is to reach its target of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% compared to 1990 levels by 2020.

That was the main message coming out of a lively debate that took place during the Committee of the Region’s Open Days, Hans van der Loo, Shell’s Vice-President of European Union Liaison, said in an interview Wednesday.

Van der Loo, who made closing remarks at Tuesday’s debate, said it is important that Europe work harder at encouraging public support for emissions-free wind power and other renewable technologies in order to deal with NIMBYism.

In the heart of the EU quarter in Brussels is a stunning new photography exhibition displaying the most harrowing images of climate change in our world today.

At the foot of the European Parliament in Place du Luxembourg, the 80-metre long exhibition designed by Mark Edwards is based on Bob Dylan’s prophetic song ‘A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall’.

From birds covered in oil – the result of oil tanker or rig disasters, to barren land that was once pristine forest, there are images that are sure to make you sit up and think about the impact our modern, fossil-fuel and environmentally-damaging ways can have on our delicate planet.

Be it a flat-pack chest of drawers or bedside lamps, most of us have bought something from Ikea. And now, the Swedish chain well-known for creating a revolution in home furnishings is at the forefront of a hopefully incoming tide of companies to back wind power.

Ikea has bought six German wind farms, adding to its portfolio of four French wind farms purchased last year and bringing the total number of wind turbines the company owns to 52. The German farms provide enough electricity to power 17 Ikea stores, and in total the firm can now meet10% of its electricity needs with wind power.

The Financial Times reports that Ikea intends to make further investments in wind and solar power in order to meet its long-term goal to secure all its electricity needs from renewable sources.

“We are conscious of our impact on people and the environment, so we feel duty bound to act responsibly in all we do,” Mikael Ohlsson, Chief Executive of Ikea, told the paper.

However, Ikea’s green credentials were tarnished last year when the company was found guilty by French courts of building a new storage unit close to Marseille on envrionmentally sensitive land, Spiegel Online reports.

Ikea joins Google – another company that has invested in wind power. In May, the internet giant invested in two wind farms in the US that generate 169.5 MW of power, enough to provide electricity for more than 55,000 homes.