Appetite for change - Accountancy Nieuws

Section 4How can policies find support?EmployeesFigure 18Medium-large businesses feel least engaged by governmentAll companies5001+1001-5000251-1000Up to 2505656505755496464595354504446410 10 20 30 40 50 60 700% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%DisagreeGovernment incorporates industry viewsGovernment encourages behavioural changeClimate change policies address business issuesTo gather business support, governments may needspecial efforts for the retail and consumer sectors and fororganisations with 1,001-5,000 employees (medium-largebusinesses). These types of businesses feel least engagedby environment policies. Two thirds of retail executives(see fig. 17 on page 27) and 64 per cent of executives atmedium-large businesses (see fig. 18 opposite) believe thatgovernments have not encouraged businesses to changeenvironmental behaviour significantly. The same proportionsthink that climate change policies do not give sufficientpriority to business issues. Among all companies, 55 per centof executives feel the same way.Certainty and simplicity are the biggest challenges forcarbon trading; for carbon taxes, the key issues areflexibility and incentives. As suggested by the strongsupport for both policies, most business leaders do not seecarbon taxes and trading as mutually exclusive. A Chineseexecutive provided a good summation of a common viewthat “both of them are good ways to encourage companiesto reach emission targets. In practice, it really depends ona company’s nature and type of business.” Asking businessleaders to state a preference, however, reveals the attitudesthat drive and inhibit support for each policy (see fig. 19 onpage 30 and fig. 21 on page 31).28 Appetite for change. PricewaterhouseCoopers.