Global CEOs: Climate Action Key to Economic Growth

Hoping to create a global carbon market, the organizers of a world business summit on climate change said 2 million new jobs would be created in the U.S. alone if it increased its reliance on cleaner sources of energy.

Many CEOs speaking in Copenhagen — who included heads of companies like PepsiCo Inc. and Unilever PLC
— said they were committed to greening their companies and cutting carbon pollution.

Setting global targets will be crucial in creating a level playing field, especially for energy-intensive industries. Failure to set global targets, CEOs warned, could lead to "green protectionism" — where industries in countries with tough rules would lose out to rivals in countries with less strict policies.

Published: June 5, 2009