Business Leaders Launch Climate Change Initiative during Brussels Meeting with President Barroso

Brussels, 11 January 2007 - The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso today met a delegation of business leaders including the CEOs of the European power companies Vattenfall, Lars G Josefsson, and Enel, Fulvio Conti, who presented the new global 3C (Combating Climate Change) initiative. More than 15 companies worldwide have endorsed this initiative, demanding an integration of climate issues into the world of markets and trade.

Lars G Josefsson suggested the outline for the 3C initiative during the 14th Session of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development in New York in May 2006. He emphasizes the need for the business community to take a clear stance on climate change:

“Instead of being pulled by society, business leaders should be pushing and in a positive way integrate climate change issues into the world of markets and trade on a global scale. The positive response from companies around the globe to the 3C initiative clearly proves that this is possible.”

Fulvio Conti confirmed Enel’s full support to the 3C initiative and commented: “We strongly believe all technological options should be developed for both combating climate change and increasing security of supply. Governments, producers and users must be open to new solutions and technological innovation.”

A joint web-site of the initiative has been launched: www.combatclimatechange.org

The companies which have so far joined the business leaders' initiative on curbing climate change, include U.S., European and African corporations:
ABB (www.abb.com)
Alstom (www.alstom.com)
Bayer (www.bayer.com)
Deutsche Post World Net (www.dpwn.com)
Duke Energy (www.duke-energy.com)
Endesa (www.endesa.com)
Enel (www.enel.it)
EnBW (www.enbw.com)
E.ON (www.eon.com)
Eskom (www.eskom.co.za)
General Electric (www.ge.com)
Norske Skog (www.norskeskog.com)
NRG Energy (www.nrgenergy.com)
PG&E Corporation (www.pgecorp.com)
Siemens (www.siemens.com)
Suez (www.suez.com)
Wallenius Lines (www.walleniuslines.com)
Vattenfall (www.vattenfall.com)

Step by step work with the initiative is proceeding among 3C companies through internal workshops on priority issues to advance the road map leading to a low emitting society.

For further information, please contact:
Martin May, Vice President Media Relations, telephone: +46-(0)8-739 52 70.
Arne Mogren, Head of Vattenfall’s Climate Change Office, telephone: +46-(0)8-739 52 34.

From Vattenfall's Press Office, telephone: +46 (0)8-739 50 10.