气候变化可能使企业损失近1万亿美元

Climate Change Could Cost Business Almost $1 Trillion

More than 200 of the world’s largest companies predict that climate change could cost them a combined total of almost $1 trillion.

That is a finding from a report released earlier this week. The report predicts that most of the money will be needed in the next five years.

A Britain-based aid group called CDP did the study. The group was once known as the Carbon Disclosure Project.

The new report suggests that many companies still underestimate the dangers of climate change. Scientists warn that, without major cuts to carbon emissions², earth’s climate is likely to experience more changes.

Nicolette Bartlett is CDP’s director of climate change and the writer of the report. She said, “Most companies still have a long way to go in terms of properly assessing climate risk.” The Reuters news agency reported her comments.

CDP is a respected voice in a growing coalition³ of pressure groups, central bankers and other people who believe climate change creates a systemic risk to the financial industry.

CDP is urging business leaders to face the possibility of rising temperatures and other changes, and to consider risks to their operations. Its goal is to increase investment in cleaner industries. The group hopes this can cut the release of carbon dioxide and other industrial gasses in time to meet climate goals worldwide.

In its latest study, CDP examined information from 215 of the world’s largest businesses, including Apple, Microsoft, Unilever, China Mobile, Sony and BHP.

These companies predicted a total of $970 billion in extra costs would result from higher temperatures, weather changes and pricing of carbon gas emissions. About half of these costs were seen as likely to almost sure.

Many companies noted⁴ a strong likelihood of success if the world can de-carbonize in time to prevent the worst effects of climate changes. Scientists consider this to be the end of industrial civilization.

The great transition

Investor⁵ concerns over climate risk have risen sharply at a time of rising climate activism in many countries. Heat waves, extremely dry weather, wildfires and super-storms driven by climate change have become harder to ignore.

The CDP aligned⁶ its questions to businesses with the reporting requirements of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. The Group of 20 countries launched the Taskforce in 2015.

British-based CDP said its research cannot provide a perfect picture of companies’ thinking because their climate risk disclosures are voluntary. The group added that it depends on the information business leaders are willing to share.

But the group argues that the amount to which companies are willing to disclose provides a measure to judge the relative openness of different industries. And, CDP said, the exercise creates pressure on companies to disclose more freely.

The report found that no industry was entirely⁷ transparent⁸ on climate risk. It said financial services companies seemed to be the most open among the businesses responding

Fossil fuel companies that provided responses to the study reported $140 billion of possible economic gains in the drive toward a low-carbon economy. The CDP said that number is more than five times the $25 billion value of the risks they identified.

I’m Caty Weaver⁹.

Words in This Story

emission¹ - n.the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source?

properly - adv. in a way that is accurate or correct?

assess - v. to make a judgment¹⁰ about (something)?

disclosure - n. the act of making something known : the act of disclosing something?

transparent - adj. honest and open: not secretive?

respond - v. to say or write something as an answer to a question or request

1 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

2 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

6 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

9 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

10 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。