• Afghanistan
• Arms control
• Climate change
• Priorities
• UN Climate Summit, Durban
• Low carbon economy
• Security
• Vulnerable countries
• Science
• The Commonwealth
• Conference on Somalia
• Conflict minerals
• Council of Europe
• Counter proliferation
• Counter terrorism
• Conference on Cyberspace
• European Union
• Growth and prosperity
• Human rights
• London 2012 Olympics
• Middle East and North Africa
• NATO
• Peacekeeping
• Piracy
• Polar Regions
• United Nations
• US - UK relations
• Women, peace & security

Building a low carbon economy

Preventing climate change is not just about the environment. It is about creating a strong and stable economy for the future. Reforming the global economy and making it low carbon offers new areas of growth and job opportunities for businesses. 

The cost of acting now against climate change is significantly less than acting when the damage has been done. Lord Nicholas Stern said:

'The cost of climate mitigation would be around 1-2% of world GDP per annum by 2050 ... the cost of inaction - that is, business as usual - will incur a loss equivalent to between 5 and 20% of GDP per annum now and forever.'

The UK's green economy:

The UK has proven that it is possible to achieve economic growth on a low emissions route, and has successfully decoupled economic growth from emissions:

• UK economy has grown by 48% since 1990, whilst actual emissions have fallen by over 20%
• The EU economy has grown by 40% since 1990; whilst emissions have fallen by over 7%
• Many of these savings come from efficiency improvements and less carbon-intensive energy sources. More detail on how the UK has reduced emissions can be found on DECC's site.
  

UK businesses have the potential to gain a share of the global market for low carbon goods and services, worth an estimated £3.2 trillion in 2008/9. Low carbon business is generating £112 billion a year in the UK and employing almost 910,000 people.

The FCO works closely with the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

Useful links

• Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
• Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
• UK Trade and Investment (UKTI)