Business leaders to call for clear climate policies

By Anna Ringstrom and Peter Levring

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Industry should play its part in the fight against climate change by persuading governments to boost carbon cuts rather than lobbying against them, the U.N. Secretary-General told a business conference.

Business leaders met in Denmark on Sunday to try to unite behind a call for long-term climate policies on oil, power and technology ahead of a U.N. conference in December meant to forge a new climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

"For those who are directly or implicitly lobbying against climate action I have a clear message: your ideas are out of date and you are running out of time," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a meeting of more than 500 business leaders.

"The smart money is on the green economy," he said. "Leaders sometimes are weak because they are short-sighted to get the votes," he added, urging businesses to lobby for carbon cuts.

Danish Environment, Climate and Energy Minister Connie Hedegaard, who hosts the U.N.-led December conference, said Denmark's leading position in wind power was proof that fighting climate change could be lucrative.

"Renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are our fastest growing exports right now. That's the message to businesses here: put pressure on governments, that this is not just about idealism. This is not anti-growth."

Low-carbon companies may also benefit from more motivated staff and attract shareholders who only invest in climate-friendly business.

"The greener our agenda is, the better talent we get," said Ditlev Engel, the chief executive of Denmark's Vestas, the world's biggest wind turbine maker.