Transcripción del resumen del autor. In recent months, climate change has been overshadowed in the global media headlines by the credit crunch and its fallout. But irrespective of the challenging times, it is clear that the issue of climate change remains high on the agenda for businesses, consumers and governments alike. Indeed, there are strong arguments that the downturn will magnify rather than diminish the importance of taking action on climate change. This is because the underlying global trends and drivers behind the move toward a low-carbon economy are not fading, but intensifying. Natural resources will continue to be increasingly scarce, and the real cost to extract, transport and use them will continue to rise. The combination of population growth, globalization and rising living standards in emerging economies will continue to drive up demand for energy. Against this background, the pressure for continued attention on climate and emissions is being strengthened by expansion of societal awareness and by the growing scientific and economic indications regarding the dire consequences of inaction. And increasingly, the focus on energy security is dovetailing with the focus on climate change to drive many similar actions. At the same time, the enablers of economically viable action to foster a sustainable, low-carbon future are continuing to advance. While there may be near-term challenges on financing, investment capital is and will continue to be available for the right carbon-reducing initiatives. And consumer demand for such solutions remains strong, especially when tied to cost savings. These enablers are strengthened by other persistent forces, such as from employees for their companies to take positive steps, and from governments’ regulatory and policy actions and incentives, which will increasingly provide a blend of compulsion and encouragement. In parallel, continuing technology innovation is steadily expanding the ability to drive carbon reduction, whether via energy efficiency, decarbonizing power and fuels, transmitting and distributing power more intelligently or by various other means. In light of these drivers, it is Accenture’s view that current economic challenges can make the move toward a lower-carbon economy an even more valuable source of bottom-line benefits. The obvious example is cost reduction related to energy efficiency. But Accenture also sees revenue enhancement opportunities, with lower-carbon products and services providing a way for businesses to tap into consumers’ desire to take individual action on climate change. Similarly, being seen as environmentally responsible boosts customer acquisition and retention, and helps keep engaged and talented employees on board. Finally, actions toward a lower-carbon future are a lever for innovation and market differentiation, and can drive organic and inorganic growth through new products and services, as well as merger and acquisition (M&A) activity and new forms of collaboration. These drivers and benefits are especially relevant to resources companies—a category that includes businesses in chemicals, natural resources (forest products, building products, metals and mining), energy and utilities—given their collective position as the world’s major emitters.