Eco-drive by Scots business leaders hailed

A LEADING environmentalist has hailed initial steps taken by Scottish business leaders to tackle climate change.

Sir Crispin Tickell, one of the world's leading authorities on climate change, insisted that it was "one of the most important problems of our time", and warned that businesses risked being hit by the effects of climate destabilisation.

But he praised a gathering of around 100 business leaders, a number of whom pledged to make firm commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

"It's a real initiative by top businesses to register the climate change issue, or what I would call the climate destabilisation issue, very loudly and clearly in their own affairs," Sir Crispin said.

The meeting in Edinburgh, entitled the Prince of Wales' Business Summit on Climate Change, marked the beginning of a business-led movement for increased action on climate change. The summit was organised by Scottish Business in the Community, in conjunction with the Carbon Trust.

Samantha Barber, chief executive of SBC, praised as "excellent" a commitment given by 87 per cent of the delegates to work with SBC and the Carbon Trust to take action on climate change.