Copenhagen was in a fever of excitement hosting the UN Climate Conference, COP15, in December 2009. Heads of state flocked to Denmark to take part in the conference, aiming to reach an agreement on global climate change.
The week-long intense negotiations did not result in a legally binding treaty, but “only” the Copenhagen Accord. The fact that the leaders of the world’s major economies could agree on the Accord is certainly a significant step forward, reflecting a broad global political willingness to combat climate change, but it was not what Novozymes had hoped for. Had the leaders instead been able to agree on pricing carbon pollution, for instance, this would have completely shifted the focus of climate change measures to nonpolluting renewable solutions like ours, bequeathing a greener planet to our children and grandchildren into the bargain.
Novozymes at COP15
Being the world leader in bioinnovation, Novozymes used the unique opportunity COP15 offered to meet with key stakeholders such as politicians, decision-makers, and NGOs, and to extend their knowledge of white biotechnology at different levels with varied examples of how our biosolutions make it possible to produce more from less, reduce energy input, reduce waste generation, and use renewable raw materials instead.
One of the more striking and pioneering aspects of COP15 was that half of the conference’s official VIP vehicle fleet was fueled using a new and advanced, environmentally friendly biofuel produced from straw using Novozymes’ enzymes. It was probably the world’s first fillingup on this scale with biofuel made from straw, achieving an amazing 85% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Enzymes for advanced biofuel
Novozymes has promised to deliver commercially viable enzymes for advanced biofuel production in 2010. When President Obama said in his speech at COP15 that the US is convinced that changing the way they produce and use energy is essential to the country’s economic future – that this will create millions of new jobs, power new industry, keep them competitive, and spark new innovation – it was an affirmation of our decision to build a new manufacturing facility in Blair, Nebraska.
In January, the Obama Administration showed Novozymes its continued support by granting an Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit for the construction of the new facility in Nebraska. The facility qualifies for the tax credit program by producing enzymes for advanced biofuels – clean energy – and by creating more than 100 green jobs for the state.
The future
This year, the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) will take place in Mexico. Whether or not a legally binding treaty is reached this time, Novozymes
will continue the dialog we have started with key influencers and keep reminding them of the greener alternatives – the Novozymes alternatives.
Peder Holk Nielsen