On Friday, environmental negotiation between 193 heads of state concluded in Copenhagen. Some argue that little was accomplished, and left in frustration. Others returned home happy with news of good progress. SAS was one of very few Global IT firms to participate in this historic meeting. Mikael Hagström, our Executive Vice President, impressed upon the delegates that data-driven knowledge must be at the center of carbon mitigation strategies.

Regardless of the fact that a binding emissions reduction agreement was not reached, I think the meeting had several positive outcomes. First of all, there were some important agreements between nations concerning transparency of measurements and deployment of clean technology to the developing world. These are obstacles that have prevented multinational agreements in the past, so their agreements will pave the way for more progress at the next climate summit (COP16 2010). Secondly, the fact that there was not a multinational agreement may spur action in the US Congress to move forward on an Energy bill, now that there is a bit more certainty about international regulations (or lack thereof). Lastly, one of the most closely followed US Presidents in history was engaged in climate dialogue on a global platform. But this time, it wasn’t just the US that balked on a global deal (a la Kyoto). Not one to leave loose ends untied, President Obama’s participation ensures that this topic will remain important throughout his Presidency.

What does this mean for the business community? It’s time to get serious about managing your emissions. The role of information and communication technology (ICT) is critical in determining how emissions are mitigated at the least cost, and for gathering the complex and disparate data required to evaluate the best opportunities for your business. Passing around spreadsheets and manually manipulating energy bills will quickly become disadvantageous to your company.

The question asked in boardrooms today is, “How can we afford NOT to be on top of this information?" During his Copenhagen presentation, Mikael Hagström shared examples of organizations that are leading the pack in emissions management – namely the Poste Italian Group and the municipality of The Hague -- to illustrate how organizations benefit from SAS’ unique capabilities in the sustainability management field.

If my hunch is correct, the next year will have me humming a familiar country music tune. The wheels of change are spinning towards a low-carbon economy and from here on out, we’ll see “A little less talk and a lot more action."?

Happy Holidays!