And talking of business-led solutions to climate change... 'Finance Giant' Allianz Group has called on the G8 summit to establish a framework for dealing with climate change. The risks to financial markets that climate change could cause spell out worrying times for the fiancial sector. This point is further reinforced by a report published today by the Association of British Insurers, which states, in terms of cold hard cash, the possible implications of climate change -- increased costs for insureres when they have to pay out to affected areas, and the associated rise in premiums, which will hit all those who use insureance, thus making less money available to feed our consumer-led economy (see www.abi.org.uk/climatechange) This is the kind of argument that cororations can relate to -- and hence we also see calls from the 'International Climate Change Taskforce', a think-tank linked to the US and Uk governments, for some kind of G8 committment on climate change (see Evening Standard story) So are corporations adding their voices to the growing movement against climate change? Well not really. The kinds of changes or 'committments' that these corporations want to see all purely relate to the word of business, and relate to creating a suitable climate (ahem) for the financial markets to continue, without having to worry about unexpected insurance pay-outs or other hiccups. The G8 leaders can do all of this without cutting emissions to any great extent at all. Comforting pseudo-measures, such as the "reliable, transparent and internationally coordinated policy framework...." that Allianz has called for, will do the financial markets' confidence a lot of good, without seriously changing the ongoing and impending impact of climate change. Let's remember that the 20% cut on carbon emmissions that the Kyoto Protocol involves is far far short of what is needed to even stabilise the climate. And there is, of course, money to be made from the climate. As well as wanting "certainty for investment decisions" Allianz also asked for a G8 climate change policy that involved "business opportunities for clients". Once again, the G8 policy -- even at its most 'progressive' involves asking the very corporations that are destroying the planet and creating poverty, to reverse this process -- all in the name of profit.