An international group focused on climate change and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair co-released a global call to action today - with help from University of Michigan Professor Andrew Hoffman.

Hoffman was one of 18 professionals from around the world who served on an expert committee advising both The í‚ °Climate Group and Blair, who co-released the report in Tokyo titled "Breaking the Climate Deadlock: A Global Deal for Our Low Carbon Future." The í‚ °Climate Group approached Hoffman last fall and asked him to help review drafts and participate in conference-call discussions regarding the report.

The report identifies the actions and questions that need to be resolved by political and business leaders over the next 18 months to achieve a successful outcome to the United Nations climate change negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009.

The report was written to help Blair make the case for action to leaders at the G8 Leaders' Summit meeting, which is July 7-9 in Tokyo. In addition to the G8 leaders, the report targets policy makers, business leaders, and opinion formers from key countries. The í‚ °Climate Group calls the report the first phase of its broader "Breaking the Climate Deadlock" initiative launched with Blair in March.

Hoffman said the report's conclusions, while not breaking new scientific group, are compiled in a concise and complete way. "It doesn't skirt any of the major issues before us while also helping to make the case for action to the leaders of the G8 countries," Hoffman said. "And having it delivered by someone as influential as Tony Blair, someone with í¢â‚¬Ëœconvening' power, means that it will likely produce some kind of response."

In releasing the report, Blair said now is the moment to get serious about finding solutions. "The problem of climate change is now almost universally understood and acknowledged. This is in itself a major achievement," Blair said. "Such a solution has to be global. It must include America and China. It has to be radical. It must put the world on a path away from carbon dependence to a new and green economy."

Hoffman is the Holcim (U.S.) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. Erb students are dual-enrolled in the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ross School of Business at U-M.

"Working on projects like this, helping to inform debate on real-world issues on a real-world stage, is especially gratifying to an academic," Hoffman said. "Our world is often too constrained to academic journals and academic audiences.

He recently co-authored a book titled "Climate Change: What's Your Business Strategy," released by Harvard Business Press. In the book, Hoffman and co-author John G. Woody say companies that fail to shrink their carbon footprints and integrate energy policies with business strategies won't survive in today's marketplace.

"You should not think of climate change as an environmental issue at all. Instead, you should think of it as a market transition," Hoffman said. "And as in any such transition, there will be winners and losers."

About the School of Natural Resources and Environment
The School of Natural Resources and Environment's overarching objective is to contribute to the protection of the earth's resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. Through research, teaching, and outreach, faculty, staff, and students are devoted to generating knowledge and developing policies, techniques and skills to help practitioners manage and conserve natural and environmental resources to meet the full range of human needs on a sustainable basis.
www.snre.umich.edu

About The í‚ °Climate Group:
The í‚ °Climate Group was founded in 2004 by a diverse group of companies, governments and supporters who saw the opportunity to create new momentum in the international effort to stop climate change. Proactive companies, states and cities around the world are demonstrating that cuts in greenhouse gases required to stop climate change can be achieved whilst growing the bottom line. Using the work of these leaders as a catalyst, The í‚ °Climate Group works to accelerate international action on global warming with a new, strong focus on practical solutions.
http://www.theclimategroup.org/

Download the report:
http://www.theclimategroup.org/assets/resources/BTCDJune08Report-lores.pdf