Business Implications of a Carbon Cost

PricewaterhouseCoopers were invited by the ICAA to draft its first business briefing, under the Business Leaders Series, on 20 issues on the business implications of a carbon cost.

In PricewaterhouseCoopers 2009 survey of 1000 CEOs titled Carbon Ready or Not, we found that only 23.8% of CEOs were prepared for a carbon constrained economy, and even more surprising only 17.2% of CEOs were factoring a carbon cost into their investment decisions.

In effect Australian businesses were not ready for the effects of a carbon cost on their business, whether through the Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) or some other mechanism.

This business briefing provides a non technical and logical diagnostic to assist CFOs and other senior executives consider the likely direct and indirect impacts of a cost of carbon on their business. Despite the regulatory uncertainty, a lot can be planned and completed now to mitigate future carbon risks and realise opportunities.

• 20 Issues on the Business Implications of a Carbon Cost [PDF 427 KB]