James BrycePRINCE Charles is meeting Spanish business leaders to discuss the need to change to a low carbon economy.
The meeting will focus on developing opportunities for green growth in Spain and the EU and will involve representatives of some 20 Spanish and European companies.
Charles will listen to views on the challenges ahead as well as the potential business opportunities that a low carbon economy could create.
The meeting follows the publication of a report by UK Trade & Investment and the Economist Intelligence Unit, which reveals that two-thirds of businesses now see climate change as an opportunity rather than a risk.
The report, which surveyed 700 global executives from a range of sectors, claims 90 per cent of businesses have been directly affected by climate change in the past three years.
The UK and Spain are among countries pushing for tougher EU targets for tackling climate change.
They are backing proposals for the current target for cuts in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 to be increased from 20 per cent to 30 per cent.
The UK’s low carbon environmental goods and services market is the sixth largest in the world and worth £112 billion.
Spanish companies including Iberdrola and Gamesa are already investing heavily in renewable energy resources in the UK.
