On November 29th, 2011, First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.) announced that it had signed the 2˚C Challenge Communiqué as global leaders converged on Durban, South Africa, for the next round of United Nations climate change debate.

The 2˚C Challenge Communiqué is initiated by The Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change (CLG) and managed and developed by the University of Cambridge Program for Sustainability Leadership.

The Communiqué calls on governments to break the deadlock in the international climate negotiations and take the necessary action at the national level to ensure a successful transition to green growth and a climate resilient economy.

The Communiqué notes that, if they fail to act, governments "risk permanent damage to their credibility", but the right action would "secure a low carbon-emission economy that is more resilient, more efficient and less vulnerable to global shock". Without an international deal, "business will have insufficient clarity or certainty of action to invest to its full potential".

5 GW thin-film solar modules collectively displacing 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions

For its part, First Solar recently achieved a cumulative production milestone of 5 GW of its advanced, thin-film solar modules, which collectively displace 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions.

"Our mission is to power the world with clean, affordable solar electricity. Price reductions in photovoltaic just since Copenhagen have put renewables on a trajectory to reach parity with unsubsidized fossil fuels. To promote further progress towards a low carbon and 100% renewable energy society, we urge the leaders at Durban to stop subsidizing fossil fuels and ultimately to set a price on carbon that is sufficient to dissuade people from burning it," First Solar's Chief Technology Officer David Eaglesham said.

2011-12-05| Courtesy: First Solar Inc. | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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