Business leaders around the world welcomed U.S. President George W. Bush's recognition of climate change as a significant issue and urged for long-term emissions standards to assist in their planning. Despite not endorsing mandatory caps on carbon gases, Bush supported new technologies to reduce gasoline consumption in the United States. While executives at the World Economic Forum in Davos praised the White House's acknowledgment of alternative energies, they expressed the need for stricter U.S. emissions regulations to be implemented. Duke Energy CEO James Rogers emphasized the importance of future regulations for current investment decisions, as power plants being constructed now will be in use for decades. Rogers and Alcoa chief executive Alain Belda both emphasized the importance of being prepared for a new regulatory regime rather than waiting on the sidelines. Belda expressed the need for a unified rule on climate change in the United States to reduce risks for companies and lead other countries to tighten their emissions rules. In Japan, Yvo de Boer, the head of the United Nations Climate Secretariat, viewed Bush's environmental messages as a positive indication of changing attitudes towards climate change in the U.S. Former German environment minister Juergen Trittin also saw potential for improved transatlantic cooperation in combating climate change. However, some critics believed that the speech was inadequate and lacked a comprehensive plan. Sven Teske, a renewable energy expert at Greenpeace, called it a collection of technical suggestions without a real policy shift. Diane Wittenberg of the California Climate Registry expressed disappointment in Bush's speech. "He lagged behind and never caught up," she said, pointing out that most leadership on climate change in the U.S. has come from state governments and the private sector, who are trying to influence future environmental policies in their favor. "Businesses understand that climate change will create a new group of winners and losers in the business world, and they want to be among the winners," she explained. A new survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, released at Davos, revealed that 40 percent of 1,100 global chief executives are worried about the threats posed by climate change, with only 18 percent of U.S. executives sharing the same concern. Mark Spelman, head of European strategy at rival consultancy Accenture, suggested that the increased focus on environmental issues by corporations is partly a PR move to attract environmentally conscious consumers, but also reflects the anticipation of rising energy costs in the future. "A forward-thinking CEO can foresee that the cost of carbon will increase in the future, affecting long-term profitability. Being proactive will put the company in a better position," Spelman concluded. Some people view the transition to a cleaner or low-carbon economy as a chance for business growth. Citigroup has identified 74 companies that could thrive in a more carbon-neutral world, such as companies in clean energy, water utilities, and automotive industries.