Despite challenging economic conditions and regulatory uncertainty, global executives believe that the climate change agenda will significantly impact and drive their business performance and strategy over the next few years according to a recent survey by Ernst & Young: Action amid uncertainty: the business response to climate change.

Three hundred global corporate executives from 16 countries with at least $1 billion in annual revenue participated in the survey conducted during the spring 2010. Here are 10 key findings that offer insight into where businesses are with their climate change strategy and investment, and perhaps more importantly, where they are going.

It's the peak of summer. You're sweltering in the throes of a miserable heatwave. You can't find one store with air conditioners or fans left in stock to help keep you cool.

It's the dead of winter. You're snowed in with no relief in sight. All you want is a bottomless bowl of hot soup and for your heating bill not to bankrupt you before the spring thaw.

Extreme weather can equal extreme discomfort. It can also cause extreme uncertainty when it comes to finances. From the superstore wishing it had planned to stock more winter coats to the homeowner concerned about his or her next energy bill, guessing wrong on weather can be a bummer for business and consumer budgets alike.

Scientists and meteorologists expect that severe-weather events such as the recent heat wave in the Midwest and Northeast will become more frequent as the climate continues to change. What if harsh weather conditions such as heat and cold waves could be predicted well in advance to give energy companies and consumers a head start on managing their resources?

EarthRisk Technologies, a San Diego-based startup, plans to do just that. EarthRisk was born out of technology created by the Scripps Partnership for Hazards and Environmental Applied Research, or SPHEAR, at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.