Print
Category: National News

Washington, DC - Today, the White House will announce new commitments from companies from across the American economy who are joining the American Business Act on Climate Pledge. With this announcement, 81 companies will have signed the American Business Act on Climate Pledge to demonstrate their support for action on climate change and the conclusion of a climate change agreement in Paris that takes a strong step forward toward a low-carbon, sustainable future. 

These 81 companies have operations in all 50 states, employ over 9 million people, represent more than $3 trillion in annual revenue, and have a combined market capitalization of over $5 trillion.

By signing the American Business Act on Climate pledge, these companies are:

The impacts of climate change are already being felt worldwide. Nineteen of the 20 hottest years on record occurred in the past two decades. Countries and communities around the world are already being affected by deeper, more persistent droughts, pounded by more severe weather, inundated by bigger storm surges, and imperiled by more frequent and dangerous wildfires. Rising temperatures can lead to more smog, longer allergy seasons, and an increased incidence of extreme-weather-related injuries, all of which imperil public health, particularly for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, the sick, the poor, and some communities of color. No corner of the planet and no sector of the global economy will remain unaffected by climate change in the years ahead.

Climate change is a global challenge that demands a global response, and President Obama is committed to leading the fight. The President’s Climate Action Plan, when fully implemented, will cut nearly 6 billion tons of carbon pollution through 2030, an amount equivalent to taking all the cars in the United States off the road for more than 4 years. The Clean Power Plan, the most significant domestic step any President has ever taken to combat climate change, will reduce emissions from the energy sector by 32% by 2030. And while the United States is leading on the international stage and the federal government is doing its part to combat climate change, hundreds of private companies, local governments, and foundations have stepped up to increase energy efficiencyboost low-carbon investing, and make solar energy more accessible to low-income Americans.

The measures taken by the public and private sectors enabled President Obama to set an ambitious but achievable goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by 26-28% by 2025 last November. And in the eleven months since, we’ve seen unprecedented global momentum in the fight against climate change.

To date, 150 countries representing more than 85% of global carbon emissions have reported post-2020 climate policies to the United Nations. This includes the major economies like the U.S., China, the European Union and India and it includes a large number of smaller economies, developing nations, island states and tropical countries – some of whom are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

But these submissions are only the beginning of achieving a successful outcome in Paris this December that puts in place a transparent global framework for increasing ambition over time and continuing to drive down emissions over the course of this century. As the world looks toward Paris, President Obama is committed to building on this momentum, with American leadership at all levels – the federal government, state and local governments and the private sector.

Clean Energy Investment 

Additionally, leading up to the White House Clean Energy Investment Summit on June 16, 2015, an independent consortium of long-term investors (“LTIs”), including sovereign development funds, pension funds, endowments, family offices, and foundations, committed to building a new investment intermediary that will identify, screen, and assess high-potential companies and projects for commercial investment that could also produce impactful and profitable solutions to climate change.

Today, this consortium will announce its founding CEO, interim board of directors, sponsors, and confirms the intention of the LTIs to deploy at least $1.2 billion of investment capital through an ‘aligned intermediary’, which they anticipate will be formally launched and branded in mid-2016.

The initial group of LTIs announcing financial commitments to work with the ‘aligned intermediary’ includes:

The effort launches with research support from the Hewlett Foundation, ClimateWorks Foundation, and Planet Heritage Foundation, and a commitment of further operational support, pending final approval, from the MacArthur Foundation.

As President Obama said at the U.N. Climate Summit last September, “There’s one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other, and that is the urgent and growing threat of a changing climate.” The American Business Act on Climate Pledge shows that the U.S. private sector, with its history of innovation and ingenuity, is committed to stepping up and doing its part in taking on this global challenge.

*         *          *

THE AMERICAN BUSINESS ACT ON CLIMATE PLEDGE

We applaud the growing number of countries that have already set ambitious targets for climate action. In this context, we support the conclusion of a climate change agreement in Paris that takes a strong step forward toward a low-carbon, sustainable future.

We recognize that delaying action on climate change will be costly in economic and human terms, while accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy will produce multiple benefits with regard to sustainable economic growth, public health, resilience to natural disasters, and the health of the global environment. 

The following companies have joined the pledge and their detailed commitments can be viewed at:  www.whitehouse.gov/ClimatePledge

ABENGOA BIOENERGY US

Since 2005 Abengoa Bioenergy has produced more than 2.5 billion gallons of renewable ethanol fuel in the US, displacing 2.5 billion gallons of petroleum based transportation fuel and reducing GHG emissions from those gallons by an average of 34%.  Building on this commitment to GHG reductions, Abengoa Bioenergy pledges to:

AEMETIS

Aemetis is planning to expand our technology platform and grow into new markets to combat climate change by significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by displacing petroleum based fuels.

Having met our 2006 pledge to deploy 100 MGY of low carbon biofuels by 2015, Aemetis further pledges to:

ALCOA

Building on our existing global commitment to reduce GHG intensity by 30% by 2020 (vs. 2005 baseline), Alcoa pledges to:

AMERICAN EXPRESS

American Express has taken measurable actions to reduce its carbon footprint, optimize the efficiency and sustainability of its workplace, and support its customers in reducing their environmental footprints. Currently, 100% of the electricity used to power American Express headquarters and 55% of the electricity used to power all the company’s U.S. operations is carbon-free, utilizing a mix of wind, biogas, biomass and solar energy. On-site green power generation and the purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs) helped American Express reduce its carbon emissions by 27.5% between 2007 and 2012.

Building on this achievement, American Express pledges to:

APPLE

Apple, already running all of its U.S. operations on 100% renewable energy, will bring an estimated 280 megawatts of clean power generation online by the end of 2016 through investments in Arizona, California, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon and Sichuan Province, China. Since 2011, Apple has reduced carbon emissions from its global corporate facilities, data centers and retail stores by 48%.

AT&T

By 2020 our goal is to:

AUTODESK

Building on Autodesk’s long-term commitment to support and equip designers and engineers to help solve climate change while meeting our own science-based greenhouse gas reduction target, we pledge to: 

BANK OF AMERICA

Since 2007, Bank of America has provided more than $39 billion in financing for low-carbon activities to help address climate change. Bank of America pledges to:

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY ENERGY

Berkshire Hathaway pledges to:

BEST BUY

Best Buy is committed to positively impacting our planet and our communities by reducing our impact on the environment, broadening consumer access to energy-efficient solutions, and supporting sustainable product life cycle management.

Best Buy pledges to:

BIOGEN

Biogen is proud to stand with other leading companies to support the American Business Act on Climate Pledge. This initiative is another demonstration of our ongoing commitment to corporate citizenship: improving the lives of patients, rethinking the way we use natural resources, developing and empowering our employees, and bettering the community.

Biogen pledges to:

BLOOMBERG

Bloomberg recognizes that carbon emissions have global environmental, social and economic implications.  And we are committed to addressing them through a combination of actions:  reducing consumption, buying renewable products and services, helping to set standards, encouraging disclosure and promoting clean technologies.

As a information provider for banks, corporations, governments and others, Bloomberg is leveraging its data, news and analytics capabilities to help our customers identify, manage and seize sustainability and climate-related risks and opportunities.

CARGILL

Cargill established comprehensive goals around climate, energy, and water 10 years ago. We have improved energy efficiency by 16 percent, carbon intensity by 9 percent, and freshwater efficiency by 12 percent since setting energy goals in 2000 and climate and water goals in 2005. We continue to raise the bar and have set new goals through 2020.

From our 2015 baseline, Cargill pledges to over the next five years:

Cargill is a signatory to the United Nations’ New York Declaration on Forests, committed to doing its part to cut natural forest loss in half by 2020, and strive to end it by 2030.

Cargill continues to work with customers and civil society to build sustainable supply chains that address climate concerns. We also partner with farmers and ranchers to help agriculture adapt to a changing climate. Our focus areas address sensitive needs in the critical supply chains of palm, soy and beef.

CA TECHNOLOGIES

CA Technologies pledges to:

CALPINE

Calpine is a leading independent power producer and we have long invested in clean, low-carbon and renewable energy resources.  We own and operate the nation’s largest modern fleet of low-carbon, highly efficient, combined-cycle natural gas-fueled power plants; we also are the nation’s largest operator of combined heat and power (CHP) plants; and we own the nation’s largest fleet of renewable geothermal power plants. 

Calpine has been a longtime supporter of efforts to mitigate GHG emissions from the power sector.  We have also voluntarily taken steps to assure that we provide reliable, low-cost electricity in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. 

Calpine pledges to:

CAMPOS BROTHERS FARMS

Since 2009, Campos Brothers Farms has been actively focused on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, as well as reducing our impact on a variety of environmental stewardship fronts, realizing a reduction of 19.7 Million pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere.  Additionally, we have taken aggressive steps to reduce our water usage by 33%, have reduced our waste by 20% through recycling, orchard pruning management, and full utilization of all three products an almond produce; the hull (for livestock feed), the kernel/nut (one of the most nutritious foods in the world), and the shell (for livestock bedding). In addition, we have partnered with ‘Project Apis m’ to fund and direct research to enhance the health and vitality of honey bee colonies while improving plant production.

Despite our progress, we recognize that more can be done that will produce multiple benefits with regard to sustainable growth. Building on our progress since 2009 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water use, waste and increase recycling in our operations, Campos Brothers Farms pledges to:

COCA-COLA

Coca-Cola pledges to reduce the carbon footprint of “the drink in your hand” by 25% by 2020.

Across the Coca-Cola system (our company and more than 250 bottling partners globally), we intend to make significant, comprehensive changes, investments and technology advancements to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 as our business continues to grow. We estimate that achieving this ambitious goal will prevent approximately 20 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually by 2020. That’s four times the Coca-Cola system’s annual carbon emissions from manufacturing.

This goal is comprehensive and extends across our entire value chain - ingredient sourcing, manufacturing processes, packaging formats, delivery fleet, and refrigeration equipment.

COX ENTERPRISES

Cox Enterprises has long been committed to environmental stewardship and conservation.  Since 2007, the company has invested more than $100 million in sustainability and conservation through its Cox Conserves program, which promotes and supports positive environmental change in our businesses and in the community. 

Looking ahead, Cox Enterprises aims to send Zero Waste to Landfills by 2024 and become both Carbon and Water neutral by 2044. 

We pledge to accomplish these goals by:

DELL

At Dell, we believe technology has an important role to play in both mitigating and adapting to climate change. While we will continue to focus on better understanding and managing our carbon footprint, we see our most important role as a provider of technology that will drive research, innovation and meaningful action. With this in mind, Dell puts forth the following pledges for action by 2020 that will reduce our footprint and help our customers to reduce theirs.

Dell pledges to:

Dell is also committed to demonstrating how technology solutions can create net positive effects – enabling customers to achieve social and environmental benefits that exceed the footprint of the technology used to deliver them. By 2020, we will demonstrate this net positive effect is 10 times greater than the footprint of the technology used to achieve it.

We encourage others to join us in setting meaningful targets, taking action, and supporting global cooperation to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and address climate change.

DSM NORTH AMERICA

DSM is a global life science and material science company working to create brighter lives for people today and generations to come. DSM is a world leader in sustainable nutrition, materials and health.  It delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials.  DSM has 22,000 employees world-wide and is headquartered in Heerlen, the Netherlands. The United States is DSM’s biggest country by sales and shareholder base, with approximately 4,000 employees and 35 sites.

DSM has been in continuous operations for more than 100 years. “Dutch State Mines” or DSM, originally a coal mining company has transformed itself through acquisition and divestiture into a global leader in moving to a low carbon, circular economy rebranding the DSM acronym to mean “Do Something Meaningful.”

This has translated into a continuous effort to reduce DSM’s carbon footprint and create more sustainably products in the United States and globally, and to work with developing nations to ensure that they have the tools to be a contributor to the world economy. 

DSM is unique as a publicly traded company as it ties DSM executives’ compensation to sustainability goals.  Specifically, up to 50% of DSM’s variable executive compensation is tied to achievement of sustainability goals.  DSM also engages in integrated annual reporting, which includes its financial results alongside its sustainability results.

DSM is engaged in an ongoing partnership with Department of Energy to reduce energy consumption by 20%; it made a $200 million foreign direct investment in a commercial scale cellulosic biofuels plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa; DSM created a 6 MW solar field project that  produces approximately 30-40% of its Belvidere, NJ manufacturing plant’s electricity needs at peak production and offsets CO2 emissions from the grid by more than 4,563 Metric Tons annually; it is engaged in innovative research to reduce carbon exemplified by DSM’s Clean Cow initiative that will reduce bovine methane emissions by up to 30%; and  DSM participates in long-standing efforts to reduce global hunger and malnutrition, including its partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, Partners in Foods Solutions, USAID, Global Health Corp, World Vision and others.

DSM makes the following pledges:

EMC

In support of our goal to achieve 80% absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in accordance with the 2007 Bali Climate Declaration, EMC Corporation pledges to:

ENERGY OPTIMIZERS

Energy Optimizers, USA pledges to:

ENER-G RUDOX

ENER-G Rudox, Inc. pledges to:

FACEBOOK

Facebook pledges to:

FULCRUM BIOENERGY

Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc., a leader in the development of low carbon drop-in transportation fuels from municipal solid waste, hereby pledges to:

GE

Since its 2005 launch, Ecomagination – GE’s commitment to accelerate the development of technology solutions that save money and reduce environmental impact for its customers and own operations – has invested $15 billion in R&D and generated more than $200B in revenue. GE’s operations have seen a 31 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 2004 and a 42 percent reduction in freshwater use since 2006, realizing more than $300M in savings.

GENERAL MILLS

General Mills has long been committed to being part of the solution on climate change. Since 2005, we have reduced our absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent within our direct operations.  Now, we are furthering our commitment by announcing a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our entire value chain – from farm to fork to landfill – over the next 10 years.

Our goal, developed using science-based methodology, is an ambitious one. We pledge to:

In addition to mitigation, we recognize the importance of adaptation in building resilience. For this reason, we commit to supporting climate adaptation programs for key regions, particularly in key commodities. 

General Mills has also made other significant commitments in the area of sustainable agriculture:

Finally, we realize that this level of ambition cannot be realized by one company alone.  For this reason, we are signatories to UNGC, BICEP, We Mean Business, the New York Declaration on Forests and Climate Counts. 

We believe that by advancing our commitment now, we have an opportunity to encourage others to do the same, establish new partnerships, and together, make real progress towards more sustainable emission levels for our planet and future generations.

GENERAL MOTORS

General Motors pledges to:

GOLDMAN SACHS

Goldman Sachs pledges to:

GOOGLE

Google pledges to:

HERSHEY’S

Since 2009, the Hershey Company has been actively focused on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and our impact on climate change, as well as reducing our impact on a variety of environmental stewardship fronts, realizing a 23% reduction in GHG emissions from operations during that time.  Additionally, we have taken aggressive steps to source 100% RSPO sustainable palm oil. We have also initiated a partnership with The Forest Trust to trace our palm oil purchases and ensure our suppliers are not developing on peat areas and are identifying and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their operations, two key factors that impact climate change. Finally, we have also partnered with Wildlife Works to purchase carbon credits to offset the unavoidable emissions from our sales and corporate fleet of vehicles. 

Building on our 2014 pledge to deploy further actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water use, waste and increase recycling in our operations by 2017, The Hershey Company pledges to:

Hewlett Packard (HP)

HP Living Progress is our framework for thinking about how we do business. It’s the way we integrate sustainability into our business strategy, building on a commitment we articulated in our company objectives in 1957 and have reaffirmed every year since.

With a rapidly growing global population and finite resources, “business as usual” is no longer an option. Through HP Living Progress, we make the environment stronger as we grow by improving the efficiency of our supply chain, operations, and products and solutions, as well as by making community investments that help tackle sustainability challenges. To this end, HP pledges to:

IBERDROLA USA

With more than 6,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity generation, 8,344 miles of electric transmission lines, 18,952 miles of natural gas distribution lines and 67,430 miles of electric distribution lines, and 67.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas storage, Iberdrola USA’s energy businesses are contributing to America’s clean, affordable and energy independent future.

Iberdrola USA has invested billions of dollars in electricity distribution and transmission networks, renewable electricity generation, natural gas distribution networks, natural gas storage facilities, and smart grid technologies in the United States.

Iberdrola USA is a subsidiary of Iberdrola S.A. an international energy company that is the largest wind energy generator in the world and a leader in the battle against climate change. The company’s emissions per kilowatt-hour (kWh) are already 30% lower than the average of the European electricity sector and significantly lower than the U.S. average. Iberdrola S.A. recently committed to globally reducing the company’s overall greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 50% in 2030 compared to 2007 levels and to become carbon neutral by 2050.

As part of Iberdrola USA’s continued commitment to reducing our carbon footprint in the United States, setting targets to reduce emissions, raising public awareness of the consequences of climate change and incorporating climate risk management into our business plans, Iberdrola USA pledges to:

IBM

IBM has been a global leader regarding energy efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for decades. For example:

We put forth our pledges as follows:

IKEA USA

At IKEA, sustainability is central to our business. Because climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing society, IKEA Group and IKEA Foundation this year made bold new commitments totaling 1 billion in funding to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and support the communities most at risk. In June, the IKEA Group committed 600 million for investment in renewable energy, building on the 1.5 billion invested in wind and solar energy since 2009. In addition, the IKEA Foundation has committed 400 million of funding to support the communities most impacted by climate change.

Looking forward, we put forth our additional pledges as follows:

IKEA pledges to:

INGERSOLL RAND

Ingersoll Rand, a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, is committed to addressing the unsustainable global demand for energy resources and its impact on the environment for our employees, customers and shareholders.

Ingersoll Rand pledges to:

INTERNATIONAL PAPER

International Paper is a leader in the use of renewable energy to manufacture our products. Approximately 70 percent of the energy used in our global mill system is self-generated using renewable carbon neutral biomass residuals. Our use of biomass residuals for energy displaces significant fossil fuel use and related GHG emissions.

From a 2010 baseline, we improved energy efficiency by 6 percent (14 trillion Btu/year) and reduced our absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 8 percent (1.4 million tons of CO2e a year).   Since 2012, International Paper has invested $424 million globally in energy projects yielding great results.

International Paper’s 2020 Sustainability goals include pledges over the next five years that will:

These pledges build on International Paper’s ongoing sustainability goals established in 2010 which continue to improve our manufacturing efficiencies. 

International Paper is committed to responsible forestry around the world and is a leader in the international effort to stop illegal logging and ensure timber legality in the global supply chain.  International Paper supports robust, ambitious measures in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and future agreements like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that advance greater international action to combat illegal logging. 

INTEL

Over 20 years ago, Intel established public environmental goals to reduce its environmental footprint, including greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2000, we have reduced our absolute greenhouse gas emissions nearly 40% and our emission intensity by approximately 60%. That substantial progress has been accomplished in part due to aggressive efforts to reduce our emissions of fluorinated gases, a critical component in semiconductor manufacturing. We have installed 20 on-site renewable energy projects to date and will purchase over 3 billion kW-hrs of green power this year, making Intel the largest purchaser in the US for the 7th consecutive year.

To further build on these efforts we pledge to accomplish the following by 2020:

In addition to the numerical goals above we will aggressively deploy new products and technologies that assist others in reducing their carbon emissions and we will publically track our progress to reduce our carbon footprint and compare our results to a widely-accepted international benchmark, the IPCC’s 2050 target.

INTEX SOLUTIONS, INC.

Intex Solutions, Inc. pledges to continue our efforts to be leaders in energy and water conservation, and set an example for other enterprises.

INVENERGY

Building on our track record of leadership in the development and operation of no- and low-carbon energy technologies, Invenergy pledges to:

JOHNSON AND JOHNSON

At Johnson & Johnson, we understand the intrinsic link between a healthy environment and human health. As the world’s largest and most broadly-based health care company, our mission is to help people live longer, healthier and happier lives. Our Credo defines our responsibilities to people and the planet, and our citizenship and sustainability practices are an important part of fulfilling this commitment.

As part of our 2020 Citizenship & Sustainability Goals and as a continuation of our legacy in stewarding a healthy environment, we have established new science-based climate goals:

JOHNSON CONTROLS

Johnson Controls, a global multi-industrial company, has made public commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve sustainability since 2003.  From 2002 through 2014, we reduced our global greenhouse gas intensity by 41 percent and our energy intensity by 40 percent. Additionally, we have already achieved 21 percent of our 25 percent ten year energy intensity reduction goal in only five years as part of the U.S. DOE Better Plants Challenge.  We have also recently established updated corporate targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water and waste.

From a 2014 baseline, Johnson Controls pledges the following by 2020:

In addition, Johnson Controls pledges to provide our small and medium enterprise suppliers with energy management tools and training to help them become more energy efficient, sustainable and competitive.  We also commit to invest in the development of new products that expand our use of low-GWP alternatives to HFC refrigerants that best meet the safety, efficiency, reliability, availability, and financial requirements of our customers.

KELLOGG’S

The purpose of Kellogg Company is to nourish families so they can flourish and thrive ─ from the farmers who grow our ingredients, to the employees who bring our values to life, and the consumers who buy our foods, all of whom want a better world for generations to come. We support the implementation of a strong climate change agreement coming out of Paris that ultimately puts us on a path toward a low-carbon, sustainable future.

The body of science behind climate change has grown clearer and more focused. We recognize that failure to address global warming will make it difficult for Kellogg to continue to meet global food demand and ensure future generations will have a higher quality of life. Kellogg takes a comprehensive approach to reducing our environmental footprint by reducing our carbon emissions; the amount of waste we generate; and, the amount of natural resources we use. We are committed to participating in multiple programs addressing climate risk and transparency, including President Obama’s Climate Data Initiative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Global Open Data for Agriculture & Nutrition Initiative, and organizations such as Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP) and the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC). 

As a leading global food company, today Kellogg is pledging to take additional steps, including to:

KINGSPAN INSULATED PANELS, INC.

Building on a 2010 Kingspan Global Corporate pledge Kingspan Insulated Panels – North America pledges to:

LAKESHORE LEARNING MATERIALS

Lakeshore Learning Materials pledges to:

LAM RESEARCH

In 2011, Lam formalized public environmental targets to reduce our environmental footprint, including energy and hazardous waste. Since 2011 we have reduced our energy consumption intensity by 21% and our hazardous waste generation intensity by 74%.

To further build on these efforts we pledge to target the following by 2020:

In addition to the goals above, we cascade our environmental management system requirements and expectations throughout our supply chain. Lam publicly tracks and makes available our sustainability progress in our annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report and we benchmark performance to other leading companies in the semiconductor industry.

LEVI STRAUSS & CO.

At Levi Strauss & Co., we believe that climate change mitigation is vital to the long-term success of our business, and the health and well-being of the people who make and buy our products. We’ve been working for decades to reduce our environmental impact in our operations and supply chain. Our vision is to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases through maximizing energy efficiency and using 100% renewable energy — first in our operations and then throughout the supply chain – and to continue to build sustainability into everything we do. We have been, and will continue to be, outspoken champions for public policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. 

Levi Strauss & Co. pledges to:

L’OREAL USA

By the year 2020, L’Oreal will:

MARS

Mars, Incorporated has established a set of ambitious, science-based goals designed to drive our global operations toward being Sustainable in a Generation (SIG). Under these SIG goals, and as part of our broader sustainability programs, Mars pledges to:

McDONALD’S CORPORATION

McDonald’s believes climate change presents a significant global challenge that, if left unaddressed, will have far-reaching implications for generations to come. As a global food company, we depend on healthy ecosystems and communities around the world to help produce the food and beverages our customers love. As a modern and progressive burger company, we recognize the role we play in addressing this important challenge and doing what we can to reduce our carbon footprint. We aspire to develop and operate the most environmentally-efficient McDonald’s restaurants and to source our food and packaging sustainably.

McDonald’s puts forth our pledges as follows:

Deforestation: As demonstrated by our endorsement of the United Nations’ New York Declaration on Forests in 2014 and our Commitment on Deforestation made in April 2015, McDonald’s is committed to eliminating deforestation from our global supply chain. We will focus our initial efforts on beef, fiber-based packaging, palm oil, coffee, and soy used for beef & poultryfeed, given their link to deforestation. We will share time-bound deforestation-free targets for these priority products by the end of this year.

Beef: McDonald’s supports the sustainable production of beef. We helped found the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) to bring together key stakeholders around a common purpose. In 2014, the GRSB led a collaborative effort to finalize global principles and criteria for sustainable beef production which, among other focus areas, involves managing natural resources responsibly and working to enhance ecosystem health. We are developing goals and will begin purchasing a portion of our beef from verified, sustainable sources starting in 2016.

Palm Oil: By 2020, our goal is for 100% of the palm oil used in our restaurants worldwide and as an ingredient in McDonald’s products to be verified as having come from a system that supports sustainable palm oil production. We will continue encouraging McDonald’s palm oil suppliers to move toward traceable and transparent palm oil supply chains as a way to ensure no deforestation.

Fiber: By 2020, our goal is to source 100% of fiber-based packaging from recycled or certified sources. As the first global restaurant business in World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Global Forest & Trade Network, we support its initiative to eliminate illegal logging and transform the global marketplace to save the world’s valuable and threatened forests.

Coffee: By 2020, our goal is to have 100% of our coffee verified as supporting sustainable production. We will work with globally recognized programs and provide support for coffee farmers through initiatives such as our technical assistance project in Guatemala

Restaurant Energy:

Restaurant Waste & Recycling: Our goal is to minimize waste and increase the amount of in-restaurant recycling to 50% by 2020 in our top markets, which involves efforts such as packaging optimization and expanding our recycling of materials including corrugated cardboard and used cooking oil.

MICROSOFT

At Microsoft, we’re committed to driving environmentally sustainable business practices and catalyzing technology innovations that help people and organizations around the world to realize a sustainable future. Microsoft pledges to:

MONSANTO

Monsanto pledges to:

Internal Operations

Collaborations and offerings to growers:

NIKE

At NIKE, everything we do begins with the athlete.  We know that climate-related issues like pollution may impact an athlete’s ability to perform.  That’s why NIKE, Inc. has been working for over a decade to cut energy use and greenhouse gas emissions throughout our value chain.  We will continue to harness the power of sustainable innovation to reduce our impacts and help protect the future of sport.  As part of this work NIKE, Inc. pledges to:

NESTLE

As a global nutrition, health and wellness company operating in 197 countries, we continue to build on our commitments by tackling climate change and decreasing the environmental impact of our business. Nestlé pledges to:

Globally, Nestlé plans a reduction of water use by 40% by the end of 2015, with a baseline year of 2005.  By 2016, we will implement projects in California facilities that will save 144 million gallons of water annually.

NOVOZYMES

Novozymes biological solutions are efficient and sustainable in their effects.  With over 700 products that reduce energy needs, raw material requirements and environmental waste in their use by our customers, Novozymes is able through life cycle analysis to demonstrate CO2 emission reductions.

ONE3LED

Our company, consisting of only 5000 square feet and 15 employees, has reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 19 metric tons by implementing measures such as full LED lighting, daylight harvesting, and comprehensive recycling procedures. Co-founded by two young brothers from Missouri, One3LED is living proof that even the smallest businesses can do their part to help alleviate climate change.

By its very definition, reduction of carbon emissions is saving the world. This is why we have dedicated our entire business model to helping other businesses do the same. Since 2012 One3LED has completed over 400 LED lighting projects across the U.S. reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 19,000 metric tons. The environmental comparable of this reduction is planting 15,000 acres of U.S. forests, taking 4,000 cars off the road, and erecting five industrial wind turbines. 

Our commitment to action doesn't end with just businesses though. In 2014 One3LED created a non-profit giving program called “Change The Bulb” that focuses on bringing energy efficiency LED lighting to low-income families and nonprofit businesses. The program provides their homes and buildings with otherwise unattainable energy savings by replacing energy-wasting lighting with LED.

Building on our previous commitments, One3LED pledges to continue our mission of energy efficiency and environmental advocacy and raise of efforts by 2019 through: 

Reducing our own carbon footprint:

Assisting other businesses:

Assisting low-income homes and non-profit organizations:

PACIFIC ETHANOL

Since committing to produce low carbon, renewable fuel in 2006, Pacific Ethanol has produced and sold a cumulative 1.2 billion gallons of ethanol with a carbon intensity value 50% lower than gasoline. Building on these accomplishments, Pacific Ethanol pledges to:

PEPSI-CO

At PepsiCo, we recognize that limiting global warming to 2° Celsius is absolutely critical to our future and reiterate our call for collective action and our commitment to implementing solutions that will help achieve this goal.  PepsiCo pledges to:

PG&E

As a provider of electricity and natural gas to millions of Californians, PG&E understands our responsibility to manage our carbon footprint, advance policies that put California and the country on a cost-effective path toward a low-carbon economy, and address the emerging need to adapt to changing climate conditions.  We also remain focused on advancing and providing customers—and our employees—with industry-leading tools and incentives to help them manage and reduce their energy use and capitalize on new, clean energy technologies.

We want the actions we take and decisions we make regarding climate change to enable a better quality of life for our customers, communities and the planet. As a company with a mission rooted in public service, we have a distinct role to play in being a catalyst and advocate for clean energy innovation and a low-carbon economy, advancing economic growth and opportunity, and driving solutions to local and global environmental challenges.

In support of our continued commitment to combating climate change, PG&E proposes to achieve the following by 2020:

POET

Since 2005, POET has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by nearly 14%. As one of the world’s largest producers of renewable fuel, POET pledges to:

PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC

PGE has been supportive of a national policy to reduce global warming for nearly a decade and is actively reducing its carbon emissions through specific actions. This global challenge should be addressed at the federal level by achieving real carbon reductions across all sectors of the economy. We are pursuing prudent, sustainable energy actions while maintaining system reliability and affordability for all our customers.

As a provider of electricity to nearly 850,000 Oregonians, PGE pledges to:

PwC US

In 2007, we set a carbon reduction goal and developed programs to cut our GHG emissions 20% (vs 2007 baseline). Since that time we have exceeded our reduction goal through various initiatives including building a LEED Gold-certified data center and virtualizing over 2,800 of its servers. This has also enabled us to deliver on our commitment to a modern, flexible and efficient workplace for our employees. As a result, we have reduced redundant square footage per employee, decreased our travel emissions, and put in place virtual collaboration technologies.

 We are now extending our goal and pledging to:

PROCTER & GAMBLE

Procter & Gamble (P&G) has had comprehensive efforts to address energy and climate underway for many years.  Our long term vision is to power our plants with 100% renewable energy.   As we continue to drive our efforts on climate change forward, P&G pledges to:

QUALCOMM

Qualcomm’s pledges to:

RICOH USA

Ricoh pledges to:

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

Resource Conservation and Recycling

SALESFORCE.COM

At Salesforce, we believe in leveraging the power of our people and our products to reduce the impact that we and our customers have on the planet. From how we deliver our products to our focus on renewable energy, we incorporate sustainability into all aspects of our business.

Salesforce’s multi-tenant cloud platform makes it possible to use a remarkably small number of servers as efficiently as possible. In fact, our core platform is 98% more carbon efficient on average than on-premise software.

Salesforce pledges to:

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

At Schneider Electric we believe that energy and digital transitions provide new efficient solutions to shift in low carbon society and that access to energy is a basic human right.  We are committed to providing innovative solutions to address the energy paradox: balancing the planet’s carbon footprint with irrefutable human right to quality energy. Schneider Electric has delivered on its commitments to sustainability in the last four years with a series of actions for the company’s direct emissions and in the supply chain:

Because what is good for climate is good for economy, we recognize that delaying action on climate change will be costly in economic and human terms, while accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy will produce multiple benefits with regard to sustainable economic growth, public health, resilience to natural disasters, and the health of the global environment.  We put forth our pledges as follows:

SIEMENS CORPORATION

We put forth our pledge as follows:

To achieve this goal, we have identified key emission reduction levers that will contribute to cutting CO2-emissions from our own operations and enable Siemens to become CO2-neutral in the long term. 

SONY CORPORATION OF AMERICA

We have established a long-term global environmental plan, Road to Zero, which aims for a zero environmental footprint throughout the lifecycle of our products and business activities by 2050. Curbing climate change is one of four perspectives we focus.   We have reduced over 1.2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions from Sony facilities in fiscal 2014 compared to fiscal 2000, which is equivalent to approximately 46% reduction.  We have participated in the EPA Green Partner Partnership program since 2009 and are currently listed on the Top 30 Tech and Telecom list for the purchase of renewable energy in the U.S. We were also able to reduce the estimated annual energy consumption per product by 30% in fiscal 2014 compared to fiscal 2008.

We put forth our pledges as follows:

Working toward Road to Zero environmental plan, Sony Corporation of America on behalf of the entire Sony Group pledges to:

* AC powered devices which operate the main function with energy input from the main power source (main electricity grid).

** Environmental impact relative to the gross sales of product supplied to Sony.

STARBUCKS

We put forth our pledges as follows:

SYNGENTA/QCCP

Cellerate Ethanol Technology, a partnership between Quad County Corn Processor and Syngenta pledges to:

TARGET

Since 2010, Target has reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by improving energy efficiency, investing in renewable energy, and lowering our overall hydrofluorocarbon impact. These programs have successfully reduced our GHG emissions by 9% since 2010 and eliminated 550,000 metric tons of CO2e across our building portfolio. Target has established the following goals to support our pledge:

TRI-GLOBAL ENERGY

Building on the 6,200 megawatts of wind power projects that are now under development, under construction or in operation, Tri Global Energy is investing in renewable power diversification with the addition of a solar division and the acquisition of a solar energy company.  Accordingly, we put forth our pledges as follows:

UNILEVER

Unilever United States and our 8,000 employees are proud to manufacture iconic brands including Dove, Lipton, Ben & Jerrys, Vaseline and Hellmann’s at 13 plants across the United States.

Urgent action is needed to combat climate change. As part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan launched in 2010, Unilever is committed to decoupling our growth from its environmental footprint. We are deepening our efforts to lower our GHG impact from sourcing and manufacturing, and through innovation and behavior change. We will use our scale, influence and resources to create transformational change.

As of 2015, our progress includes:

We put forth our pledges as follows:

UPS

In 2013, successful execution of our global greenhouse gas strategy at UPS enabled us to exceed a 10 percent reduction in carbon intensity three years ahead of our 2016 goal. In 2014, we achieved a 14.1 percent reduction in our carbon intensity versus a 2007 baseline as a result of successfully executing carbon reduction strategies in our ground and air fleet. 

Accordingly, UPS pledges:

Our UPS plan includes:

Accurate, verified disclosure of global greenhouse gas emissions data per recognized standards.

WALMART

At Walmart, we believe climate change is an urgent and pressing challenge, and we must all do our part to reduce, avoid and mitigate the impact of rising greenhouse gas (GHG) levels.  We remain committed to our role in accelerating the transition to a sustainable future.

In 2014, we operated with 9 percent less energy per square foot compared with our 2010 baseline and 26 percent of our electricity used was generated from renewable sources - keeping us on track toward our goal of being powered by 100 percent renewable energy. Additionally, we’ve reduced the GHG intensity of our operations (Scope 1 and 2) for eight consecutive years, we’re on track to hold our absolute emissions flat over this decade, even with our continued growth as a company, and working with our suppliers, we’re on track to exceed our 2015 goal of eliminating 20 million metric tons of GHG emissions from our supply chain.

Walmart is committed to collaborating with suppliers, NGOs, governments and other corporate partners to continue to enhance the sustainability of our operations and product supply chains for people and the planet.

Walmart puts forth our pledges as follows:

Achieve zero net deforestation in product sourcing by 2020 as part of The Consumer Goods Forum.

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

Disney has a long-term goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions. 

XEROX CORPORATION

Xerox has a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability.  In 2003, we made a public commitment to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by joining the U.S. EPA Climate Leaders program and launching an internal program known as Energy Challenge 2012; a ten-year initiative. We exceeded our initial expectations, set subsequent goals and ultimately cut energy consumption by 31% and GHG emissions by 42% - that’s 210,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e).

Building on our strategic focus areas to reduce energy use and protect the climate; preserve the world’s forests and biodiversity; preserve clean air and water; and prevent and manage waste,

XEROX CORPORATION pledges to:

Some of the projects Xerox is currently engaged in include:

Combining a number of transportation solutions to enhance urban mobility, such as “Cloud Park,” which uses cameras and computers to direct drivers to open parking spots; the Merge® smart parking system, which uses occupancy data from meters and sensors to vary pricing and hence availability; and vehicle passenger detection to facilitate wide use of HOV/HOT lanes. The result is increasing traffic flow and decreasing time spent searching for a parking place, allowing for reduced fuel usage and improved air quality.