Clean Energy Powers American Business
01/20/23
Corporations purchased more clean energy in 2022 than any previous year, which is driving up demand for American clean energy and accelerating the clean energy transition.
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Yes, We Need to Talk About Cutting Energy Demand
By Jason Bordoff 06/29/22
Germany put its energy sector on war footing last week, warning of impending shortages as Russia further tightens deliveries of natural gas to Europe. By reducing Europe’s ability to fill inventories that will be needed…
Net-Zero Targets Aren’t Attainable Without Ending Deforestation
By Alastair Marsh 06/29/22
The global economy won’t reach net-zero carbon emissions without putting an end to deforestation. That’s the conclusion of the United Nations-backed Race to Zero campaign, which pushes companies and investors to reduce emissions. The report,…
Listed companies on track to cause nearly 3 degree climate ‘chaos’ – MSCI
By Noah Browning 06/28/22
Equity index compiler MSCI said on Tuesday the world's listed companies were on a course to cause global warming of 2.9 degrees Celsius, well above a target to limit the worst effects of climate change…
Big Tech is pouring millions into the wrong climate solution at Davos
By Justine Calma 05/25/22
Alphabet, Microsoft, and Salesforce today pledged $500 million to new climate tech that’s supposed to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to keep it from heating up the planet. It’s the latest move by…
Corporations Pledge to Buy ‘Green’ at Davos Gathering
By Lisa Friedman 05/25/22
More than 50 corporations have joined a global “buyers’ club” that pledges to purchase aluminum, steel and other commodities made from processes that emit little to no carbon, a move that will be announced on…
Big Fossil’s disaster capitalist response to Russia-Ukraine
By Amy Westervelt 05/25/22
The industry moved quickly to capture the narrative, going from disinformation blitz to policy wins within a matter of weeks.
Inaction on climate change could cost economy $178 trillion: Deloitte
By Deloitte 05/23/22
Inaction on climate change could cost the economy $178 trillion over the next 50 years, or a 7.6 percent cut to gross domestic product (GDP) in 2070, a research report from Deloitte Center for Sustainable…
HSBC suspends head of responsible investing who called climate warnings ‘shrill’
By Kalyeena Makortoff 05/22/22
HSBC has suspended a senior banker after he referred to climate crisis warnings as “unsubstantiated” and “shrill” during a conference speech that has since been denounced by the lender’s chief executive. Stuart Kirk, who has…
Could Google’s carbon emissions have effectively doubled overnight?
By Bill McKibben 05/20/22
A new report suggests the money that Big Tech companies keep in the banking system can do more climate damage than the products they sell.
Food Waste Innovation: Good for Business, Essential for the Earth
By Tonya Bakritzes 04/27/22
Food waste happens at every stage of the supply chain, with inclement weather, overproduction, distribution and processing issues, and uncertain markets leading to losses even before the food arrives at retail locations, while overstocking, overbuying,…
Press release: edgi releases report on carbon emissions by us corporations
By EDGI Comms 04/20/22
Today, the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI) releases its report, Owning Up: A Tool to Measure US Carbon Emissions by Corporations. The report analyzes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions tracked by the U.S. Environmental Protection…
Salesforce Ramps Up Investments in Global Fight Against Climate Change
By Gary E. Frank 04/19/22
Salesforce is giving a total of $11 million to 12 global nonprofits in the first round of donations from its $100 million Ecosystem Restoration and Global Justice Fund. The donations, which were announced April 12…
Goldman Sachs pushes directors for more climate data
By Ross Kerber 03/24/22
Goldman Sachs' (GS.N) big asset-management arm will take a harder line in voting on directors at companies that do not disclose enough about their greenhouse gas emissions, an executive said on Thursday, adding to the…
New SEC climate rule leaves progressives wanting more
By Rachel Frazin and Saul Elbein 03/23/22
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) took a long-sought step this week by proposing to require that publicly traded companies disclose their direct and indirect climate change contributions, but advocates are pointing to loopholes they…
American companies can’t sugarcoat their carbon pollution anymore
Robinson Meyer 03/23/22
On Monday, the SEC announced that it would add another layer to this set of essential disclosures, requiring companies to also release information about their climate risks. Starting next fiscal year, the country’s largest public…
ESG: The Tidal Wave Hitting Businesses in 2022
By Dean Amhaus 03/22/22
A growing tidal wave hitting businesses can be summarized in three letters – ESG. The environmental, social and governance investing movement may not have fully grabbed the public’s attention – yet – but it is…
Why the SEC’s New Climate Rules Could Divide Corporate America
By Justin Worland 03/22/22
Even couched in wonky, legalistic language, the difference in tone between the American Bankers Association (ABA) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) is hard to miss. Last year, following a request for feedback from the…
The SEC wants companies to disclose how climate change is affecting them
By David Gura 03/21/22
Every year, public companies in the U.S. are required to provide investors and regulators with detailed data about their financial performance and the risks they face. Soon, they may also have to disclose information about…
For This Company, Its Single-Use Plastics Target is Zero
By Gary E. Frank 03/18/22
In response to growing consumer demand for products that help reduce waste, Target recently launched Target Zero, a collection of products intended to reduce single-use packaging.
SEC plans to force public companies to disclose greenhouse gas emissions
By Douglas MacMillan and Maxine Joselow 03/15/22
From Coca-Cola to Tesla, companies report emissions in widely different ways. A new federal rule is expected to standardize climate disclosures, putting the U.S. on closer footing with other countries.
Microsoft’s Pursuit of Climate Goals Runs Into Headwinds
By Peter Eavis 03/10/22
Microsoft has an ambitious plan to cut its carbon emissions. But on Thursday, the company reported a big increase in the greenhouse gases emanating from its operations and its products, a reminder of the challenges…
Inside Walmart’s climate and sustainability strategy
By Jennifer Overstreet 03/01/22
As one of the largest and most influential retail companies in the world, what Walmart says and does about sustainability makes a big impact. On this week’s episode of the Retail Gets Real podcast, Walmart…
What’s Driving Insurers to Prioritize ESG Investments?
By Jonathan McGoran 02/23/22
A recent survey of 280 decision makers at U.S.-based life/annuity and P&C insurers shows increased attention and commitment to aligning investments with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals.
Top companies are undermining their climate pledges with political donations, report says
By Maxine Joselow 02/23/22
Good morning and welcome to The Climate 202! We have a newsy edition today featuring the energy implications of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the findings of an International Energy Agency report on methane emissions.
Salesforce Tackles Net Zero Credibility As It Adds Sustainability As A Fifth Core Value
By Felicia Jackson 02/16/22
While debate is rife around the credibility of net zero targets, Salesforce has announced that it is adding sustainability to its existing core values, alongside a suite of offerings to help clients address their own…
Here’s what Super Bowl ads say about climate change
By Kyla Mandel 02/14/22
Toyota debuted its hybrid Prius for the first time at the Super Bowl in 2005, calling it “good news for planet Earth.” In 2006, there were two Super Bowl ads for new hybrids: one for…
Europe’s biggest banks fund oil and gas firms despite net zero pledges
By Jasper Jolly 02/14/22
Europe’s biggest banks led by HSBC, Barclays and BNP Paribas have provided £24bn to oil and gas companies that are expanding production less than a year since pledging to target net zero carbon emissions, data…
CDP Warns Supply Chain Action Lags Despite $5.5 Trillion In Purchasing Power Aligned With Climate Goals
By Felicia Jackson 02/10/22
Over 200 major buyers worldwide, with $5.5 trillion in procurement spending, requested 26,813 suppliers of their suppliers to disclose climate impacts in 2021 but less than half responded. CDP’s latest research warns these numbers aren’t…
Major companies largely fail net zero climate pledge test
02/07/22
The headline climate pledges of 25 of the world’s largest companies in reality only commit to reduce their emissions by 40% on average, not 100% as suggested by their “net zero” and “carbon neutral” claims,…
Walmart Expands Sustainability Effort by Investing in Vertical Farming Company
By David Worford 02/07/22
The investment is part of a $400 million round of Series E funding for Plenty, which uses vertical farming architecture that combines engineering, software and sustainable crop science to grow multiple crops on one platform.…
IKEA buys land damaged by hurricane in Florida to plant forests
By Reuters/terray Sylvester 01/26/22
Ingka Group, the owner of most IKEA furniture stores worldwide, has bought more land in the United States as part of a long-term commitment to responsible forest management, it said on Thursday.
Superstores can meet half their electricity needs with rooftop solar, says a new report
By Tik Root 01/20/22
Expansive, flat and abundant, the rooftops of big-box stores in the United States could produce enough solar energy to meet half their electricity needs, according to a report released Thursday. Walmart leads the way in…
Citigroup sets rare hard target to reduce energy-sector emissions
By Ross Kerber 01/20/22
Citigroup Inc (C.N) on Wednesday laid out goals for corporate borrowers to cut emissions that included a rare "absolute reduction" target for companies in the energy sector by the end of the decade. Citi said…
The environmental case for buying a coal mine
By Richard Fisher 01/19/22
One day, the Swedish energy company Vattenfall decided to divest itself from a particularly dirty form of coal extraction in Germany, so it advertised that its mines were for sale. It would get an offer…
It’s Time to Hold Law Firms Accountable for Their Role in Climate Change
By Leehi Yona and David Cremins 01/12/22
For too long, law firms have been given carte blanche for their contributions to the climate crisis: They lobby on behalf of the fossil fuel industry, file the paperwork necessary for carbon-emitting projects, and litigate…
Land to Market Surpasses More Than 2.5 Million Acres of Land Monitored
01/11/22
Land to Market, the world's first verified sourcing solution for regenerative agriculture, today announced that more than 2.5 million acres of land around the world are being monitored for regenerative outcomes. Land to Market works…
New York Could Make History With a Fashion Sustainability Act
By Vanessa Friedman 01/07/22
Last September, as New York Fashion Week was taking place for the first time in a year, Kathy Hochul, the new governor, sat front row at the Prabal Gurung show, marking a fresh era in…
Here’s How Climate Change Crisis Could Impact Business Operations And Policies In 2022
By Edward Segal 01/01/22
The climate change crisis, which continues to worsen, is expected to have a greater impact on the operations and policies of companies and organizations this year. Here’s how experts and observers think that will happen.
With 17,000 Companies Worth $21 Trillion Failing To Report Environmental Impact, It’s Time To Connect Commitment To Action
By Felicia Jackson 12/16/21
The latest research shows that a record 13,000+ companies reported environmental data through CDP in 2021. Only 2%, or 200 companies, gained an A grade and nearly 17,000 worth $21 trillion are still failing to…
Amazon procures over 1 GW of U.S. solar projects
By Tim Sylvia 12/02/21
Alongside Amazon’s update that the company has now invested in 274 utility-scale renewable energy projects globally, the company also announced 18 new projects that it has procured in the United States and Europe, including eight…
As More Companies Make Net-Zero Pledges, Some Aren’t as Good as They Sound
By Eloise Barry 11/15/21
At COP26, the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, governments and businesses put forward ambitious-sounding plans to de-carbonize. But a closer look beneath the surface shows many corporate “net-zero” plans are not nearly as good as…
Bill Gates’s latest big climate investment is . . . milk
By Adele Peters 10/27/21
On the front of a carton of milk from the Portland, Oregon-based brand Neutral, above the brand name, the package has a short message in large print: “This milk fights climate change.” On its website,…
Supply chain woes continue to crimp Tesla’s vehicle, energy business
By Jason Plautz 10/25/21
Tesla's Q3 energy storage deployments jumped 71% to 1.3 million MWh from the year-ago period, bolstered by sales of the utility-scale Megapack product, according to the company's third quarter earnings report. Storage deployments inched up 1.6%…
Harpercollins publishers commits to becoming carbon neutral in direct emissions in 2022
By Erin Crum 10/19/21
HarperCollins Publishers today announced a global commitment to becoming carbon neutral for its direct operational emissions in 2022. In order to meet this goal, HarperCollins has appointed award-winning sustainability strategy consultancy Brite Green to develop…
Amazon’s new net-zero carbon pledge is focused on the oceans, as shipping giants pursue alternative fuels
By Alicia Doniger 10/19/21
Amazon and IKEA are among the major companies pushing the ocean shipping industry to adopt zero-carbon fuel sources for vessels by 2040. Marine shipping accounts for 1 billion tons of carbon emissions per year, according…
Amazon, Ikea and other big companies commit to zero-emission shipping by 2040
By Hamza Shaban 10/19/21
In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in global trade, a coalition of companies that includes Amazon and Ikea has pledged to use only ocean shippers that use zero-carbon fuel by 2040.
Facebook Moves to Stop Illegal Sale of Amazon Rainforest on Marketplace
By Matt Alderton 10/15/21
From designer baby clothes and classic cars to antique furniture and name-brand electronics, you can find treasures and bargains galore on Facebook Marketplace, the online bazaar where Facebook users sell new and used goods to…
Are Tesla and Texas a Perfect Match? It’s Questionable.
By Niraj Chokshi, Clifford Krauss and Ivan Penn 10/13/21
Tesla’s move from Silicon Valley to Texas makes sense in many ways: The company’s chief executive, Elon Musk, and the conservative lawmakers who run the state share a libertarian philosophy, favoring few regulations and low…
Google pushes sustainability, from new eco routes to Nest features
By Andrew Freedman 10/06/21
Google unveiled a suite of sustainability features focused on giving consumers more information so they can choose to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Driving the news: The product rollout this morning will immediately be noticeable…
Big Business Is Bankrolling an Effort to Kill the Democratic Climate Bill
By Robinson Meyer 10/01/21
The trade group that represents Apple, Walmart, Nike, and dozens of other companies is trying to kneecap the U.S.’s final chance to meet its 2025 climate goals.