53 companies and counting across the globe, representing almost every sector of the economy, have now committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, demonstrating the global impact of The Climate Pledge
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 2021-- Today, Amazon and Global Optimism announced that 20 new signatories around the world have joined The Climate Pledge: ACCIONA, Colis Prive, Cranswick plc, Daabon, FREE NOW, Generation Investment Management, Green Britain Group, Hotelbeds, IBM, Iceland Foods, Interface, Johnson Controls, MiiR, Ørsted, Prosegur Cash, Prosegur Compañia de Seguridad, Slalom, S4Capital, UPM, and Vanderlande.
With the addition of the new signatories, 53 companies across 18 industries and 12 countries have committed to working toward net-zero carbon in their worldwide businesses — which in aggregate has the potential to significantly reduce corporate carbon emissions. Each organization is at a different stage in its journey to net-zero carbon emissions, but all 53 signatories are committed to The Climate Pledge’s ambitious goal of meeting the Paris Agreement 10 years early.
Signatories to The Climate Pledge agree to:
- Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis.
- Implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies.
- Neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040 — a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement’s goal of 2050.
The 20 new signatories represent diverse economic sectors, ranging from energy to agricultural and financial services.
Each company is implementing science-based, high-impact changes to its business to help decarbonize the value chain, including innovating in circular economy, deploying clean energy solutions, and mobilizing supply chains to reach net-zero by 2040.
“As the U.S. takes an important step forward in the fight against climate change by officially rejoining the Paris Agreement this week, I am excited to welcome 20 new companies to The Climate Pledge who want to go even faster,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge in 2019 to encourage companies to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement 10 years early, and we’re seeing incredible momentum behind the pledge with 53 companies from 18 industries across 12 countries already joining. Together, we can use our collective scale to help decarbonize the economy and preserve Earth for future generations.”
Amazon and Global Optimism welcome these new signatories and thank them for their commitment:
ACCIONA
ACCIONA (ANA.MC) is a global leader in sustainable solutions, ranging from renewable energy to water treatment plants, mass transit systems, and other resilient, low-carbon social infrastructure. The mitigation of climate change and its effects lies at the heart of the company’s business rationale. ACCIONA is the world’s greenest utility, operating solely with renewable energy, and an innovator in all fields of sustainable infrastructure. ACCIONA became carbon neutral in 2016, the first company in the energy and infrastructure sectors to do so. In line with the latest climate science, ACCIONA is committed to reducing its direct and energy consumption emissions by 60% between 2017 and 2030, as well as a 47% decrease in value chain emissions, consistent with the Paris Climate Agreement’s most ambitious goal of limiting global warming to no more than 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels. ACCIONA’s emission reduction targets have been certified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
“We urgently need more businesses to commit to regenerative, net-zero carbon growth pathways to avert the threat of catastrophic and irreversible climate change,” said José Manuel Entrecanales, ACCIONA chairman and CEO. “I hope more companies sign up for The Climate Pledge to push for the critical mass of companies we need to really move the needle on carbon emissions.”
Colis Prive
A leader in last mile operations, Colis Prive specializes in home and relay delivery, collecting parcels from e-merchants and executing final delivery. Since its founding in 1993, the company continues to take pride in pursuing consistent improvements in its delivery service. With four hubs across France and a network of 3,500 delivery associates, Colis Prive has delivered more than 63 million parcels. Knowing the significant impact of its operations on the environment, Colis Prive is committed to limiting its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with a particular focus on reducing those resulting from last mile deliveries. The company is also doubling down on energy efficiency thanks to the implementation of the ISO 50001 energy standard, aimed at providing global companies a precise framework for setting up an operational and sustainable energy management system to continually reduce their energy use.
“At Colis Prive we’re committed to running a responsible business across our operations, and that includes prioritizing sustainable practices,” said Frédéric Pons, Colis Prive co-founder and chairman. “Joining this global project confirms our engagement alongside Amazon to adapt, learn, measure and optimize our processes. We’re thrilled to be the first parcel delivery company to join The Climate Pledge, and we look forward to working with Amazon, Global Optimism, and other signatories to become carbon-neutral by 2040.”
Cranswick plc
As one of the largest food producers in Britain, Cranswick plc is committed to integrating sustainable practices throughout its operations, from farming to sourcing and producing. With its Second Nature sustainability strategy at the center, the company is focused on decarbonizing its farms and significantly reducing food loss and overall resource waste in its supply chain and production, all by 2040. In the last two years Cranswick plc has made significant progress, including switching to 100% renewable grid-supplied electricity, reducing edible food waste down to 0.4% of total production, and removing over 1,200 tonnes of plastic from its operations.
“At Cranswick we’re committed to running a responsible business across our operations, and that includes prioritizing sustainable practices,” said Adam Couch, Cranswick plc CEO. “We want to be part of the solution to climate change, and help inspire positive change across the broader value chain. We believe joining The Climate Pledge reinforces our commitment to sustainability and will have a critical role in enabling us to be that positive influence.”
Daabon
Based in Santa Marta, Colombia, Daabon Group is a leader in the production and processing of organic crops such as bananas, Hass avocado, coffee, and palm oil in South America. The company has worked extensively on circular economy to manage and develop its production processes in a sustainable way. Daabon was the first organic palm oil company to be certified sustainable by the Rainforest Alliance and RSPO in Latin America. The company has developed an innovative process that captures methane gas produced by the organic waste to be used as fuel for energy.
“At Daabon our ambition is to run a sustainable and socially responsible business,” said Manuel Julián Dávila, Daabon Group CEO. “We are proud of what our team has achieved to tackle environmental challenges, but we can go much further. We are convinced that by joining The Climate Pledge, we will make significant progress in achieving net-zero carbon by 2040.”
FREE NOW
Serving more than 50 million passengers in over 150 cities across Europe, FREE NOW recognizes the urgent need for more environmentally friendly transportation. The company is already committed to shifting 50% of its FREE NOW vehicles across Europe to zero emissions by 2025 and making all passenger trips emission free by 2030. To achieve these ambitious goals, the company is investing millions in supporting drivers to switch to electric vehicles and promoting electric options among customers.
“It is our ambition and our commitment to the cities where we operate to do our bit to reduce emissions and make it easier for people to make environmentally friendly choices,” said Marc Berg, FREE NOW CEO. “We are proud of the progress we’ve already made toward our commitments, but we can go much further. We are thrilled to be joining other sustainability minded companies with The Climate Pledge.”
Generation Investment Management
Generation Investment Management (Generation), founded in 2004, is playing an integral role in the development of sustainable investing and in demonstrating the long-term benefits of this approach. The firm integrates sustainability factors into its investment decisions, engagement with portfolio companies, and a wide range of advocacy and impact initiatives. Generation is committed to aligning investment portfolios with net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040 or sooner, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The firm is helping to lead efforts across the investment management industry to build a coalition of managers willing to make a collective commitment to the goal of net-zero emissions. In December 2020, this led to the launch of the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative on the fifth anniversary of the conclusion of the Paris Agreement. This initiative launched with 30 asset managers as founding signatories, responsible for over USD 9 trillion of assets under management.
“We believe that climate change demands urgent and universal action,” said David Blood, Generation senior partner. “There is still time to keep temperatures from rising to truly catastrophic levels, but a huge effort is needed to halve global emissions this decade. We stand with fellow signatories of The Climate Pledge in a commitment to being net zero by 2040. By joining The Climate Pledge we are reinforcing our commitment to sustainability, and we’re pleased to join a community that will share knowledge, ideas, and best practices.”
Green Britain Group
The Green Britain Group exists in the pursuit of sustainability through business. Its main operations are Ecotricity, the world’s first green energy company, and Forest Green Rovers football club (FGR), recognized by the global governing body, FIFA, as the greenest in the game. Founded by Entrepreneur Dr. Dale Vince OBE, the Green Britain Group is focused on tackling environmental and sustainability issues in three areas — energy, transport, and food. Ecotricity now powers over 200,000 homes and businesses with 100% renewable electricity and carbon-neutral gas from its UK-wide network of wind and solar parks. FGR became the world’s first sports club to be certified carbon neutral by the United Nations in 2017 and is recognized as the world’s greenest football club. FGR has recently been granted planning permission for the construction of Eco Park, a pioneering, new all-wood stadium designed to showcase what’s possible in the pursuit of sustainability.
“When I started Ecotricity back in 1995 we were the world’s first green energy company, and in 25 years, things have come a long way — but there’s still much more we all need to do in order to have a zero-carbon country,” said Dr. Dale Vince OBE, Green Britain Group founder. “Having a greener life isn’t about giving things up — we just need to do the things we do, but differently. We’re looking forward to working with Amazon, Global Optimism, and others in The Climate Pledge. Businesses of all sizes need to collaborate and find new ways of tackling climate change, and we have to take everyone on that journey with us.”
Hotelbeds
Hotelbeds is doubling down on its environmental commitments to help lead the charge in sustainable tourism. Certified Carbon Neutral by Carbon Footprint Ltd. for the third year running, the company, which works closely with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), is already making great strides in prioritizing carbon reduction across its operations. In 2020 the company launched The Green Hotels Program with the goal of accelerating the transition of the travel industry towards sustainability. Hotelbeds now has over 15,000 properties within its portfolio certified as sustainable.
“As the leaders in our sector, we have a clear responsibility to demonstrate to our stakeholders that we operate a responsible, transparent business model and that we take very seriously the environmental impact we have,” said Joan Vilà, Hotelbeds executive chairman. “We recognize our critical responsibility to protect our planet and the destinations where we operate, and we believe this is a time to double down on our investment to create a more sustainable future. We are thrilled to continue with this work as a part of The Climate Pledge.”
Iceland Foods
Iceland Foods seeks to build a growing, profitable, and responsible business that does the right thing for its customers, partners, communities, and the planet. The company has a long history of caring for the environment and exercising sustainable practices, aligning its ambitions with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Iceland Foods is focused on eliminating single-use plastics, and developing solutions and implementing changes to cut the carbon and waste associated with food and drink. The company has already made great strides in reducing its carbon footprint by 74% since 2011.
“At Iceland Foods, we believe that every business has a moral responsibility to take ambitious action to address these major and urgent sustainability issues; it is also a commercial imperative for any business that hopes to have a future,” said Richard Walker, Iceland Foods managing director. “We are honored and delighted to be the first food retailer to join The Climate Pledge and commit to be net-zero carbon by 2040.”
IBM
IBM is committing to reach net zero by 2030 as part of its efforts to protect the planet. IBM has been committed to environmental leadership for decades, having issued its first corporate policy on environmental responsibility in 1971. The company has disclosed its environmental performance since 1990, began disclosing its CO2 emissions in 1995, and has sustained a goal to reduce CO2 emissions since 2000. In 2007, IBM publicly stated its position on climate change, saying that “climate change is a serious concern that warrants meaningful action on a global basis to stabilize the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases.” IBM has fully supported the Paris Agreement since 2015, and in 2019 became a founding member of the Climate Leadership Council, supporting its bipartisan plan for a carbon tax with carbon dividend.
“IBM is pleased to join The Climate Pledge and collaborate with others to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jim Whitehurst, IBM president. “IBM aims to have net zero carbon emissions by 2030, before the aspiration of the Paris Agreement, in line with our long commitment to the environment.”
Interface
For over 25 years, global flooring manufacturer Interface has focused on climate action — first by reducing the carbon emissions in its operations and supply chain, and then by reducing the carbon emissions of its products. Last year, Interface introduced the world’s first carbon negative carpet tile when measured cradle to gate, and in 2018, the company launched its Carbon Neutral Floors program, certifying that all Interface flooring products are carbon neutral across their full product life cycle. Recognizing it can go even further, Interface continues to look at additional carbon reduction opportunities with the goal of becoming a carbon negative enterprise by 2040.
“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity, and it’s no longer enough to limit the damage we do — we need to consider how we can leave a positive impact,” said Dan Hendrix, Interface chairman and CEO. “At Interface, our goal is to reverse global warming by taking steps to restore the health of the planet. This is why we are delighted to join The Climate Pledge. Only by working together will we be able to create a climate fit for life.”
Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls is the global leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings. Its mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places, and the planet. With a long-standing commitment to protecting and preserving the environment, the company is focused on empowering customers and communities to streamline building operations and deliver energy efficiencies that will help them meet their environmental goals. Johnson Controls is driving sustainability across its entire value chain by focusing on solutions, people, partnerships, performance, and governance. The company has already made great strides in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions intensity, increasing its reliance on clean energy, and improving waste reduction across many of its plants.
“Sustainability is at the heart of our business and fundamental to everything we do as a company,” said George Oliver, Johnson Controls chairman and CEO. “Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the planet today. Our recent announcement to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 through innovations and technologies, such as our OpenBlue platform, further demonstrates our commitment to protect and preserve the environment. We are looking forward to further enhancing the role we can play by working with Amazon, Global Optimism, and other signatories to reach net-zero carbon emissions a decade before the important Paris Agreement’s goal.”
MiiR
MiiR is a generosity-driven company that creates thoughtfully-designed drinkware through its social and environmental mission. Every MiiR product sold helps fund trackable projects around the world, and to-date has granted $1.6 million to non-profit organizations focused on social and environmental causes. Since MiiR was founded in 2010, the company has partnered with numerous nonprofits across the world to fund long term, sustainable projects in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector. The company has also launched numerous projects focused on protecting and preserving the planet’s natural resources for generations to come, as well as investing in organizations and programs that build strong communities. MiiR empowers its customers to know the impact of their purchase, including a Give Code on every product which enables customers to see how their purchase is helping fund these ongoing giving projects.
“Water, earth, and the relationship that people have with both are critical to our daily lives, and we need to make sure these basic ingredients are cared for and nourished,” said Bryan Papé, MiiR founder and CEO. “MiiR continues to emphasize and celebrate these fundamental elements by aligning our giving projects to support clean water, a healthy environment, and strong communities. We are incredibly proud of our accomplishments so far, and we are thrilled to continue with this work as a part of The Climate Pledge.”
Ørsted
Ørsted is committed to reaching carbon neutral energy generation and operations by 2025. Previously one of the most fossil fuel intensive utilities in Europe, now ranked the most sustainable energy company in the world by the 2021 Global 100 index, Ørsted has already made meaningful strides toward this ambitious commitment. Since 2006, Ørsted has shrunk its own carbon emissions by 87%. Today, more than 30% of the world’s offshore wind power is installed by Ørsted, and it operates the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Hornsea 1 in the UK, powering well over one million UK homes.
“The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy, and we are committed to taking a leading role in fundamentally reshaping how the world generates and consumes energy,” said Mads Nipper, Ørsted CEO. “Having transformed our own business, we now aspire to be a catalyst for change, helping companies and politicians make bold near-term decisions, because together we can mitigate climate change and create true, meaningful impact on the world. It is a great pleasure to continue with this work as a part of The Climate Pledge.”
Prosegur Group
Today two members of Prosegur Group, Prosegur Compañia de Seguridad and its subsidiary Prosegur Cash, are committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, reinforcing the company’s focus on sustainable operations. As a global leader in private security, Prosegur Group is committed to lead by example in reducing its environmental impact, generating quality employment, ensuring the health and safety of its workers, complying with regulations, and respecting human rights and good governance. Prosegur Group is already targeting decarbonization of its vehicle fleet, introducing hybrid and electric vehicles into its operations and commercial fleets. Prosegur Cash has also introduced the world's first 100% electric armored truck, a zero-emission vehicle.
“At Prosegur Group, we are not only committed to making the world a safer place, taking care of people and businesses, we also recognize the urgent action needed to protect and heal our planet,” said Christian Gut, Prosegur CEO. “We are convinced that by joining The Climate Pledge, we will make significant progress in achieving net-zero carbon by 2040.”
Slalom
Slalom is committed to operating every part of its business in ways that are sustainable and responsible, while creating innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. The company released its first corporate social responsibility report last year, which included aspirational goals to achieve carbon-neutral emissions and shift to 100% renewable energy by 2030. As Slalom advances its own corporate responsibility efforts across its operations, the company is also scaling its expertise to help customers do the same.
“Protecting the environment for future generations directly ties to Slalom’s purpose and core values,” said Tony Rojas, Slalom president. “We believe embracing sustainability — including achieving carbon-neutral emissions and shifting to 100% renewable energy by 2030 — will enable us to improve the health of the planet and help meet the challenges of our customers and communities where we work and live. We’re thrilled to be joining other companies who are showing their sustainability commitment through The Climate Pledge.”
S4Capital
S4Capital’s ambition to apply the power of creativity and technology to the greater good is evidenced in a series of actions: its support for the Ten Principles of the UN’s Global Compact on Human Rights, Labour, Environment, and Anti-Corruption; its signing the EU Green Deal; and its commitment to report GHG emissions from 2020. Realizing its role in helping brands transform both inside and out, S4Capital is dedicated to adopting exemplary sustainable practices unique among its peers in the creative and marketing industry.
“We believe that the focus on ESG is crucial and we are growing S4Capital in a responsible and sustainable way, for the long-term benefit of all,” said Sir Martin Sorrell, S4Capital executive chairman. “There’s an opportunity for our global team to combine each of our expertise toward the greater good and address critical global issues like climate change together. This is why we are delighted to join The Climate Pledge community. Only by working together, will we be able to rise to the challenge, curb our emissions, and reach net-zero carbon by 2040.”
UPM
UPM is a global forest industry leader with a purpose to create a future beyond fossils. The company offers renewable and recyclable alternatives to fossil-based materials and products to meet the growing global demand for sustainable options. UPM strives to mitigate climate change and drive value creation through innovating novel products, by practicing sustainable forestry, and through significant emission reduction in its own production and supply chain. UPM is committed to the United Nations’ Business Ambition for 1.5°C initiative, and the company’s 65% emission reduction target by 2030 is approved by The Science Based Target initiative. UPM wants to take an active role by collaborating with scientific and other partners in order to drive the change together and to reach highest possible impact.
“UPM is committed to creating value by providing sustainable alternatives to fossil-based, non-renewable materials. We are proud to be the first forest industry company to join The Climate Pledge and this network of global sustainability leaders,” said Jussi Pesonen, UPM president and CEO.
Vanderlande
As a material handling and logistics company, Vanderlande has prioritized sustainability as a key principle of its activities. Through its solutions, the company aims to contribute to its customers’ sustainable objectives. Vanderlande is focused on optimizing its energy efficiency across its operations. The company has implemented energy monitoring software at all of its key customer sites, and it has combined the use of energy efficient technology with having process engineers at a growing number of sites in order to improve energy consumption.
“We are committed to playing our part in global efforts to address the climate crisis by reducing carbon emissions across our operations,” says Remo Brunschwiler, Vanderlande CEO. “We aim to do this by being more efficient in the energy we use in our own activities and by contributing to our customers’ sustainability objectives. It is a great pleasure to join the Climate Pledge and commit to becoming net-zero by 2040.”
About The Climate Pledge
In 2019, Amazon and Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge, a commitment to reach the Paris Agreement 10 years early and be net-zero carbon by 2040. Now 53 organizations have signed The Climate Pledge, sending an important signal that there will be rapid growth in demand for products and services that help reduce carbon emissions. For more information visit www.theclimatepledge.com.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.
About Global Optimism
Global Optimism exists to precipitate transformational, sector-wide change. Achieving a zero emissions future is not a far-off challenge. It’s one we must get on track for now. Every scientific assessment shows that to meet the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, to keep global heating below 1.5 degrees Celsius, we must halve our emissions between 2020 and 2030. Tackling the climate crisis is only possible when everyone, everywhere plays their part. We work with like-minded collectives from all sectors who are willing to invest in the choices required to be on this challenging — and life-affirming — journey. For more information, visit https://globaloptimism.com/.
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