Leading companies demonstrate Paris progress and call for policy ambition
The We Mean Business coalition
To mark the anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement, the We Mean Business coalition invited companies to share examples of how they have made progress on bold climate commitments and are delivering on the goals of the agreement. These examples from across a wide range of industries and countries can help inspire others and demonstrate that private sector climate action can help achieve the goals of the agreement with the backing of bold climate policy.
AES Brasil, a major Brazilian renewable power generator, is:
1. Generating 100% renewable energy, with a mix of hydro, solar and wind power
2. Providing zero-carbon electricity – powering economic growth and jobs
3. Cutting operational emissions in line with the 1.5°C trajectory as part of its science-based target
BT, the UK’s leading telecommunications and network provider, is:
1. Achieving its 2020 target of switching to 100% renewable electricity globally with support from RE100
2. Accelerating the transition to EVs, as a founding member of the UK Electric Fleets Coalition
3. Cutting emissions by 42% since 2016/17 – well on the way to hitting net-zero by 2045, aligned with its 1.5°C science-based target
Coca-Cola European Partners, the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottler, is:
1. Achieving its 2020 target of switching to 100% renewable electricity with support from RE100
2. Reducing its use of virgin oil-based plastic by a third in its PET bottles
3. Reducing emissions across its value chain by 30% since 2010 – on a path to net-zero by 2040
Royal DSM, the nutrition, health and sustainable living solutions company, is:
1. Reducing Scope 1&2 emissions by 25% in absolute terms, working with SBTi, kickstarting the journey towards NetZero by 2050
2. Reaching a 50% milestone for renewable electricity 5 years ahead of schedule, as part of RE100
3. Collaborating with suppliers by establishing CO2REDUCE program to halve emissions on products such as Akulon PA6®
HP Inc., a global IT company, is:
1. Achieving CDP A List for Climate, Water and Forests in 2019 and 2020
2. Ensuring zero deforestation for HP brand paper since 2016
3. Helping suppliers avoid 1M+ tonnes of CO2e emissions and save $100M+ since 2010
Iberdrola, one of the largest utilities in the world, is:
1. Leading in renewable energies with an installed capacity of 34,000 MW and investing to double it by 2025
2. Closing 17 coal and fuel oil plants since 2001 while ensuring a just transition
3. Supporting the green recovery with investments of €75bn in 2020-2025 in renewable energy, smart grids, efficient storage and consumer solutions
IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, is:
1. Switching to renewables by investing in 547 wind turbines, 2 solar farms and 935,000 IKEA-roof solar panels*
2. Accelerating the market for low-carbon lighting by selling only LED lighting in the IKEA range
3. Enabling customer to consume and generate renewable energy by launching IKEA Clean Energy Services in 11 countries*
* IKEA Franchisee Ingka Group
Levi Strauss & Co, one of the world’s largest brand-name apparel companies, is:
1. Sourcing 71% renewable electricity at owned/operated facilities, en route to 100% by 2025
2. Expanding partnerships to support supplier sustainability assessments and investments in renewable energy and efficiency
3. Advocating at state, national and global levels for science-based climate policies to accelerate the just transition to a resilient clean energy economy
Mahindra Group, the $19bn federation of companies HQed in India, is:
1. Doubling energy productivity of Mahindra Heavy Engines in 20 years ahead of the target, as part of the EP100 commitment
2. Developing a $600m green revenue portfolio including waste to energy, renewable energy, auto recycling and EVs
3. Building India’s first certified carbon neutral factory – Igatpuri in Maharashtra
Novozymes, the global biotechnology company, is:
1. Developing enzyme and microbe technology to decarbonize many sectors, including transport, agriculture and home care
2. Sourcing 49% of electricity from renewable sources in 2019, with an aim to reach 100% by 2030
3. Sharing surplus energy from its production site to heat approximately 3,000 nearby homes in Copenhagen
Ørsted, a global leader in offshore wind, is:
1. Installing 4.7 GW of offshore wind energy, including the world’s largest and first >1GW offshore wind farm
2. Helping to drive a +66% industry-wide reduction in the price of offshore wind since 2012
3. Reducing its carbon emissions by 86% since 2006, and on track to be carbon neutral in 2025
Rolls-Royce, one of the world’s leading industrial technology companies, is:
1. Introducing the Trent XWB – the world’s most efficient large aero-engine in service
2. Testing 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel to demonstrate the potential for Rolls-Royce engines to reduce emissions
3. Cutting absolute carbon emissions from own facilities by 40%, on track to reach net-zero by 2030
SSE, a major UK energy utility, is:
1. Reducing carbon emissions by 60% by 2030 and pledging net-zero emissions by 2050
2. Investing £7.5bn in low-carbon assets and infrastructure by 2025 to support decarbonization
3. Building the world’s largest offshore windfarm at Dogger Bank, UK
The VELUX Group, a global roof window manufacturer, is:
1. Capturing 5.6mt CO2 – the company’s historical carbon emissions from 1941-2041, through forest conservation
2. Reducing future carbon emissions to become a 100% carbon neutral company by 2030
3. Halving its CO2 emissions across its value chain by 2030
Volvo Cars, the Swedish luxury automobile group, is:
1. Phasing out pure petrol and diesel powered vehicles entirely and aiming for 50% of sales to be fully electric by 2025
2. Reaching 86% climate neutral electricity across all plants, as part of its goal to reach climate neutral manufacturing globally by 2025
3. Working with suppliers to help them switch to 100% renewable energy by 2025, to support Volvo’s ambition to be a climate neutral company by 2040
SAP, global market leader in enterprise application software, is:
1. Reducing carbon emissions by ≥ 20% year-over-year, with a goal of reaching net-zero by 2025
2. Powering all facilities and data centers with 100% renewable electricity
3. Empowering customers to reduce their carbon footprint across entire value chains
Salesforce, the world’s #1 customer relationship management platform, is:
1. Procuring electricity from renewable sources equivalent to 63% of the company’s global use to date—on track to reach 100% by 2022
2. Setting a 1.5°C science-based target and helping customers drive toward carbon neutrality with Salesforce Sustainability Cloud
3. Supporting the conservation, restoration and growth of 100 million trees by 2030
These companies, along with all the 360+ companies committed to the Business Ambition for 1.5°C Campaign, are helping to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement and are calling for bold climate policies to be able to go further and faster.