IBM, Campbell Soup, Intel and SC Johnson are among the 20 companies that received Climate Leadership Awards for their actions on addressing climate change.
The EPA, Association of Climate Change Officers, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES- formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change), and The Climate Registry recognized 20 organizations and individuals for reducing carbon pollution and addressing climate change.
"Corporate leadership is essential to meeting our climate and energy challenges," said C2ES President Eileen Claussen. "These companies demonstrate that it’s possible to shrink your carbon footprint without compromising your bottom line. Their accomplishments will inspire other companies to act, and will contribute to strong, sensible policies benefiting both our economy and our climate."
IBM Leads
IBM won for its "Organizational Leadership," for both reducing its own footprint and for engaging its industry and supply chain. The company has long been on our list of top green investments in our Progressive Investor newsletter and got 2nd place in Newsweek’s Green Rankings.
Sustainability is a core driver for IBM’s business. In addition to greening its own and customers’ data centers, it has launched a suite of consulting services that help clients reduce their carbon footprint, is a major player in smart grid, green buildings and energy managment and is one of the largest purchasers of renewables in the US.
Between 1990, when IBM produced its first Sustainability Report, and 2005, it reduced or avoided 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, and plans to reduce them another 12% by the end of this year.
In 2010, IBM established environmental management requirements for its more than 27,000 first tier suppliers in over 90 countries, as a condition of doing business with them.
IBM is a member of the Carbon Disclosure Project, which recently reported that corporate leaders are making progress on reducing emissions.
Other Climate Leaders Honored:
- San Diego Gas & Electric: leads California is contracts for renewables
- Gene Rodrigues, Director of Customer Energy Efficiency and Solar at Southern California Edison
- Port of Los Angeles: supply chain leadership
- SAP: supply chain leadership
- UPS: supply chain leadership
Aggressively reducing emissions:
- Campbell Soup Company
- Casella Waste Systems
- Conservation Services Group
- Cummins Inc.
- Fairchild Semiconductor
- Genzyme
- Hasbro
- Intel Corporation
- International Paper
- SC Johnson
Establishing aggressive greenhouse gas emission reduction targets:
- Avaya
- Bentley Prince Street
- Campbell Soup Company
- Ford Motor Company
- Gap Inc.
- Ingersoll Rand
Learn more about each company:
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“As environmental science has advanced, it has become apparent that the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future: deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities, and the spread of disease.” Worldwatch Institute, “Is Meat Sustainable?”
“The livestock sector emerges as one of the top contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of this report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Livestock’s contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale and its potential contribution to their solution is equally large. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency.” From the UN Food and Agricultural Organization’s report “Livestock’s Long Shadow”
Why would someone choose to be vegan? To slow global warming for one! Here are two uplifting videos to help everyone understand why so many people are making this life affirming choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKr4HZ7ukSE and http://www.veganvideo.org
I think Vegans would do even better if they tried to show how much good would exponentially happen for all beings–health wise and environmental wise–if the general public would just start to cut down on their insane consumtion of the industry fueled, chemically laden, often sick, ill prepared animals, and their byproducts, and feel and see the difference in their health and of health of the animals and our environment.