Yingli Solar has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per MW of photovoltaic module production by 13 percent by 2015, compared to 2010 levels, as it joins the Climate Savers program.
Yingli has become the first Chinese company and the first photovoltaic manufacturer to join the program initiated by the World Wildlife Fund.
By the end of 2015 Yingli has also pledged, compared to a 2010 baseline:
- To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from purchased goods and services per MW of photovoltaic module production by 7 percent, and
- To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from upstream transportation by 10 percent.
By 2015, Yingli also hopes to launch a manufacturing standard for photovoltaics, aimed at promoting energy consumption reduction, increased use of renewable energy and reduced GHG emissions.
Climate Savers is a global leadership platform in which member companies set sector-leading targets for greenhouse gas reduction in their own emissions, and work with other companies, suppliers and partners to implement initiatives for a low-carbon economy.
Initiated by WWF in 1999, the Climate Savers program now counts 30 member companies, including Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Nike, Hewlett Packard, The Collins Companies, Xanterra Parks and Resorts, Sagawa, Sony, Tetra Pak, Lafarge, Catalyst, Novo Nordisk, and Nokia Siemens Networks.
Between its 1999 launch and 2011, Climate Savers members cut their carbon dioxide emissions by more than 100 million tons, WWF announced in May last year. The results came from an independent review conducted by energy consultancy Ecofys. Ecofys also found that by 2020, Climate Savers’ overall emissions savings since 1999 could exceed 350 million tons.