Microsoft, Owens Corning Join Climate Declaration

Microsoft, Owens Corning, Diageo, Thornton Tomasetti and Acer America have signed the Climate Declaration, calling on US policymakers to enact climate and clean energy policies that will benefit the economy.

These five global companies, all with more than 100,000 employees, join more than 650 other companies including General Motors, Unilever and Levi Strauss, in supporting the campaign organized by Ceres and its business network BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy), which calls climate change “one of America’s greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century.”

Today’s announcement comes just days before the launch of Climate Week NYC 2013 and the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s fifth climate science assessment.

All of the signatories announced today say they’re integrating low-carbon practices into their operations and products.

Microsoft, which has imposed an internal carbon fee, gains business value from policies that increase the availability of low carbon and renewable energy, says Rob Bernard, the company’s chief environmental strategist.

Frank O’Brien-Bernini, vice president and chief sustainability officer at Owens Corning, which produces energy-saving residential and commercial building materials, says a key legislative priority is getting the bipartisan Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill passed.

Alcoholic beverage maker Diageo, which reduced its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 4.1 percent this year, and overall by 26.3 percent compared to its 2007 baseline, says while it’s investing in renewable energy, waste reduction and sustainable packaging, “a meaningful impact on climate change” requires “collaborative action of everyone,” according to Paul Gallagher, president of Diageo North America Supply.

Thornton Tomasetti, which has engineering six of the world’s 10 tallest buildings in design or under construction, was the first structural design firm to sign the American Institute of Architects 2030 Challenge to achieve carbon-neutral buildings by 2030. Chairman and CEO Thomas Scarangello says the market already recognizes the benefit of sustainable building features like green roofs, water capture and energy modeling that minimizes energy consumption. He says smart energy policies from lawmakers will accelerate the trend.