Apple, Diageo, Microsoft and Unilever are among the “low-carbon leaders” highlighted in Corporate Citizenship’s report the Low-Carbon Company, which makes the business case for decarbonization.
Other companies can follow these low-carbon leaders’ examples, the report says. Among the examples:
- Apple has set a goal to power all of it corporate offices, retail stores, and data centers with renewable energy — it’s 94 percent of the way there — and already powers 100 percent of data centers with renewables.
- Diageo is turning by-products of its breweries and distilleries into on-site renewable energy sources to help achieve its goal of halving its direct emissions by 2015.
- GlaxoSmithKline has set a goal of being carbon neutral across its value chain by 2050.
- Microsoft has set an internal price for carbon that reflects true cost accounting for activities like business travel and utility costs.
- Novelis has set a target of 80 percent recycled aluminum — which requires 95 percent less energy and produces 95 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than manufacturing primary aluminum — in its products by 2020.
- The Walt Disney Company has set an internal carbon price and a long-term goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions, with an interim goal of reducing net emissions by 50 percent from 2012 levels by 2020.