Big-name Fortune 500 companies like Goldman Sachs, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, and others, have pledged to 100% renewable electricity.
As part of Climate Week NYC, a number of big-name Fortune 500-listed companies have joined RE100, “an ambitious global campaign led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, to engage, support and showcase influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity.”
“Research shows that the most ambitious companies have seen a 27 percent return on their low carbon investments – no wonder new names keep joining RE100,” said Mark Kenber, CEO of The Climate Group. “Lowering risk, protecting against price rises, saving millions and boosting brand is what shaping a low carbon economy is all about. Today these companies are signalling loud and clear to COP21 negotiators that forward-thinking businesses back renewables and want to see a strong climate deal in Paris.”
Launched a year ago at Climate Week NYC 2014, RE100 began with 13 original corporate partners — IKEA Group, Swiss Re, BT Group, Formula E, H&M, KPN, Nestlé, Philips, RELX Group, J. Safra Sarasin, Unilever and YOOX Group – as well as Mars, Incorporated, the first US business on board.
Today, 36 major businesses from around the world have joined the campaign.
Newly added to the campaign are companies including Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, NIKE, Inc., Procter & Gamble, Salesforce, Starbucks, Steelcase, Voya Financial, and Walmart, following in the wake of Elion Resources Group, the first Chinese company, which came on board in March, and Infosys, the first Indian company which joined in May. Swiss financial services provider UBS joined last week, while earlier this week the first science-based participant, Royal DSM joined.
“Climate change is a global issue that requires global solutions,” said Eric Sprunk, Chief Operating Officer, NIKE. “We believe that collaboration is important to accelerate and scale sustainable innovations that have potential to change the world, and Nike is proud to join the leading global brands in RE100 with our commitment to reach 100% renewable energy.”
“As a leading global financial institution, we have had a long standing commitment to finance and invest in clean energy around the world to help the transition to a low carbon economy,” said Kyung-Ah Park, Head of Environmental Markets at Goldman Sachs. “We are also committed to reducing our own carbon footprint, and will target the use of 100 percent renewable power to meet our global electricity needs by 2020. We’re proud to be part of the RE100 initiative as a way to partner with leading companies in expanding the deployment of clean energy.”
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