Time Warner Cable Sets 2016 Goal: Reduce Carbon Intensity By 30%
Time Warner Cable Inc. has announced a goal to reduce the company’s carbon intensity by 30% by the end of 2016. Some of the measures it will take are investing in fuel-efficient vehicles, reducing cooling power consumption, exploring renewable energy, and perhaps including LEED measures in new buildings.
This year, the company announced it had already achieved a 38% carbon intensity reduction, which exceeded a goal set previously. While actively pursuing carbon reduction may not sound that impressive to some, it should be pointed out that the company has over 25,000 employees, which is a population larger than some towns.
“TWC is committed to making a positive impact on our environment and will continue to raise awareness about sustainability and environmental issues. We’re excited about the new goal and look forward to bolstering our efforts in the green space,” explained David Flessas, Time Warner Cable’s Senior Vice President of Network Operations.
Carbon intensity means the average emission rate of carbon, so Time Warner Cable is making moves to reduce how much carbon pollution it generates. This activity is a great thing to do decrease the company’s impact on climate change, but becoming more energy-efficient can also be a winning business strategy because it saves money, sometimes for years and years, depending on which measures are implemented.
Increasingly, it seems very mainstream companies like UPS, Ikea, Wal-mart, GM and Kohl’s are investing in renewable energy as well. They are doing so more for economic reasons than to be “green” in a manner that is generally associated with having a particular agenda.
Sometimes companies are criticized for taking such measures, because they are seen as being disingenuous – the term is green-washing. One might also argue that doing something is better than nothing, and it might set a company on the path towards greater sustainability.
Image Credit: Optimum PX, Wiki Commons
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How about divesting their profits stashed abroad from fossil fuels into renewables?
Greenwashing is surely pseudo-measures: symbolic gestures like putting a few solar panels on the headquarters, adopting a nice-sounding but empty slogan (remember BP’s “Beyond Petroleum”?), or taking credit like Wal-Mart for doing things they would have done anyway. TimeWarner are making a serious effort in a short timeframe, and deserve credit. To expect corporations to take action that will seriously hurt their profits is utopian. It’s the job of government, of law and regulation, to coerce them if that needs doing.
“Intensity” is a metric prone to being gamed. If they double revenue and increase total emissions 50% they’ll have a 33% intensity gain despite having an increase in total emissions.
A commitment to reduce net emissions is far more valuable.
Linear TV is a business in terminal decline. They’re losing revenue and profits are going down. This is probably motivated by a genuine desire to cut costs and energy efficiency is proven investment.
They need to work on the efficiency of their set top boxes if they want to improve their ‘corporate’ efficiency.