Top Corporations Vow To Fight Climate Change But Their Plans Fall Short

"A study by the New Climate Institute says companies aren’t doing enough to meet climate targets and eliminate carbon emissions"

"Some of the world’s best-known corporations have clamored to show how seriously they are taking climate change, with an increasing number pledging to eliminate their carbon footprints in the decades ahead. But many of those firms are not yet doing nearly enough to back up their promises, according to a new analysis by the New Climate Institute, an independent organization based in Germany that promotes measures to slow Earth’s warming.

The group examined the climate plans of 25 high-profile corporations, from Amazon to Volkswagen to Walmart, that have vowed to slash their emissions to net zero. The study found that, on average, existing plans would reduce emissions by about 40 percent — significant, but not enough to prevent the worsening effects of a warming planet.

Moreover, eight of the 25 companies excluded the type of emissions created when customers use their products, such as when motorists burn gasoline. Those emissions — known as “scope 3” — typically account for 70 percent or more of corporate emissions, according to MSCI, a financial information firm."

Steven Mufson reports for the Washington Post February 6, 2022.

Source: Washington Post, 02/07/2022