Brand Action™ - Energy

Climate change is adversely affecting the planet. Successfully addressing the challenges this presents will require global cooperation with a sustained focus on both mitigation as well as adaptation. We believe technology has an important role to play on both these fronts and we support public policies that leverage this connection. It is in the best interests of business and society to address climate change – now. Changes in migration patterns, growing seasons, rising sea levels and the frequency and severity of extreme weather events are just a handful of the issues our planet is already facing. The pace and extent of these changes to our natural systems have far-reaching social, environmental and economic consequences. We believe the time to act is at hand. We need both mitigation and adaptations strategies, and this is not something any one company or government can tackle on its own. Technology has a critical role to play in addressing climate change. We will engage public and pr...

Stuart Rowley, president of Ford of Europe, said at the time the company's future was "rooted in electrification". Ford announced plans to close six manufacturing plants in Europe by the end of 2020. With $11 billion global investment in electrified vehicles by 2022, and 10+ new electrified vehicles from Ford and Lincoln to be launched by 2021.  “We predict by 2021 we will launch self-driving commercial vehicles at scale. “ They recently launched the All-electric Mustang Mach-E, with a 370 mile range on full charge. It can recharge 57 miles of drive in 10 minutes on high power. It will be able to accelerate from 0-60 in under five seconds, competing with the Tesla model X which sits at 4.4 seconds.

“In 2010 Nestlé committed itself to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally by 35% within a decade. In Central America, in 2018, we exceeded this goal by achieving a 59% reduction in our emissions, compared to 2010. These results were achieved thanks to energy efficiency projects launched in our 16 workplaces in the region and through the direct purchase of 10,000 MW of renewable energy to Enel, which is equivalent to reducing our emissions by 2,800 tons of CO2." - Claudia Alvarado, Sustainability Manager of Nestlé Central America Enel Green Power has awarded Nestlé with International Renewable Energy Certificates for its contribution to the development of new, renewable projects and for its progress towards 100% Renewable energy in Panama. The certificates guarantee that the energy supplied to the end-user comes from renewable sources and is recognised by the main global sustainability indexes as a tool that helps meet national and international renewable energy goals.

At Ricola, we have been making great strides since 2015. In 2016 the CO2 emission level set by the Swiss federal government was outperformed by 31 tons of CO2 although production volumes have increased. Since 2016 100% of our electricity usage is hydro powered. Since 2016 our new water tanks have been fully outfitted for heat recovery. Since 2016 use of an own electric car for business travel. And we have managed to reduce energy consumption by 7%. We have continued to make changes and look forward to the next five years of improvements in our process and carbon footprint.

Siemens leads the way. We are already taking significant steps towards achieving our goal to be a carbon neutral company by 2030. We focus on four levers – energy-efficiency, decentralized energy systems, intelligent e-mobility solutions, and green electricity purchasing. Here are some of the things we have accomplished: 1. 60 % of the electricity consumption of our sites globally is covered by renewables. 2. 41 % of CO2 emissions reduced since the launch of Siemens’ CO2 neutral program. 3. 20 mil. Euros savings expected annually from 2020 onwards as a result of investments in energy-efficiency projects.

“As we move forward, we will be transparent in reporting short- and long-term progress against our goals,” Starbucks CEO  - Kevin Johnson  By 2030, Starbucks will aim to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent; reduce waste sent to landfills from stores and manufacturing by 50 percent, driven by a broader shift toward a circular economy; and will also conserve or replenish 50 percent of the water currently being used for direct operations and coffee production. Starbucks has long used science-based research to assess progress. Now, the company has also released a comprehensive environmental footprint of carbon emissions, water use and waste in Starbucks global operations and supply chain. Created in partnership from Quantis and World Wildlife Fund, it will serve as a baseline for measuring future progress. 

Polar bears are disappearing from Coca-Cola cans, but real bears are more likely to stick around, thanks to the wildly successful  Arctic Home campaign . We’ve all seen the pictures of polar bears stranded on sea ice. They’re  all too often  used as the iconic poster animals of a rapidly changing climate.  Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at least twice as fast as the global average and sea ice cover is diminishing by nearly four per cent per decade. The loss of sea ice affects polar bears' ability to find food. In just 5 months, Arctic Home raised nearly 2 million dollars for polar bear conservation.  In addition to the financial support, millions of people in Canada and the US heard our message about the threats to polar bears and their habitat. The campaign will run again next year in North America and may expand to other markets.

In 2019, for the third year in a row, Google purchased enough renewable energy to match 100 percent of our annual global electricity consumption. We’re proud of achieving this milestone on the road to achieving an even more ambitious goal: sourcing enough carbon-free energy to match our consumption in every place where we operate, at every hour of the year. Our large-scale procurement of wind and solar power is a cornerstone of our sustainability efforts and has made Google the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy. To date, we’ve signed more than 50 long-term contract commitments to buy energy from wind and solar farms around the world, totaling more than 5 GW of new generation capacity since 2010.

Levi Strauss & Co. achieved its initial 2020 target to procure 20% of total energy from renewable energy sources by 2017 by setting up green utility contracts in the EU and green-e certified Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) in the US, among other measures. Of Levi Strauss & Co.’s nearly 140,000 MWh total energy consumption in 2017, over 26,000 MWh was from renewable sources.    The company is working to achieve its 100% renewable electricity target through the implementation of energy efficiency measures and onsite solar capabilities; purchasing green utility products in Europe; establishing power purchase agreements (PPAs) in the United States; and buying renewable energy certificates (RECs) globally. Finally, In 2020, Levi Strauss & Co. plans to install on-site solar generation at its LEED Platinum-certified distribution center in Henderson, Nevada.

Using sustainable aviation fuel is currently one of the most effective ways to reduce CO2 emissions in the airline industry. Owing largely to the companies taking part in the KLM Corporate BioFuel Programme, we have been able to make this purchase for the Dutch market, giving a further impulse to the consistent production of SAF. KLM President & CEO Pieter Elbers KLM has purchased sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for flights out of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The sustainable fuel is produced by Neste from used cooking oil and will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80 % compared to fossil kerosene. Neste’s sustainable aviation fuel is produced from renewable waste and residue raw materials. KLM only sources sustainable aviation fuels based on waste and residue feedstocks that significantly reduce the CO2 footprint and do not have a negative impact on food production or the environment. In the US and Europe, the company’s renewable jet fuel annual capacity is currently 100,000 tons. With ...

“With our partnership with Ørsted we are now able to cover 100% of our electricity from wind power, another huge milestone in our efforts to become a sustainable business. ” -Stefano Agostini, CEO for Nestlé UK and Ireland. Nestlé’s UK subsidiary has signed a 15-year corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) to buy green power from energy firm Ørsted’s Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm. Under the deal, Nestlé UK will buy 31MW of the wind farm’s total 573MW capacity, making it Ørsted’s largest fixed-price corporate PPA in the UK. From 1 May 2020, Nestlé UK will start purchasing 125GWh of green power per year from the wind farm – equivalent to 50% of its power consumption. When combined with the company’s existing PPAs, all of the firm’s power consumption will reportedly be covered by renewable energy agreements.

“Ford is proud to be a part of this initiative, as it builds on the early achievement of our aggressive 30 percent per vehicle carbon reduction target,” says Andy Hobbs, Director of Ford’s Environmental Quality Office. “That early achievement reduced the company’s annual footprint by 3.4 million metric tons.” Striving for 100% renewable energy for all manufacturing plants globally by 2035, we have 88 sites with true zero waste to landfill status and 5.5% absolute reduction in global waste sent to landfill in 2018. As our manufacturing process improves, we have ~300 vehicle parts made using renewable resources such as soy, wheat, rice, castor, hibiscus, tree cellulose, jute and coconut, and a 14.5% absolute reduction in water use since 2010. We continue to think sustainably about how we produce our Cars!

Energy access rates and reliability in Africa are the lowest in the world and electricity costs are among the highest. Siemens installed 17 turbines with a total of 59 MW in Djibouti. This new wind farm will almost double the current installed power generation capacity in the country, all of which currently comes from fossil fuel sources.  In Egypt they have provided 40 million Egyptians access to a stable and reliable energy supply. In little over two years, Siemens boosted Egypt’s power generation capacity over 40% by connecting 14.4 gigawatts to the Egyptian national grid. Fast growing economies and high population growth are increasing energy demand in Africa. Wind energy has the potential to play an important role in powering Africa’s growth, including job creation and expanding its industrial sector. 

By investing in clean, green energy at scale, we are both powering our stores with renewable energy, reducing our environmental impact, and supporting access to green power in the communities in which we operate. In 2004, Starbucks undertook its first-ever inventory of its own greenhouse gas emissions. That analysis revealed that 70 percent of emissions came from the purchase of electricity to power stores. We are working to source 100 percent renewable energy for global store operations as well as our global supply chain, headquarters and office locations. In North Carolina, we have invested in a 140,000-acre solar farm which delivers enough clean energy to power more than 600 Starbucks stores in the state and neighboring Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. And in Washington state, we’re working with Puget Sound Energy to power more than 100 Starbucks stores and our roasting facility in Kent, with wind power from a wind farm in nearby Olympia.

As a business, we combine energy conservation efforts with increasing amounts of renewables in our energy mix. Electricity makes up the largest proportion of our facility energy use, and we’re committed to buying from renewable sources. We are regularly ranked as a Top 50 purchaser of renewable energy in the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership program and we incorporate on-site solar installations at several locations. Globally, renewably sourced electricity and on-site generation meet about one-third of our electricity needs. We constantly engage in energy efficiency improvements across our operations, like lighting retrofits and motor replacements. Two of our owned factories are ISO 50001 certified and we strongly encourage our suppliers to have ISO 50001 certification as well. When we build a new facility, we incorporate designs with more natural lighting, sun shading and improved equipment. We also work with our suppliers on their own energy efficiency efforts, helping reduce th...

According to our 2017 figures, our refrigeration equipment, such as in store coolers, account for almost 40% of our carbon emissions. As we try to reduce emissions across our value chain, including in customer outlets, we are introducing a new generation of ‘iCOOLers’, which use refrigerants with zero global-warming potential, and are 57% more energy-efficient. By the end of 2018, they will already account for 13% of all our coolers, putting us well on track to achieve our goal of 50% by 2025. In February 2019, we will reach the milestone of 200,000 iCOOLers in our customer outlets, helping to drive down our CO2 emissions and easing our customers’ energy bills. Currently, the HFC-free (hydrofluorocarbon-free) coolers across the Baltic market account for 31,2%. However, it is already planned to increase the number by almost 10 percent. By the end of this year there will be 6739 HFC-free coolers across the market that will account for 40,3%.

At the moment 41% of our electricity comes from renewable sources, and we have managed to create a 34% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of product since 2010 in our manufacturing operations. The battle however is not over. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our society and to our business.  In 2019, Nestlé announced its ambition to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Some of our specific steps include speeding up the transformation of our products to lower their environmental footprint, scaling up initiatives in agriculture to absorb more carbon and using 100% renewable electricity in Nestlé sites.

Environmentally sound operations and reduced energy consumption are Ricola’s top priorities, and the company thus constantly sets itself new targets. The Herb Center in Laufen, opened in 2014, also contributes to environmentally sound operations. Constructed of earth and clay, the building’s facade saves a great deal of energy in comparison with conventional facades. The building complies with the latest environmental construction directives, regulating temperature and humidity itself. The building is heated with waste heat from the production site next door. The 815-square-metre photovoltaic installation on the roof of the Herb Center has supplied the building with power since 2017, delivering about half of its energy requirements.

The company has promised to reduce the carbon footprint of a drink by a third by 2020. It is achieving that target through carbon governance that covers every aspect of the business, from fridges to flavourings. In 2015, the Coca-Cola system achieved a 2 percent improvement in energy efficiency compared to 2014, a 23 percent improvement compared to the 2004 baseline. Coca-Cola achieved our “5 percent reduction in developed countries” goal by 2015, and in 2016, we continued to improve to 20% below the 2004 baseline by the end of the year. Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) committed to sourcing 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. In 2016, 75 percent of CCEP’s purchased electricity came from renewable sources, and approximately 42 percent of the energy used in its manufacturing and non-manufacturing sites came from renewable or low-carbon energy sources.  

Google in 2019, announced that it's increasing its worldwide wind and solar energy portfolio by more than 40 percent to 5,500 megawatts (MW), the equivalent of the capacity of a million solar rooftops. The deal, Google boasted, is the biggest corporate purchase of renewable energy in history. They also announced two new Google.org grants to support wider use of renewable energy. It's giving a $500,000 grant to Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) in the US and a 500,000 euro grant to RE-Source in Europe.   Google's new wind and solar investment comprise 18 new energy deals around the globe, including deals in the US, Chile, and Europe. Google previously set the goal of making long-term renewable energy purchase commitments that would spur the development of new projects, rather than purchasing power from existing wind and solar farms. The latest agreements should lead to the construction of more than $2 billion in new energy infrastructure, Google said, including million...

KLM will be contributing towards TU Delft’s research into an innovative flight concept known as the “Flying-V”, which embraces an entirely different approach to aircraft design, in anticipation and support of sustainable long-distance flight in the future. The aircraft’s v-shaped design will integrate the passenger cabin, the cargo hold and the fuel tanks in the wings. Its improved aerodynamic shape and reduced weight will mean it uses 20% less fuel than the Airbus A350, today’s most advanced aircraft. The Flying-V is propelled by the most fuel-efficient turbofan engines that currently exist. What’s more, the Flying-V will carry the same number of passengers – 314 in the standard configuration – and the same volume of cargo, 160m3. The Flying-V will be smaller than the A350, giving it less aerodynamic resistance.

Levi Strauss & Co.’s science-based targets on climate include reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90% in owned and operated facilities by 2025, and by 40% across its entire global supply chain in the same time frame.    Across its operations and energy use (scopes 1 and 2), Levi Strauss & Co. achieved 3% emissions reduction from 2016 to 2017, from 56,047 mt in 2016 to 54,588 mt in 2017. Working with the International Finance Corporation, Levi Strauss & Co. piloted the IFC’s Partnership for Cleaner Textiles (PaCT) program and were able to reduce GHG emissions by an average of 19% and save more than US $1 million in operating costs collectively in participating facilities.  Levi Strauss & Co. is now working with the IFC to expand the PaCT approach to more than 50 of its top suppliers globally.

Plastic Straws to be replaced with new recyclable straw-less lid and alternative-material straw options at Starbucks This Move builds upon a $ 10M commitment to develop a fully recyclable and compostable global cup solution and marks significant milestone in the company's thirty year history in sustainable innovations. Starbucks announced it will eliminate single-use plastic straws from its more than 28,000 company operated and licensed stores by making a strawless lid or alternative-material straw options available, around the world. Starbucks anticipates the move will eliminate more than one billion plastic straws per year from Starbucks stores. The lid is currently available in more than 8,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada for select beverages, also  in additional markets including China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In addition, Starbucks will begin offering straws made from alternative materials – including paper or compostable plastic – for Frappuccino® blended be...