The Climate Pledge Announces More Than 100 Signatories Committed to Achieving Net-Zero Carbon by 2040 or Sooner

The 105 pledge signatories together generate over $1.4 trillion in global annual revenues and have more than 5 million employees across 25 industries in 16 countries

The Climate Pledge is a commitment co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement 10 years early and achieve net-zero carbon by 2040

SEATTLE-Thursday 22 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today, Amazon and Global Optimism announced that more than 100 companies have now signed The Climate Pledge. Among the 52 new signatories joining The Climate Pledge today are well-known brands including Alaska Airlines, Colgate-Palmolive, HEINEKEN, PepsiCo, Telefónica, and Visa. Pledge signatories in total generate more than $1.4 trillion in global annual sales and have more than 5 million employees across 25 industries in 16 countries—demonstrating the collective impact The Climate Pledge can have in addressing climate change.

Signatories to The Climate Pledge agree to:

• Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis.

• Implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies.

• Neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040—a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement’s goal of 2050.

All signatories are taking science-based, high-impact actions to tackle climate change by innovating in supply chain efficiency, sustainable transportation, circular economy, clean energy solutions, and more. Many organizations are also meaningfully involving customers in their journey to net-zero with initiatives focused on innovative packaging and sustainable product design and development, while delivering solutions to empower customers to reduce their own emissions with educational campaigns and sustainable shopping experiences.

“Less than two years ago, Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge and called on other companies to reach the Paris Agreement 10 years early—today, more than 100 companies with over $1.4 trillion in global annual revenues and more than 5 million employees have signed the pledge,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “We are proud to stand with other signatories to use our scale to decarbonize the economy through real business change and innovation.”

“We helped to initiate The Climate Pledge to prove a model that accelerates decarbonization with the most ambitious companies,” said Christiana Figueres, the UN’s former climate chief and now founding partner of Global Optimism. “Today over 100 companies, including household brands and companies from all industry sectors, have joined The Climate Pledge with its goal of net-zero by 2040. They are demonstrating that moving faster toward decarbonizing their businesses is a pathway to competitive advantage. There is no doubt we’re at a tipping point to establish the low carbon economy envisioned in the Paris Agreement. I commend the leadership of the companies that have joined The Climate Pledge already and look forward to welcoming the next 100.”

Amazon and Global Optimism welcome the new signatories that have committed to The Climate Pledge.

AECOM

Mace Group

Alaska Airlines

Morgan Sindall Group

Airmee

Natural Capital Partners

Atlantia

Optimus Ride

Bellrock Group

PepsiCo

Blacklane

Pollination

Colgate-Palmolive

Portland General Electric

Convoy

Posti

Delphis Eco

Pregis

Direct Healthcare Solutions Ltd.

Protector Cellars

Edmonton International Airport

Quorn Foods

Elisa Corporation

Rail Delivery Group

EV Private Equity

Royal Philips

FILA Solutions

Russell Group

Graebel

Sainsbury’s

Greencore Group

SecuriGroup

HEINEKEN

Sonnedix

HH Global

Springer Nature Group

IGS Energy

Storegga Geotechnologies

IMI

STV Group

Inn at Laurel Point

Telefónica

Karma Automotive

Teleperformance

LeasePlan

The Sustainable City

LifeStraw

Urenco

Lil Packaging Ltd.

UST

Lime

Visa

Information about all 52 new signatories that have committed to The Climate Pledge is available at the About Amazon blog, with new signatories including:

Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines serves more than 120 destinations across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica, and reaches destinations around the globe through the Oneworld Alliance. The company has a longstanding commitment to care for people and the environment, and is setting out on a bold path to reduce climate impact near and long term to reach net-zero emissions by 2040. This includes continued improvements in efficiency of its fleet; standardizing and expanding the use of first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to plan optimized routes, reduce fuel burn, and carbon emissions; working with government and industry to expand the availability and use of sustainable aviation fuels, which have up to 80% less carbon emissions on a lifecycle basis; exploring and advancing novel propulsion approaches that support electrification technologies for regional flying; and investing in credible carbon offsets to close any gaps to target. The company is already reducing emissions through fleet optimization, saving fuel with its aircrafts’ uniquely designed winglets, and navigation technology that sources the most efficient route. Through its broader social and environmental sustainability program, LIFT, Alaska Airlines invites customers to donate their miles to support nonprofits such as the Nature Conservancy and UNCF, to purchase carbon offsets with The Good Traveler, and to reduce waste through in-flight recycling (temporarily paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and traveling with reusable water bottles through the company’s #FillBeforeYouFly initiative.

“At Alaska Airlines, we know that travel can make a big difference in people’s lives, and we’re committed to operating in a socially and environmentally responsible way,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines CEO. “We’re on a journey to ensure that sustainability is a core part of our culture, and we are grateful for partners within the aviation industry and beyond who are working with us to make the path to net-zero a reality. It will truly take a village to get there and joining the other sustainability-minded companies as part of The Climate Pledge is an important step.”

Colgate-Palmolive
Around the world, Colgate-Palmolive is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets, and our planet. The company is committed to preserving the environment by accelerating action on climate change. One critical priority is achieving renewable energy across all operations by 2030 through solar installations and power purchase agreements. With household brands including Colgate, Palmolive, Tom’s of Maine, Hill’s, and more, Colgate-Palmolive serves billions of people across the globe. The company is committed to growth and to operating responsibly and sustainably for the people, customers, and the communities it serves. It continually looks for better and more sustainable ways to make its products and packaging, and seeks opportunities to use less plastic, water, and energy while minimizing waste. In 2019, Colgate introduced a first-of-its-kind recyclable toothpaste tube, with the goal of transitioning its global portfolio by 2025. Colgate is now sharing its technology with third parties, including competitors, to support transformation of all tubes. The company is also leading the charge on promoting water conservation through its Save Water initiative, which encourages customers to "turn off the tap" while brushing, helping people save 155 billion gallons of water and 8.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gas since 2016.

“Colgate is proud to join The Climate Pledge, understanding that accountability, partnership, and collaboration are essential to producing the sustainable environmental improvements we all want," said Prabha Parameswaran, Colgate-Palmolive, Global President. "With the Colgate brand found in more homes than any other, we’ve embraced our extraordinary opportunity—and responsibility—to reduce our environmental footprint and accelerate action on climate change. We are proud of the progress we’ve made and committed to doing more as our company works hard to reimagine a healthier future for all people, their pets, and our planet.”

HEINEKEN
Serving consumers across the globe, HEINEKEN recognizes the importance of running not only a profitable business, but also a sustainable one. The company’s decade long sustainable development ambition, Brew a Better World, demonstrates its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, building a roadmap against these goals and their specified targets to ensure meaningful and transparent contributions to protecting the planet, ensuring prosperity, and ending poverty. As a part of this ambition, HEINEKEN has already achieved a 51% decrease in carbon emissions and a 33% decrease in water consumption across its operations since 2008. The company’s sustainability efforts span the entire value chain “from Barley to Bar” by supporting sustainable agriculture, brewing, packaging, and distribution, and advocating for responsible consumption of alcohol.

“For over 150 years, we’ve been passionate about making a positive impact on the world around us. We know that we can only thrive if our people, the planet, and the communities around us thrive,” said Dolf van den Brink, HEINEKEN chairman and CEO. “This means looking at Brew a Better World in every one of our activities. We know actions speak louder than words and that achieving real and lasting change is only possible through collective effort. We must think and act holistically when considering how Brew a Better World positively impacts the entire HEINEKEN ecosystem— including our employees, partners and suppliers, NGOs, governments, local communities, and other stakeholders. By joining The Climate Pledge, we are reinforcing our commitment to sustainability, and are pleased to join a community that will share knowledge, ideas, and best practices.”

PepsiCo
With a portfolio of iconic brands—including Quaker, Walkers, Gatorade, Doritos, and SodaStream—and a wide range of food and beverage products that are enjoyed by customers across the world, PepsiCo is committed to using its scale, reach, and expertise to help build a more sustainable food system. PepsiCo envisions a food system that can provide nutrition and enjoyment, and continue to drive economic and social development, all without exceeding the natural boundaries of the planet. The company is focused on promoting sustainable agriculture, addressing water insecurity, eliminating plastic waste, developing more nutritious and sustainable products, and reducing GHG emissions across its value chain. As part of this effort, PepsiCo is working to build a world where packaging doesn’t become waste. Currently, 88% of the company’s packaging is recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable, with a goal to reach 100% by 2025. PepsiCo also continues to expand its Sustainable from the Start program, an initiative that considers environmental impact at each stage of product development. In January 2021, PepsiCo announced a new science-based goal to cut its carbon emissions by more than 40% by 2030 (against a 2015 baseline)—more than doubling its previous climate commitment, and aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.

“PepsiCo is delighted to join The Climate Pledge as we continue our work to help build a more sustainable and regenerative food system,” said Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo chairman and CEO. “At a time when the world is struggling to recover from the shock of a global pandemic, shared solutions to shared challenges are essential. We all must do our parts individually, but also come together to tackle climate change and reach net-zero emissions by 2040.”

Telefónica
As one of the largest telephone operators and mobile network providers in the world, Telefónica is committed to reducing its own carbon footprint, as well as delivering solutions to empower customers to reduce their own emissions. Telefónica is already committed to reducing the emissions of its entire value chain in line with the 1.5 degrees Celsius scenario. This includes a commitment to having net-zero emissions by 2025 across its operations in key markets (Spain, UK, Germany, and Brazil), with operations in Latin America and its broader value chain net-zero by 2040. The company is also committed to helping its customers reduce emissions through connectivity and its Eco Smart services, a product seal that helps shoppers easily incorporate sustainability criteria into their purchasing decisions. Last year, Eco Smart helped customers avoid more than 9.5 million tons of CO2, the carbon equivalent to planting 158 million trees.

“Our energy and climate change strategy centers on mitigating our impact, leveraging new opportunities, and evolving to address climate risks,” said Elena Valderrábano, Telefónica global director for corporate ethics and sustainability. “By joining The Climate Pledge, we are reinforcing our commitment to sustainability, and we’re pleased to join a community of other leading companies putting sustainability first.”

Visa
As a leading global payments technology company, Visa is committed to contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive world, including playing an industry leadership role in the global transition to a low-carbon economy. Visa’s sustainability track record includes achieving its goal in 2020 to fully transition to 100% renewable electricity, improving the sustainability of our offices and data centers through energy and water efficiency, landfill waste diversions, and a global Green Teams program for employees. In 2020, Visa issued a $500 million green bond, believed to be the first of its kind by a digital payments network, in support of these efforts. Visa also continues to inspire and empower sustainable commerce with strategic partnerships and programs focused on embedding sustainability in payment cards and accounts, and enabling sustainable behaviors through its work in transit, electric vehicle charging, travel, and tourism.

“At Visa, we’re committed to sustainability and to creating a more sustainable future,” said Alfred F. Kelly Jr., Visa chairman and CEO. “We’re proud to join The Climate Pledge as part of our pledge to net-zero emissions by 2040, and we look forward to collaborating with signatories to advance this important work.”

About The Climate Pledge
In 2019, Amazon and Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge, a commitment to reach the Paris Agreement 10 years early and be net-zero carbon by 2040. Now 105 organizations have signed The Climate Pledge, sending an important signal that there will be rapid growth in demand for products and services that help reduce carbon emissions. For more information, visit www.theclimatepledge.com.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

About Global Optimism
Global Optimism exists to precipitate transformational, sector-wide change. Achieving a zero emissions future is not a far-off challenge. It’s one we must get on track for now. Every scientific assessment shows that to meet the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, to keep global heating below 1.5 degrees Celsius, we must halve our emissions between 2020 and 2030. Tackling the climate crisis is only possible when everyone, everywhere plays their part. We work with like-minded collectives from all sectors who are willing to invest in the choices required to be on this challenging—and life-affirming—journey. For more information, visit https://globaloptimism.com/.

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