January 16, 2008—The Climate Group recently announced that four new companies have joined its leadership coalition: Goldman Sachs, The Dow Chemical Company, Florida Power & Light Group, and Bloomberg. The addition of these four major companies increases the Climate Group corporate alliance from 40 to 44.
The Climate Group will work with these new partners to accelerate international action on climate change, with a focus on practical solutions—developing expertise on how business can lead the way to a low-carbon economy while boosting profitability and competitiveness.
According to The Climate Group, Goldman Sachs has made considerable progress in meeting its environmental objectives, including investing over US$2 billion in renewable energy, a doubling of its original 2005 goal. Through its Center for Environmental Markets, it has also partnered on a number of different initiatives to further market-based solutions to address environmental issues.
Dow is reported to be working aggressively to devise global solutions to the issue of climate change, leveraging its expertise in chemistry and innovation. Dow has committed to halt the growth of its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, and to secure at least 50 percent of its energy from non-carbon emitting sources by 2050. The energy mix will include renewables, alternatives, and carbon sequestration technologies.
FPL Group and its subsidiaries, FPL Energy and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), comprise one of the country’s cleanest utilities, says The Climate Group, using natural gas and nuclear power to generate 70 percent of its electricity. In 2007 alone, the company announced investments of more than $22 billion in renewable energy and other programs aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Bloomberg reportedly recognizes that its business has global environmental, social, and economic implications and is committed to reducing consumption, buying renewable products and services, and offsetting remaining carbon emissions “where and when it makes sense.” Bloomberg’s goal is to help set standards, promote clean technologies, and be a leader in the migration to a low-carbon economy.
