Progress towards net zero is slow

Among the few US companies making genuine progress towards net zero, Microsoft, PepsiCo, and Ecolab are currently the stand-out performers, a new study finds. 

Non-profit shareholder representative As You Sow ranked 55 US companies on how well they are doing in aligning emissions reductions with the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement goal.

The results 

• Just three companies – Microsoft, PepsiCo, Ecolab — received an overall “A” grade; two – Alphabet, Apple – received an overall “B” grade.
• Eighty-four percent of the assessed companies received total scores of “D” or “F”.
• Sixty-four percent of assessed companies were not yet reporting the full range of their Scope 3 supply chain and product-related emissions.

Why it matters

Many companies are making progress in measuring and disclosing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and many are setting GHG reduction targets, but few are yet making any significant reductions – and the use of carbon offsetting is no substitute. 

“The time for action is narrowing precipitously,” said Danielle Fugere, president of As You Sow. 

Sourced from As You Sow [Image: Pexels]