87 major companies, including some of the world's biggest food & beverage processors (but only a few) have committed to set climate targets across their operations and value chains aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and reaching net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.
Danone, Firmenich, International Flavors & Fragrances, Nestlé, Royal DSM, Sodexo and Viña Concha y Toro were among the signatories of the agreement, announced as world leaders gathered in New York in late September for a milestone Climate Action Summit hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Unilever has already verified 1.5°C-aligned reduction targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from its operations.
The summit provided an opportunity for governments, businesses and other stakeholders to present clear plans of action aligned with the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which warned of catastrophic consequences should global warming exceed 1.5°C.
Since the first 28 companies committed to 1.5°C were announced in July, the number has more than tripled. The latest, full list includes (besides those food companies already mentioned): ADEC Innovations; América Móvil; ASICS Corporation; Atlassian Corporation; Bharti Airtel Limited; Burberry; City Developments Limited; The Co-operative Group; Croda International; Cybercom Group; Deutsche Telekom; Dexus; EDP - Energias de Portugal; Electrolux; Elopak; En+ Group; Ericsson Group; Glovo; Grupo Malwee; Guess; Ingka Group; Inter IKEA Group; Intuit; Klabin; L'Oréal; MARUI GROUP; Nokia; Novo Nordisk; NRG Energy; Orange Group; Ørsted; PensionDanmark; Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited; Saint-Gobain; Salesforce.com; Scania; Schneider Electric; Seventh Generation; SkyPower; SUEZ; Swiss Reinsurance; TDC; and Wipro, among others.
“Warming beyond 1.5°C is a calamity we simply must not risk,” said Andrew Steer, SBTi Board Member and President and CEO of World Resources Institute. “Science-based targets provide a blueprint for companies to make a clear contribution to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, but we need all hands on deck. There is not a minute to lose.”
