Lower emissions for profit and the planet

“Fighting climate change can provide business opportunities and spur innovation and jobs in all parts of the world,” says Hans Verolme, Director of WWF’s Global Climate Change Programme. “The Climate Savers companies show that sustainable development is not an academic concept but something that can be tackled with a profit – for nature, for society, but also for the companies themselves.”

A statement released at the Paris conference states that the solutions to climate change exist: “As members of the WWF Climate Savers Programme, we have gained significant experience in past years and learned that we can reduce the climate change footprint of our companies and grow as businesses at the same time.”

All twelve Climate Saver companies have pledged to considerably reduce their absolute carbon emissions. Most found that reducing emissions makes business sense. WWF urges lawmakers and corporate executives around the world to move now and reduce absolute carbon dioxide emissions.

WWF and the twelve Climate Saver companies are meeting in Paris on February 1-2, 2007. It is an opportunity for these firms to show other corporations the way forward to reduce absolute carbon emissions. WWF notes that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is taking place from January 29 to February 1 and matches the IPCC’s message of urgency by showing a way towards solutions.

“Lafarge made its Climate Savers commitment back in 2001 to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions,” says Bruno Lafont, CEO of Lafarge, a world leader in building materials. “Since then, we have worked hard to extend this initiative within the cement sector and we are pleased that a number of other major cement players have decided to commit themselves as well.”

Sportswear manufacturer Nike receives an award at this year’s Climate Savers conference for having reached its carbon dioxide reduction target. “Participation in Climate Savers enabled us to get an early start on an issue that has major consequences for business and society,” says Sarah Severn, Director, Corporate Responsibility Horizons at Nike. “We have found that constraints can lead to tremendous innovation and despite growth in our owned and managed operations we have become more efficient with our energy use. Our next steps will be partnering with suppliers to further reduce our manufacturing and logistics climate footprint.”
“Catalyst joined WWF’s Climate Savers initiative because we believe collective action is the best way to address the risk of global warming,” says Lyn Brown, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility, for the world’s largest directory paper producer. “There is simply no excuse to do nothing. We can show cost-effective strategies exist and we are implementing them now to make steady reductions in our own greenhouse gas emissions.” Catalyst, the only Canadian Climate Savers company so far, pledged to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions 70 per cent by 2010 compared to 1990 levels through lower energy use, switching from fossil fuels to renewable biomass, and better equipment and water efficiency.