In November 2016 the Paris Agreement came into force. This international treaty, which was signed by most countries in the world—notably excluding the US—aims to reduce global emissions of carbon dioxide in order to limit global warming. The aim of the Paris Agreement is to achieve carbon neutrality by the middle of the twenty-first century, which has prompted some governments to compel or encourage companies to offset their carbon dioxide emissions. Larger companies usually offset their emissions by purchasing carbon credits or carbon offsets, which are supposed to fund carbon-limiting projects such as tree-planting initiatives, while other companies will engage in such initiatives directly. Here are four companies who are making an effort to become carbon neutral.
Ferrari
A car manufacturer might be an unexpected sight on this list, but Ferrari seems to be doing very well in terms of their sustainability goals. They achieved the FIA’s highest sustainability rating in June, and are committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030. In addition, they have produced an impressive-looking hybrid sports car—the SF90 Stradale—and are supposed to be releasing an all-electric car by 2025. If you want a luxury car that won’t wreck the environment, you should buy Ferrari!
Netflix
The streaming giant has an ambitious three-step plan to improving its sustainability, which begins with aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by the end of 2022. As well as reducing their emissions, Netflix have funded conservation projects to protect tropical forests. The next phase of their plan is going to involve investing in regeneration projects to restore grasslands, mangroves, and other ecosystems which capture and store carbon. This project is headed by one of the scientists who came up with science-based sustainability targets, so hopefully they know what they’re doing!
Apple
The renowned tech company has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Other sustainability goals adopted by the company include switching to low-carbon materials, increasing the energy efficiency of their products, and investing in renewable energy plants. Compared to their competition, Apple maintain that their own products are built to last longer and be more repairable. Hopefully product design will improve even more in the future and the current culture of switching to a new smartphone every couple of years will come to an end.
Amazon
The ironically named retail giant has a longer sustainability roadmap ahead than many other companies, and is aiming to become carbon neutral by 2040. This is perhaps unsurprising for a business model which is founded almost entirely upon home deliveries, which utilize all sorts of vehicles.
Does it all actually work?
The Climate Pledge spearheaded by Amazon requests signatories to commit to “credible offsets.” This requirement is not surprising in the wake of researchers exposing the truth about carbon credits: that at least in some cases, the projects which the credits were supposed to fund—such as conservation of the Amazon forest—either did not take place or were quickly reversed. This, along with the fact that the US did not sign the Paris Agreement, means it is time for governments to take much more decisive action.
If you want to achieve carbon neutrality, you may want to reach out to carbon neutral energy providers in Australia if your business is located there.
