A CLEANER PLANET, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT — The sky is bluer than it’s been in decades, and wildlife is roaming the streets of shutdown cities. No one would argue those outcomes are worth the cost of shutting down commerce, but the pandemic is compelling companies to accelerate their plans on environmental impact, their workforce of the future and sustainable finance.
Lucas Joppa, Microsoft’s first chief environmental officer, says Microsoft is redoubling its work to reduce carbon emissions, water pollution and waste from its operations, and continuing to promote biodiversity. We’ve heard a similar message in dozens of conversations over the past few weeks with business and NGO leaders, including the top sustainability officers at Walmart, Starbucks, Nestle and General Motors.