For many years, sustainability initiatives have been a secondary focus for some businesses, and not on the agenda of many others. In recent years, however, growing awareness around climate change, aided by the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016, has forced businesses to increasingly prioritize matters of sustainability, writes Mathias Lelievre, former CEO at ENGIE Impact.
ENGIE Impact’s analysis of CDP disclosures reveals that there has been a three-fold increase in average annual carbon reduction targets and that the average time needed to achieve these goals has decreased to just over eight years today, compared with twice that just 15 years ago.
Microsoft and Intel are just two examples from this year of the global brands that have announced aggressive sustainability commitments. Companies such as this are setting new standards for businesses to reach and have helped establish the reduction of carbon emissions, energy usage and waste as business imperatives.