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DSM makes sustainability pledge at White House

Brian Deese, President Obama’s senior climate adviser, said 68 companies have signed on to the pledge in addition to the original 13 signatories since July when the pledge was launched. The President and First Lady sang me Happy Birthday at The White House & I…

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A few hours of a meeting between the USA president and several business leaders, the White House said that 81 companies had taken steps to fight against climate change. This fall, the Obama Administration will release a third round of pledges, with a goal of mobilizing many more companies to join the American Business Act on Climate Pledge.

Sixteen companies and trade groups backed up the announcement with a pledge to reduce their use of HFCs, including Target and Dow Chemical.

Mars’ pledge includes commitments to achieve zero waste to landfill across all its sites by 2015 and eliminate 100% of GHG emissions from across its global operations by 2040.

Mr Obama hopes that support from companies with a combined market capitalisation of more than $5tn will boost the chances that the delegates from nearly 200 countries can reach a climate accord in Paris. Nike announced that it would use 100 percent renewable energy in all its owned or operated facilities by 2025, while Nestle has water-reduction goals included in its pledge.

“Increasingly, we are a global economy, so ensuring that there is a level playing field internationally as it relates to climate change is also critical, and an important outcome of any type of worldwide agreement”, Brady said. Not only are they doing the right thing in the production of their products, but they’re also facilitating along with a few of their suppliers the ability for us to pursue the data that we need for companies to become even more energy efficient.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden echoed those sentiments and said US companies can help get a Paris deal across the finish line.

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Kellogg’s said “the body of science behind climate change has grown clearer and more focused”, and added that failure to address global warming “will make it hard for Kellogg to continue to meet global food demand”.

Report Obama to discuss climate strategy with blue chips