News - RE100

Newsletter: solar success and looking ahead to Climate Week NYC

ALL REGIONS

Solar Impulse completes global flight

Reminding us all that the sky's the limit when it comes to renewable energy, Solar Impulse has completed the world’s first round-the-world solar flight. “The future is clean. The future is you. The future is now. Let’s take it further,”- pilot Bertand Piccard, on arrival in Abu Dhabi; a message that RE100 members are already embracing.

Solution Providers to work with RE100

As part of our new self-sustaining funding structure for the RE100 campaign we are now inviting carefully selected technology providers, project developers, financiers and more to become RE100 ‘Solution Providers’. For an annual fee, these companies will be able to provide valuable insight into new technological, policy and project developments with interested RE100 members – through our events, knowledge sharing webinars and digital media.

EUROPE

British Land joins RE100

The UK-based property management company British Land has joined the campaign with a goal to be 100% powered by renewable electricity by 2019. Emily Farnworth, RE100 Campaign Director said: ‘Many RE100 members who rent office and retail space will benefit from landlords - like British Land - who can provide 100% renewable power. From improved reputations to stabilised energy bills, there are advantages for everyone concerned.”

Shareaction points companies to RE100

'More and more companies are becoming aware of the business case for renewables and joining RE100, thanks to the work of ShareAction. Here, Project Coordinator Liz Sowden blogs on the progress being made.'

REA launches solar guide for business

The Renewable Energy Association and the BRE National Solar Centre have released a new guide to installing solar PV systems of commercial rooftops in the UK, to help owners and tenants of commercial buildings to switch to renewable power. “With solar PV, companies can have more control of their energy supplies, manage their costs and cut down on their carbon emissions” - Gaynor Hartnell, Advisor to the REA.

NORTH AMERICA

Highlighting market hotspots for businesses to go renewable

More than 100 executives from members of RE100 and the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center attended a joint RE100-BRC webinar on July 20. Steve Abbott, Senior Associate at Rocky Mountain Institute, reviewed how the BRC’s Marketplace platform is helping large companies to purchase renewable energy. Using data from the Marketplace, Steve highlighted the hottest markets based on project availability and corporate buyer interest.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES

August 31- September 1: The second summit (II Climate Summit of the Americas), Guadalajara, Mexico - The government of Jalisco will resume the effort and spirit of last year’s first summit, hosted by the Government of Ontario, and reconvene subnational governments of the Americas along with the business, academic and civil society sectors to follow up the agreements reached in 2015. There will be speaking opportunities for RE100 members at this event and we will use this platform to increase awareness of the need for policy to support corporate sourcing of renewables.

September 1: Launch of Clean Energy Registry - APX is to launch a new Clean Energy Registry (CER) to support the issuance, tracking and retirement of Tradable Instruments for Global Renewables (TIGRs). This will initially support issuances from projects in Singapore but will expand to additional countries. “Demand is coming from Fortune 500 firms with commitments to RE100 to ensure sustainability strategies are properly implemented,” said Lars Kvale, Head of Business Development at APX. For more information visit http://technology-trust-news.org/t/6R6-4EOBV-KTYL3A-2860J0-0/c.aspx

September 19: Opening Ceremony, Climate Week NYC, U.S. - Climate Week NYC is The Climate Group’s global flagship event; a milestone in the international climate calendar and a focal meeting point for leading governments, investors, businesses, innovators and opinion formers. RE100 will be announcing some news. We will be sending formal invitations for the Opening Ceremony out shortly.

There will be a RE100-EP100 side event on Tuesday, September 20 including a number of high level speakers from leading members in the two campaigns. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

November 1: ‘What are the strategic options for corporates to source 100% renewables globally?’ Ernst & Young event, London, U.K. - Emily Farnworth (RE100), Andrew Griffiths (Nestlé) and Tony Dunnage (Unilever) are among the speakers at this event held at Ernst & Young offices in London. Discussions will include increased consumer choice as a driver for ambitious targets, and changing markets and standards in the UK and Europe in a post-Brexit context. RE100 members will be invited.

November 7-18: UNFCCC COP22, Marrakesh, Morocco: We are collaborating with REBA, IRENA, WBCSD, CEM7, the Global Solar Council and CAN International to ensure corporate demand for renewables is integrated into key events and discussions at COP22. There will be a number of speaking opportunities for senior executives of RE100 members. If your company will be represented at COP22 and is interested in speaking opportunities, please contact Emily Farnworth, RE100 Campaign Director EFarnworth@theclimategroup.org.

Blog: How ShareAction is helping RE100 to power a low carbon transition

Companies are becoming increasingly aware of the business case for renewables and joining RE100, thanks to the work of ShareAction. Here, Project Coordinator Liz Sowden blogs on the progress being made.

Companies account for about half the global electricity demand. This makes scaling up their use of renewable sources central to the transition to a low-carbon future.

The RE100 campaign - run by The Climate Group and CDP - recruits and brings together global businesses who are committed to using 100% renewable electricity in their global operations. The huge opportunities of the low-carbon transition make businesses well-placed to be leaders in this area, while benefitting from the long-term energy security and fixed costs provided by renewables. Nestlé is one of the 69 companies already part of RE100, and their newly commissioned windfarm in the Scottish borders will cover half of the company’s electricity needs across the UK and Ireland.

When hugely influential businesses collaborate to respond to the risk of climate change in this way, the results can be really exciting. Collectively, companies have a big influence on governments and the energy industry. If the corporate sector sends a strong, united message that the demand for renewable electricity is real and growing, the wider transition to renewables will benefit too.

The kind of large-scale and long-term demand that major companies can provide builds confidence and stimulates investment in the renewables market for new project development. Already, 2015 saw the fastest rate yet of new renewable energy sources being established, with particular growth in emerging economies.

When large influential businesses lead the way, it will become easier for smaller businesses and domestic users to switch to clean electricity sources, which, along with increased energy efficiency, is essential if we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. By joining RE100, companies are helping to create a tipping point for accelerating the low carbon economy.

So where does ShareAction fit in to this vision? Since 2015, ShareAction has been working in partnership with RE100 to raise awareness of the campaign with more publicly listed companies and encourage them to join. Last year we raised the issue of renewable electricity at 23 UK company AGMs, prompting further meetings and dialogue between the RE100 team and some major household name brands.

As a responsible investment charity, we know the influence investors can have on company priorities and behaviour. In December 2015, we launched the ShareAction RE100 institutional investor initiative, with founding members including Aviva Investors, ERAFP, and Strathclyde Pension Fund. The initiative coordinates large funds, asset managers and charitable trusts based in the UK, Australia, USA, France and Norway, with recent developments including investor-signed letters, which we have sent to selected FTSE100 companies.

The next phase of the project is to take the company engagement beyond the UK’s shores. We will be coordinating joint investor letters to publicly listed companies in Europe and the USA, with the aim of using the strong coordinated voice of investors to accelerate the global corporate move to renewable electricity. To date we have 25 investors involved in the project, with more than £350bn in assets under management, and we are actively recruiting more.

Change has to happen at multiple levels for the world to fix the climate thermostat. People who are worried about the future may feel powerless to speed up the widespread behaviour change that is needed now to slow down our impact on the environment. However, the money invested through our pensions on our behalf provides leverage to influence corporate behaviour for the good of us all.

As part of our work in this area with RE100 we launched an online activism tool so you can email your own pension fund, asking what they are doing about renewable electricity, and suggesting that they join the ShareAction investor engagement on RE100. If you have a pension (not limited to the UK but in the USA, Canada, Australia and many European countries), you can send your fund an email encouraging them to take part in this project.

Even if you don’t have a pension, you could get involved by becoming a ShareAction AGM activist and asking a company a question about RE100. This tactic really works: we were delighted by the recent announcement that leading pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has joined RE100. The company was already considering a 100% target when Rebecca, a member of ShareAction’s AGM Army, posed a question at their annual shareholder meeting in April 2015, asking them to consider joining RE100. This helped to galvanise senior level interest in the issue, which supported subsequent meetings between AstraZeneca and RE100, and led to the company ultimately joining the campaign.

In further good news, following on from questions we posed at their 2015 and 2016 AGMs, British Land recently announced its membership of the RE100 campaign.

These moves show that while shareholder activism does not always deliver quick results, our sustained efforts can help to deliver the sustainable results that we all require. Working in partnership with RE100, we hope to be blogging about more leading companies going 100% renewable for their electricity in the near future.

Newsletter: inspiring stories at Business & Climate Summit and British Renewable Energy Awards

ALL REGIONS

RE100 praised at Business & Climate Summit

Policy uncertainty remains the biggest challenge to companies going 100% renewable, but RE100 is demonstrating rising demand and the need for investors and policymakers to respond. So concluded a RE100 panel at the close of the Business & Climate Summit, London.

Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA; Iarla Flynn, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Google; and Simon Heller, Group Head of Environmental Management at UBS joined moderator Jessica Shankleman, Bloomberg News, to share their company’s progress towards their 100% goals, and discuss how to accelerate the take up of renewables around the world.

Hosted by global law firm DLA Piper, which recently released its Spring/Summer 2016 Carbon Matters briefing, the event provided a key networking opportunity for around 100 guests from RE100 companies, energy solution providers and RE100 partner organisations.

It followed the launch of a new report by We Mean Business showing that business initiatives like RE100 could help to drive companies to deliver at least 60% of the emissions cuts pledged by countries in Paris.

RE100 also welcomed AstraZeneca, CaixaBank, Colruyt Group and SAVE S.p.A Group - which manages airports in Venice and Brussels - to the campaign, which now unites 68 world leading companies committed to 100% renewable electricity.

In the week of the Summit and the new companies joining the campaign, we generated around 3.8 million impressions of #RE100 on Twitter.

EUROPE

RE100 wins British Renewable Energy ‘Pioneer’ Award

The RE100 campaign won the 2016 British Renewable Energy ‘Pioneer’ Award, for accelerating the corporate uptake of renewable energy through 100% commitments. “As well as encouraging the world’s leading businesses to think with their feet, RE100 gives companies a unified voice that the market – and policy makers – must listen to”, said Damian Ryan, now Acting Head of The Climate Group.

Several RE100 members also received awards. Marks and Spencer won the ‘Leadership’ award, as a company that is mainstreaming renewables through the scale of its investment or its commitment to securing its energy needs from renewables. The company is already 100% renewable in the UK.

Other companies shortlisted for the leadership award included Unilever, BT Group, Aviva plc and Biogen UK Ltd - part of Biogen.

RE100 webinar offers insight into UK renewable energy market

More than 30 people joined a RE100 webinar on June 15 on which guest speakers Merlin Hyman, Chief Executive, RegenSW & Alan John, Partner, Osborne Clarke LLP looked at how the UK renewable energy market is changing in response to government policy and the development of new technologies and business models, as well as options for companies to source renewable energy in the rapidly changing context.

Nestlé invests in wind energy to power UK & Ireland operations

Nestlé signed a deal to power around half of its UK and Ireland operations with wind from the Scottish highlands. The company has entered an initial 15 year Power Partnership Agreement with Community Wind Power, which will see a new wind farm created in Dumfries and Galloway producing enough renewable electricity power around 50% of Nestlé's electricity demand in the UK and Ireland.

Google signs new deals for wind energy in Norway and Sweden

Google is investing in two new wind farms in Norway and Sweden, which will provide 236MW of renewable energy. The company now has seven Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs) in Europe and 18 globally - equivalent to taking one million cars off the road.

INDIA

Indian companies attend RE100/EP100 capacity building workshop, Mumbai

Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Bharat Forge were among the Indian corporates brought together by The Climate Group, to discuss how transitioning to 100% renewable electricity and doubling energy productivity can maximise business value and drive down emissions. Krishnan Pallassana, India Executive Director, The Climate Group, said: “By joining RE100 and EP100, India’s leading companies can demonstrate real leadership in helping the country meet its climate goals."

Indian blue chip firms ready to take green pledge

India’s leading business newspaper, The Economic Times, has reported on Indian companies readying themselves to pledge to source 100% renewable electricity. Following in the footsteps of Infosys and Tata Motors, at least 10 blue chip firms, from a variety of sectors, are in talks with The Climate Group about joining RE100.

LOOKING AHEAD

July 20: Joint RE100 - Business Renewables Center Marketplace webinar, 16:00hrs BST - Steve Abbott, Rocky Mountain Institute, will review how the BRC’'s Marketplace platform and others are helping large companies to purchase renewable energy. Using data from the Marketplace, he will highlight the hottest markets based on project availability and corporate buyer interest.

August 10-12: India Energy Access Summit (IEAS), New Delhi, India - The Climate Group and Clean Energy Access Network will host the IEAS 2016 in partnership with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The summit will focus on financing energy access scale up as well as address the policy and regulatory framework for an enabling environment.

August 31- September 1: The second summit (II Climate Summit of the Americas), Guadalajara, Mexico hosted by the Government of Jalisco - The government of Jalisco will resume the effort and spirit of last year’s first summit, hosted by the Government of Ontario, and reconvene subnational governments of the Americas along with the business, academic and civil society sectors to follow up the agreements reached in 2015. We will use this platform to increase awareness of the need for policy to support corporate sourcing of renewables.

September 19: Signature Event, Climate Week NYC, U.S. - This is The Climate Group’s global flagship event. Run annually for the last seven years, the event has become a milestone in the international climate calendar and a focal meeting point for leading governments, investors, businesses, innovators and opinion formers. There will be a RE100 side event on September 20. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For information contact Chris Brown, Head of Sponsorship and Business Development, The Climate Group: cbrown@theclimategroup.org.

September 29: SolarPower Europe’s 100GW celebration, 18:00-22:00hrs CET, BMW Brand Store, Brussels, Belgium - SolarPower Europe is bringing together 200+ senior executives and decision makers from the energy sector and European and national institutions to celebrate 100GW of solar power being installed across the continent. The agenda is available here. Register here by September 10. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook. Follow #EUSOLAR100GW on Twitter.

November 7-18: UNFCCC COP22, Marrakesh, Morocco - We are collaborating with IRENA, WBCSD, the Global Solar Council and CAN International to ensure corporate demand for renewables is integrated into key events and discussions at COP22.

Carbon cuts and better business value – a win-win for companies at India workshop

Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Bharat Forge were among the Indian corporates brought together by The Climate Group in Mumbai this week, to discuss how transitioning to 100% renewable electricity and doubling energy productivity can maximise business value and drive down emissions.

The Climate Group showcased its pioneering campaigns RE100 and EP100 at an invite-only workshop held at Mahindra & Mahindra's headquarters.

Together, the two initiatives offer the least-cost decarbonisation pathway for businesses wishing to demonstrate bold leadership in helping India to meet its climate goals. Corporate action on renewables for instance, will help the Indian government to scale renewable energy to 175 GW by 2022.

The full room at The Climate Group's workshop, Mahindra & Mahindra headquarters,Mumbai

Companies joining RE100 make a commitment to sourcing 100% renewable electricity. While working towards this goal, they stand to gain from reputational benefits, greater control over energy costs, and improved energy security.

EP100 – a global campaign launched by The Climate Group in May – brings together corporates pledging to double their energy productivity, by doing more with less through smarter energy use.

This approach goes hand in hand with transitioning to 100% renewables - maximizing economic output from each unit of energy used makes switching to 100% renewables more cost effective.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

During the workshop, guests heard from Abhay Pathak, Sustainability Lead at Tata Motors - a company committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity as part of RE100.

Sourcing around 8% of its electricity from renewables in 2014-15, the leading automobile manufacturer is just starting out on its renewables journey.

Abhay Pathak, Sustainability Lead, Tata Motors shares the company's experience of joining RE100

There is clear cost benefit in going 100% renewable, Pathak told the room, and it makes sense for companies to use solar power, given that India is a tropical country with plenty of sunshine. He said renewables were the future, and urged corporates to act now - making reference to other Tata Group companies, which he hopes will also be inspired join RE100.

Anirban Ghosh, Vice President of Sustainability at Mahindra & Mahindra was also a guest speaker at the workshop. The Indian car maker was the first company to join EP100, in April.

“Mahindra & Mahindra made the pledge to double our energy productivity because we have benefited from significant cost savings by implementing various internal energy efficiency initiatives", Ghosh told Jenny Chu, Head of EP100.

"For instance, our vehicles are now made with 33 percent less energy than before. Additionally, many of our projects have achieved a 24 percent return on investment. Now that we have joined EP100 at the corporate level, it paves the way for additional energy saving initiatives throughout our various companies.”

Anirban Ghosh, Vice President of Sustainability at Mahindra, talks with Jenny Chu, Head of EP100

Other EP100 members now include Danish valves and components manufacturer Danfoss, the US-based technology company Johnson Controls, and one of the world’s largest polymer companies, Covestro, headquartered in Germany.

There are now 68 companies in RE100, which was launched in September 2014. On reaching their 100% goals member companies will be creating demand for around 90TWh of renewable electricity, helping to deliver emissions cuts pledged by countries in Paris last year.

Infosys was the first Indian company to join RE100, in May 2015. The company has installed more than 3MW of solar PV across its various buildings in India.

In the last week, India’s leading business newspaper The Economic Times reported that more businesses in India are readying themselves to make a 100% renewable pledge.

A LOW CARBON FUTURE

Corporate action on climate and energy offer huge opportunities for driving economic growth, and creating jobs and prosperity in a low-carbon economy whilst ensuring the rise in global temperatures remain well below two degrees.

Krishnan Pallassana, India Executive Director, The Climate Group explains how RE100 and EP100 go hand in hand

Krishnan Pallassana, India Executive Director, The Climate Group, said: "India is the world’s third biggest greenhouse gas emitter. The country's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution - or INDC - underlines actions that focus on renewable energy and energy productivity.

"By joining RE100 and EP100, India’s leading companies can demonstrate real leadership in helping the country meet its climate goals."

Both RE100 and EP100 are led by The Climate Group as part of the We Mean Business coalition.

To find out more about Tata Motors' commitment to renewable power, read our exclusive RE100 interview with Chief Sustainability Officer Arvind Bodhankar.

RE100 campaign building corporate demand for renewables – panel discussion, Business & Climate Summit

Policy uncertainty remains the biggest challenge to companies working towards 100% renewable electricity globally, but RE100 is demonstrating that corporate demand is on the rise – sending a clear market signal to policy makers and investors that renewables are a safe bet.

This was one of the main conclusions of a RE100 panel discussion hosted by global law firm DLA Piper, immediately after the close of the Business & Climate Summit in London.

Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA; Iarla Flynn, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs; and Simon Heller, Group Head of Environmental Management at UBS joined moderator Jessica Shankleman, Renewable Energy Reporter at Bloomberg News, and around 100 guests from RE100 companies, energy solution providers and RE100 partner organisations, to share their company’s progress towards their 100% goals, and discuss what needs to happen now and in the future to accelerate the take up of renewables around the world.

Steve Howard reflected on how the RE100 campaign has grown rapidly since its launch in September 2014. He said it sent “a clear signal that renewables are the future”.

IKEA is committed to generating as much renewable energy as it consumes by 2020. Last year, 53% of the company’s global electricity use was being sourced from renewables. Howard said that renewables were now “an unshakable path” for IKEA – the company invests in renewable energy just as it invests in new stores, and sees the benefits of setting a 100% goal to ensure that all of its staff get behind it.

Google has also been a big advocate of renewable energy and is committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity. On joining RE100 just ahead of COP21 in Paris last December, the company set an interim target to triple its renewable energy purchasing by 2025.

Speaking on the RE100 panel, Iarla Flynn said that its data centers were not always located in the best places for generating renewable energy on site, and for that reason Google was focusing on greening the grid. Google buys wind power via Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) – which Flynn said also provides commercial certainty for the developer.

Howard and Flynn agreed that business also needs to see policy certainty, long term targets and investment security from governments. Google has recently announced it will be working with others to better understand energy policy and make recommendations on how to further unlock corporate renewable energy use.

The panel agreed that it is harder to source 100% renewable electricity in emerging markets, but that the challenges could be overcome if the business case was clear. As the number of companies committed to renewables continues to grow, it will show investors and governments that they should be supporting the development of new renewable energy projects.

Simon Heller of UBS highlighted the value RE100 offers its members through knowledge sharing activities and peer-to-peer learning – the campaign runs a series of workshops exploring options for going renewable in different market contexts, including India and China.

After the panel discussion came to a close there were questions – and praise – from the audience. Nina Skorupska, CEO of the Renewable Energy Association, applauded RE100 and its members for their commitment to renewable power, when it appeared to be lacking from some governments. This commitment was vital for the renewable energy industry, she said.

Following the Q&As there was a drinks reception allowing guests from RE100 member companies as well as those interested in joining and supporting the campaign, to network with key stakeholders in the room.

To find out more about RE100 company commitments to 100% renewable power, watch The Climate Group’s exclusive interviews with Steve Howard from IKEA, and Gary Demasi and John Woolard from Google, on Climate TV.

Business could deliver 60% of total emissions cuts pledged in Paris, new report shows, as more companies join RE100

The private sector could cut greenhouse gas emissions globally by 3.7 metric tons of CO2 a year by 2030, equivalent to 60% of the total emissions cuts pledged by countries at COP21 in Paris – according to ‘The Business End of Climate Change’, a new We Mean Business report launched today at the Business & Climate Summit in London.

The report presents a ‘Business Determined Contribution’ to climate action – mirroring the National Determined Contributions pledged by countries ahead of international climate talks last December.

It is the first time that a figure has been put on what greenhouse emissions cuts could be achieved by business worldwide.

The report estimates that the impact could be the equivalent of taking over 1,000 coal-fired power stations permanently out of use. It says that with the right policy support, all businesses could act, and the impact on greenhouse gases could be far greater.

BOLD BUSINESS ACTION

RE100 is one of several business initiatives profiled in the report – alongside The Climate Group’s other major business program EP100, which focuses on improving corporate energy productivity.

The report’s analysis assumes that RE100 will see some 3,000 companies going 100% renewable by 2030 – based on RE100’s best estimates – but also acknowledges that the impact of RE100 could be far greater than this, thanks to a ‘ripple effect’ across supply chains and customer bases of member companies.

Launching the report to business and government leaders and global media at the Business & Climate Summit, Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Group – a member of RE100 – said:

“Building a better future is our shared responsibility. Companies, investors, individuals, cities and regions all have a role to play. Action on climate change is not only the right thing to do, it brings business benefits. For IKEA Group it’s a driver of innovation, renewal and an opportunity to make our business better.”

Of course, business is not waiting until 2030 to play its part. IKEA Group has committed to going 100% renewable, generating as much renewable energy as the total energy it consumes in its buildings by 2020. The company helped to establish the RE100 campaign and has committed to cutting its emissions in line with Science-Based targets. The company has invested €1.5 billion in renewables since 2009 and pledged a further €600 million last year.

NEW COMPANIES JOIN RE100

Today, three new companies, headquartered in three different European countries, are joining RE100 – CaixaBank, the first Spanish company in the campaign, Colruyt Group, the Belgian retail corporation, and SAVE S.p.A Group, an Italy based holding company managing Venice (VCE) and Treviso (TSF) airports. They are each examples of companies that are already ‘doing it’ when it comes to sourcing renewable electricity.

Colruyt Group has met its goal of sourcing 100% renewable electricity in 2010. Now it aims to achieve 100% self-produced renewable electricity by 2020 – and is already 25% of the way there. Recognising the compelling business case for renewables, Stephan Windels, Business Unit Manager Eoly, Colruyt Group Energy, said:

“As Colruyt Group, we have always had the pioneering spirit with regards to sustainable energy: our first investments already date from the early nineties.

“On the one hand, we want to decrease the impact of our own (business) activities: saving energy in everything that we do, remains one of the most important goals.

"On the other hand, we firmly believe that we can save costs – which is an essential part of our way of working. We took the engagement to make our energy as sustainable as possible, and since 2012, we have added the goal to become 100% self-sufficient.

"It also makes us more independent, which puts us in a very interesting competitive position as a retailer.”

SAVE S.p.A Group has also met its 100% renewable electricity target – earlier this year. The company is working to reduce its environmental impact by adopting sustainable technologies and investing in renewable electricity across all its operations.

CaixaBank, Spain’s leading bank by market share, sources around 98% of its electricity from renewable sources, and has a goal of becoming carbon neutral and sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2018. The bank is among the most sustainable in the world according to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and also received a 100A score in the CDP’s ‘The Climate A List’.

The new joiners follow hot on the heels of AstraZeneca, which joined RE100 earlier this month. The leading pharmaceutical company has an ambitious goal to source 100% renewable electricity by 2025, with an interim target of 100% in Europe and the US by 2020. It has a long way to go – it currently sources around 14% of its electricity from renewables – but says it is committed doing its “fair share” to protect the planet and to keep employees safe and healthy.

ShareAction, a charity which promotes Responsible Investment by institutional investors such as pension funds, also played an important role in engaging AstraZeneca in RE100. The company was already considering a 100% target when ShareAction attended its 2015 AGM, and asked the board to get involved in RE100. The organization helped to galvanise senior level interest in the issue, which supported subsequent meetings between AstraZeneca and RE100, and led to the company ultimately joining the campaign.

THE 'RIPPLE EFFECT'

Reflecting on the findings of today’s We Mean Business report, Emily Farnworth, RE100 Campaign Director, The Climate Group said:

“The potential for initiatives, like RE100, that encourage and help accelerate the take up of renewable power is exponential. The reach of the current group of companies goes far beyond the walls of their own factories, offices, data-centers and stores and will create a ripple effect through their supply chains, customers and clients."

She added: “We hope many more businesses will join in the coming years – not just to decarbonize their own power use in the safest way possible, but to inspire others to do the same and to create the market signal that policy makers and investors around the world need to demonstrate renewables are a safe bet."

There are now 68 companies in RE100, from more than 20 industrial sectors and with operations all over the world, and representing a combined market capitalization of more than $3.6 trillion. On reaching their 100% RE100 goals, these businesses will be creating a total renewable electricity demand of 90TWh – and this number is constantly rising as more and more companies come on board.

New renewable power source for Nestlé UK and Ireland operations

Nestlé has signed a new deal to power around half of its UK and Ireland operations with wind from the Scottish Highlands.

An initial 15 year Power Partnership Agreement with Community Wind Power will see a brand new nine turbine wind farm open up in Dumfries and Galloway in the first half of 2017. It will produce approximately 125GWh of power per annum, meeting around 50% of Nestlés electricity demand in the UK and Ireland – equivalent to 30,000 homes.

Earlier this year, Nestlé UK & Ireland announced that all its grid supplied-electricity would come from renewable sources, in a deal with EDF Energy. This currently accounts for all of Nestlés electricity use in the UK and Ireland.

As a member of RE100, Nestlé is committed to transitioning its electricity use to 100% renewable electricity not just in the UK, but across its global operations. The latest available data shows that in 2015, 8.4% of Nestlés total electricity consumption was being sourced from renewable power. Today's development is another positive step towards its global goal.

Dame Fiona Kendrick, Chairman & CEO of Nestlé UK & Ireland, said: “This is a newly commissioned wind farm, generating new energy, creating capacity that didn’t previously exist and capable of providing half of our electricity needs. It’s a proud moment for us and means we have reached another key milestone in our efforts to become a sustainable business.”

She continued: “We know the role we have to play in UK and Ireland society and are serious about doing things the right way. Whether that’s looking at health and wellness, our carbon footprint, our supply chain, our people, there is work to be done."

The news was welcomed by Emily Farnworth, RE100 Campaign Director: “Nestlé recognises that climate change impacts pose a risk to the business, and sees renewable energy as part of the solution. Today’s announcement takes the company a step closer to its goal of sourcing 100% renewable electricity across its global operations, and reinforces the strong market signal – sent through RE100 – that business demand for renewables is rising.”

Read our exclusive interview with Nestlé’s Head of Environmental Sustainability, Pascal Gréverath, on what is driving the company to go 100% renewable as part of RE100, and its global achievements to date.

RE100 wins British Renewable Energy Award for helping to create market demand for renewables

The RE100 campaign has won the 2016 British Renewable Energy Award for best ‘Pioneer’, in recognition of its efforts to accelerate the corporate take up of renewable energy through commitments to 100% renewable power.

Led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, RE100 has been galvanizing business action and highlighting 100% commitments by the world’s most influential companies, ever since it launched with the support of 12 dedicated companies in September 2014. There are now 65 leading companies in the campaign, with many more preparing to join – demonstrating the business case for renewables and sending a strong market signal to utilities and governments alike.

The award was presented to RE100 at the Renewable Energy Association’s prestigious annual gala in London, which showcases excellence in the British renewables industry.

“The Climate Group is proud that our RE100 program has been recognised for what it is – a ground-breaking initiative effecting change” says Damian Ryan, Director of Strategy & Planning, The Climate Group. “After the historic Paris Agreement, the central role of business in tackling climate change is more evident than ever. As well as encouraging the world’s leading businesses to think with their feet, RE100 gives companies a unified voice that the market – and policy makers – must listen to.”

“We are truly honored to receive this award”, added Emily Farnworth, RE100 Campaign Director, “but we couldn’t have done it without the top level commitments of all the RE100 companies and the progress they are making towards their goals”.

Image, from left to right: Ray Noble, Senior Advisor at the REA; Damian Ryan, Director of Strategy & Planning, The Climate Group; Emily Farnworth, RE100 Campaign Director, The Climate Group; Prof Paul Ekins OBE, University College London; Bill Turnbull, former host of BBC Breakfast.

Leadership Award

It was a successful night for RE100, with companies in the campaign taking home awards too.

Marks & Spencer won the ‘Leadership’ award, as a company that is mainstreaming renewables through the scale of its investment or its commitment to securing its energy needs from renewables. In 2014, the company was sourcing 87% of its global electricity use from renewables, and it has been 100% powered by renewables in the UK and ROI since 2012. Demonstrating its leadership to address climate change, the company has invested more than $550,000 in community energy projects through M&S Energy, enabling more communities in the UK to generate renewable energy and become environmentally and financially sustainable.

Speaking recently at the Clean Energy Summit in London, Mike Barry, Director of Sustainable Business (Plan A), endorsed RE100, saying that by working alongside other companies in the campaign Marks & Spencer could help change the bigger picture and achieve far more than it could do alone. He said that the company was sourcing renewable electricity at no extra cost – and for that reason it was easy to convince the CFO that 100% renewable power was realistic.

Other RE100 companies shortlisted for the leadership award included Unilever, BT Group, Aviva plc and Biogen UK Ltd – part of Biogen.

All of the electricity that Unilever sources from the grid in the UK is 100% renewable. The company aims to source 100% renewable electricity globally by 2030, with all electricity sourced from the grid being renewable by 2020. BT Group aims to go 100% renewable across its global operations by 2020 and has championed the business case for renewables. In October last year the company also launched a campaign to inspire its customer base to go 100% renewable too. Aviva aims to be 100% renewable across its global operations by 2025, with an interim goal of being 80% renewable by 2020. The company is keen to work with other RE100 companies to build up demand for renewable electricity tariffs to become available in India and China. Biogen became 100% renewable across its global operations in 2014, and buying renewable electricity certifcates equivalent to 100% of its operations in the UK.

Low carbon transport

Another RE100 member, Formula E, received the ‘Low Carbon Transport’ award for its commitment and innovation in low carbon vehicles.

RE100 was also in the spotlight at the Clean Energy Ministerial in San Francisco earlier this month, when Energy Ministers from countries accounting for more than 75% of global carbon emissions unveiled a new campaign encouraging the world’s biggest and most influential companies to commit to 100% renewable power and join RE100. Six companies joined RE100 and there were announcements from existing RE100 companies on their achievements whilst working towards their 100% goals.

Blog: Turbo boosting renewables - the unstoppable growth in demand

After RE100 members announced new commitments to renewables at the Clean Energy Ministerial in San Francisco, RE100 Campaign Director Emily Farnworth looks at the rise in companies reporting 100% renewable energy goals.

June has seen a welcome boost for the roll out of renewables across the private sector.

The U.K., U.S. China, Mexico, Sweden, and the European Commission backed a new campaign launched at this year’s Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7), aimed to increase corporate uptake of renewable power.

The recently established Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance announced that it will expand beyond the US into new markets like India and China, helping to provide much needed capacity and expertise to support corporates wanting to access renewables.

And RE100 announced new joiners: Equinix, Tetra Pak, TD Bank Group, Interface, Inc, Dentsu Aegis Network, and Workday, Inc. Their 100% goals represent a total of 4,000 GWh in demand for renewable power – more than enough to power San Francisco.

The new members mean RE100 has now grown to a group of 65 companies committed to sourcing 100% renewable power across their global operations. It’s a phenomenal shift from where we were just 18 months ago when we launched with 12 original leading businesses.

Developers and investors should recognize that there is a very real and credible customer base to reduce the off-take risk of new projects, in turn, helping the financial viability of new developments to stack up.

And it’s not just 100% goals they should be taking notice of. Point380 analyzed 2013, 2014 and 2015 CDP data and found a surge in the number of companies reporting any kind of renewable energy target over those three years. In 2013, 77 companies reported their targets to CDP, and this more than doubled to 188 in 2015.

But what is particularly interesting is that whilst the number of companies reporting 20% - 80% renewable energy goals to CDP doubled, the number of companies reporting a 100% renewable energy goal more than quadrupled in the same period.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the increase in companies setting targets is closely mirrored by an increase in the number of countries setting targets for renewables. A report released by REN21 recently indicated that 173 countries now have renewable energy goals and 146 have policies in place to support the growth of renewables.

There is no doubt that the climate agreement reached in Paris at the end of last year has put us firmly on the pathway to a low carbon economy. It is spurring even greater ambition from countries, companies and investors that will manifest itself in the 2016 data reported to CDP.

The business case for action

Significant financial and strategic benefits are among the compelling list of reasons to transition from fossil fuels to renewable power. Economies of scale are continuing to bring down the cost of renewables. We saw another record-breaking deal in Dubai last month with a contract price of 2.99 cents per KWh on a 800MW solar project – could it really get any lower?

When set against the uncertain future of fossil fuels – dogged by price fluctuations and the growing number of carbon pricing mechanisms – it is no wonder the world’s biggest companies are looking to alternatives. And it’s not just the economics that are attractive; the environmental, social and health benefits of renewables are also important considerations.

We fully expect that the group of leading companies making a 100% renewable electricity commitment through RE100 will keep growing over the coming years – and we are excited about the businesses we’ll be working with in the future.

We also expect to see more companies setting their first renewable energy target to get them on the pathway to joining RE100 and going 100% renewable. Along with our broader community of partners, we look forward to turbo boosting momentum right across the field.

Newsletter: Clean Energy Ministerial and a warm welcome to new joiners

ALL REGIONS

Companies show commitment at CEM7

A new ‘Corporate Sourcing of Renewables’ campaign has been launched at the 7th Clean Energy Ministerial in San Francisco. Led by the Danish and German governments, the campaign aims to increase the number of companies powering their operations with renewable energy by encouraging them to make 100% renewable commitments and join RE100.

Also at CEM, six new companies joined RE100, including Dentsu Aegis Network, Equinix, Interface, Inc., TetraPak, TD Bank Group and Workday. Inc. By going 100% renewable, they will create demand for more than 4000 GWh of renewable electricity - more than San Francisco’s yearly electricity use.

Other RE100 companies also demonstrated their commitment to driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. Autodesk announced that it has reached its 100% goal and will now move towards procuring additional and local renewable energy. Google will be working with others to survey policy structures and make recommendations to further unlock corporate renewable energy demand. And Salesforce shared its journey to 100% renewables.

USA

Ambitions raised at REBA Summit

At the first Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance Summit, held at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond, Washington, participating companies agreed to expand their collective efforts beyond the US in 2016 and focus on corporate procurement in key economies. RE100 was recognized for pushing the renewables agenda and we are exploring how the campaign can partner with REBA to continue to grow the community of businesses going 100%.

EUROPE

RE100 praised at IRENA Innovation Week

During the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) Innovation Week in Bonn, Germany, senior figures at IRENA referred to RE100 as a “driver for investment and decarbonization”, “an incredibly important initiative” and a “great opportunity to influence how the sector develops”. Adnan Amin, Director-General, Dolf Gielen, Head of Innovation, and Elizabeth Press, Director of Planning & Program Support, spoke to The Climate Group's Climate TV in three exclusive interviews highlighting how RE100 is helping to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy.

Mars invests in UK wind power

RE100 company, Mars, Incorporated signed a new PPA and is now producing enough renewable electricity to power 100% of its UK operations. “This is a significant investment that makes business sense and offers a welcome boost for UK renewables. Being 100% renewable in both the UK and the US is no small feat,” said Emily Farnworth, RE100 Campaign Director, “We congratulate Mars on its huge success in slashing its greenhouse gas emissions.”

INDIA

Knowledge sharing

Shailesh Telang, Project Officer, CDP India, provided an overview of the renewable electricity market options available to businesses in India and presented four case studies of companies who have successfully implemented financially viable renewable electricity options. 45 participants from both global and Indian companies took part in the RE100 webinar.

LOOKING AHEAD

June 15: RE100 webinar (rescheduled): Overview of renewable energy options in the U.K. - Guest speakers from Regen SW and Osborne Clarke LLP will give an overview of the renewable energy market in the UK, how it is changing in response to government policy and the development of new technologies and business models.

June 28-29: Business & Climate Summit, London, U.K. - The Climate Group and core Summit partners will convene businesses and governments to agree a roadmap for reaching net-zero emissions over the next half century. For the latest on the summit click here. Invitations have now been sent for a separate RE100 side event to be held close to the BCS venue on June 29, 16:00-20:00hrs. We will bring together RE100 companies, prospects, partners and stakeholders to hear how leading companies in RE100 are overcoming challenges to deliver against their 100% goals, and going beyond their own operations to help deliver a low carbon economy. Speakers to be announced over the coming days. The panel discussion will be followed by a networking reception. For information about sponsorship opportunities contact Chris Brown, Head of Sponsorship & Business Development at The Climate Group: cbrown@theclimategroup.org

July 4: Weather: The Key Driver in European Energy, London, U.K. - The Weather Risk Management Association & Thomson Reuters will host this event designed to provide an in-depth look at wind, solar, temperature and hydro derivatives for traders and portfolio managers. Stuart Brown, Head of Orientation, Weather & Energy EMEA Asia-Pacific of Swiss Re will be speaking. For the full agenda and details on how to register for the event click here.

July 5: Joint RE100 - Business Renewables Center Marketplace webinar - More details to follow.

August 10-12: India Energy Access Summit (IEAS), New Delhi, India - The Climate Group and Clean Energy Access Network will host the IEAS 2016 in partnership with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The summit will focus on financing energy access scale up as well as address the policy and regulatory framework for an enabling environment. RE100 companies will be invited to attend.

September 19: Signature Event, Climate Week NYC - This is The Climate Group’s global flagship event. Run annually for the last seven years, the event has become a milestone in the international climate calendar and a focal meeting point for leading governments, investors, businesses, innovators and opinion formers. There will be a RE100 side event on September 20. Sponsorship opportunities will be available. For information about sponsorship opportunities contact Chris Brown, Head of Sponsorship & Business Development at The Climate Group: cbrown@theclimategroup.org

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