News

  • Australian businesses must seize opportunity to lead in clean economy, says Bank Australia

    Sydney, Australia: Going all in on renewable power is a smart business decision, says Bank Australia as it calls on more companies to seize the opportunity to lead the growing corporate push for clean energy in Australia.

    The call comes as Bank Australia joins RE100, the global business initiative on 100% renewable power led by The Climate Group, the international non-profit committed to accelerating climate action, in partnership with CDP.

    By joining a global movement on renewables and calling for others to follow, the company will have greater impact on driving the shift to clean energy markets and deliver on its existing commitment to source 100% renewable electricity by 2020.

    Through its commitment, Bank Australia will cut its global emissions by more than half while securing electricity at low cost and responding to customer demand for leadership in growing renewable power markets.

    Bank Australia has already seen significant financial benefits from its existing renewable projects as the price of renewable energy has fallen. In 2015, the company doubled the size of its existing solar rooftop project on its Victoria headquarters for a quarter of the original price.

    Sam Kimmins, Head of RE100, The Climate Group, said: “As global renewable energy prices continue to drop, Australian companies are waking up to the business benefits of sourcing clean power. With the country currently at a crossroads between the fossil fuel sources of the past and the clean energy systems of tomorrow, businesses are starting to lead the way.

    “Bank Australia is already reaping the financial rewards of its investment in renewable electricity. By joining RE100 and calling on other Australian companies to do the same, the company is now sending a clear message that renewables are the fair, clean and cheap power sources of the future.” 

    Damien Walsh, Bank Australia Managing Director, said: “Clear action on climate change is something our customers expect of us, and it’s a key reason people join Bank Australia. We’ve been working towards 100% renewable electricity since 2015, so we’re pleased to sign up to RE100 and encourage other businesses in Australia to do the same.”

    Jon Dee, RE100 Australia Coordinator, who is helping The Climate Group with the development of RE100 in Australia, said: “Australian companies are starting to see the bottom line benefits of renewable energy. Research shows that a well-negotiated power purchase agreement can potentially provide savings between 15-47% on the energy component of a typical electricity bill. If more companies make the switch to renewable energy, it could have significant benefits across the Australian economy.”

    The potential for corporate sourcing of renewables in Australia continues to grow as investment in clean power ramps up. In 2018, renewables investment in Australia totalled more than AUD$ 20 billion.

    Australia could be powered by 100% renewables by 2032 at current rate of solar and wind installation, say researchers at Australian National University.

  • “Renewable energy is the future of business”: Remi Lee, CSO, TCI

    Business is starting to play an important role in developing the Taiwanese market for corporate renewables sourcing. Here, Remi Lee, Chief Sustainability Officer at RE100 and EP100 member TCI shares why sourcing 100% renewable electricity makes business sense.

    What were the drivers for joining RE100?

    “We wanted to commit to 100% renewable electricity to walk the talk on sustainability. Our products aim to help make people’s lives better and we want to embody that vision across all our operations.

    “As such, we see renewable energy as a way to support the health of the earth – from people to planet. We have committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2030, with an interim target of 30% by 2020. Due to a sizeable investment, we are already anticipating reaching 25% renewable electricity by the end of the year.

    “For us, renewable energy is the future of business. We embed sustainability in everything we do. From products made of farm waste to green factories, we want TCI to be an environmental leader and push the whole industry forward.

    “Our clients, customers, stakeholders, and employees are also all concerned about the future of the planet. So, there is not one single reason for us to join RE100; instead, it’s all these reasons together.”

    What opportunities does joining RE100 bring to you?

    “The Taiwanese energy market does not currently make it cheaper to source renewable energy than other fuels. The market has been slow to develop that capacity. But, our hope is that by committing to source renewable power at this early stage, we can help reduce the cost of renewables over the next twenty years.

    “Joining RE100 has been a tremendous opportunity for us as we do this. Being able to meet international researchers, organizations and activists working on renewable energy has given us new knowledge we can incorporate into our own journey to 100% renewable power. 

    “Attending the Global Climate Action Summit in California was a great opportunity to stand on a global stage and let the world know that manufacturers are working towards a renewable future. At the same time, we were also able to share our challenges and discover new solutions.

    “This type of collaboration and interaction is why RE100 is a fantastic initiative to join. Only by working together can we secure a renewable future. “

    What challenges do you face in achieving your RE100 target?

    “The biggest challenge we see for securing renewable electricity is a lack of existing capacity in the Taiwanese energy market. Previously, the provider Taipower was responsible for all energy production and distribution. In the past two years this market has fortunately started to open up and private players can now produce and source renewable energy.

    “The second challenge is related to the first, as power purchase agreement (PPA) policy has been aimed at large corporations and Taipower. These 20-year contracts with relatively high feed-in-tariffs (FIT) make it difficult for smaller players to compete.

    “We hope more flexible policies can be developed so corporations can work together to show their commitment to, and demand for, clean energy.

    “We know that it takes time to develop renewable energy projects and that a high feed-in-tariff encourages renewable development, but we must make sure there is room at the table for the majority of Taiwanese businesses, SMEs, to take part.”

    Are your customers urging you to source renewable electricity?

    “As an original design manufacturer (ODM), our main customers are the brands themselves. We have not yet received consistent requests from brands about our energy usage as their primary concern is still product quality.

    “However, seeing the trends around renewable electricity demand in other industries, we know it’s only a matter of time before brands in our industries become interested.

    “We wanted to get ahead of the curve and anticipate our customer demands before they even ask. That way, working together with brands, we can push sustainability even further. We look forward to achieving our renewable electricity goals in collaboration with all our customers.”

    What would you say to other Taiwanese companies thinking about joining RE100?

    “Join us!

    “In November 2018, we hosted an event in partnership with RE100 where we invited Taiwanese companies to learn more about committing to source 100% renewable electricity. Speakers from research organizations also discussed how businesses can start purchasing clean electricity and invest in energy production.

    “Our goal is to influence policy and break down regulatory barriers to facilitate more renewable energy development. Over time, we can then bring down the price of renewable energy and hopefully achieve cost-parity with fossil fuels.”

    To find out more about the drivers for going 100% renewable read our latest RE100 Annual Progress and Insights Report.

  • Newsletter: New members, G20 representation and upcoming events

    2019 is keeping us busy. We welcomed five more companies to RE100 in the last month, presented the business case for renewables at a preliminary G20 meeting, and showcased corporate leadership at GreenBiz 19. The RE100 reporting cycle will begin at the start of April to track members' journeys towards their targets. Our annual report later this year will highlight progress and impact.

    Five new companies join RE100

    3M Company, Daito Trust Construction, Konica Minolta, Lloyds Banking Group and Nomura Research Institute have all committed to 100% renewable power, representing a combined electricity consumption of more than 4 TWh. 

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    Presenting the case for renewables to the G20

    The Climate Group presented RE100 and the business case for renewable electricity to national leaders at the G20 Climate Sustainability Working Group in Japan, ahead of the G20 Summit, June 2019. We also met with our Japanese members, discussing how to overcome barriers to renewables sourcing in Japan.

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     Next steps for the RE-Source Platform

    The RE-Source Platform Steering Group has agreed its workplan for the next two years, focusing on developing EU Country Hubs to coordinate policy activities, raise awareness, and provide strong support for corporate sourcing across member states. More information will follow soon.

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    Corporate leadership from the US to Poland

    Clif Bar, Facebook, HP Inc., and Iron Mountain, explained why setting 100% targets makes business sense at our panel session at GreenBiz 19 in Phoenix, Arizona.
    Our members also attended a Pexapark workshop on power purchase agreements in Poland, supported by RE100 as part of the RE-Source Platform workplan.

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    RE100 webinars

    We held a webinar with Microsoft on Corporate Renewable Energy in Ireland and a webinar co-developed with WWF on Strategies for Supply Chain Engagement on Renewable Energy in China. 

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    Holistic climate action at its finest - The Climate Group went on a tour of IKEA's new Greenwich store and wrote a blog about it. 

    SAVE THE DATE  

    Climate Week NYC will this year take place September 23-29, 2019. Run in coordination with the UN and the City of New York, Climate Week NYC continues to grow as the time and place for the world to showcase amazing climate action and discuss how to do more. Information on our annual members event will soon follow.

    Member news

    AB InBev's Budweiser put 100% renewable power at the heart of its Super Bowl commercial.

    General Motors announced a new agreement to purchase wind energy in Michigan, US.

    Google signs its first renewable electricity contract in Asia for a 10 MW solar plant in Taiwan.

    IKEA Group announced investment of more than EUR 2 billion in German offshore wind.

    Nike signed its first European renewable electricity deal for 40 MW of wind power in Spain.

    Vail Resorts announced new wind energy contracts alongside other sustainability programs.

    Wells Fargo was recognised as a top green power user by the U.S. EPA.

    To find out about our events and webinars, go to www.there100.org/events. 

  • Manufacturing giant 3M commits to 100% renewable power for global operations

    Manufacturing and technology giant 3M has become the latest company to join RE100, the global leadership initiative bringing together companies committed to 100% renewable power, led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP.

    The company has committed to source 100% renewable electricity for its global operations by 2050, with an interim goal of 50% by 2025.

    Making the announcement, 3M stated that its global headquarters will now be renewably powered – taking the company to sourcing 30% renewable electricity globally.

     Helen Clarkson, CEO, The Climate Group, said: “By joining RE100 and switching to 100% renewable electricity globally, 3M is building sustainability into its business growth strategy and showing the two go hand-in-hand,” said Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group.

    “Seeing such a large manufacturer commit to ‘go all in’ on renewables to produce sustainable new products is an encouraging step forward. Big brands like this can influence positive action from other companies and customers and accelerate the clean energy transition around the world.”

    “3M is flipping the switch to becoming powered 100% by renewable energy,” said 3M CEO Mike Roman. “We are continuing to step up our leadership toward a more sustainable future – in our own operations, and in solutions for our customers.”

    Lowering emissions while growing revenue

    Joining RE100 is part of 3M’s wider strategy to build sustainability into its business strategy. The company has so far recorded a 68% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2002, while nearly doubling its revenue at the same time.

    At COP24 in December, 3M introduced its first formal requirement for a Sustainability Value Commitment be included in all new products introduced beginning in 2019. Sourcing renewable electricity will add to the process of greening 3M’s manufacturing process.

    The majority of the power for 3M’s headquarters will be supplied by Xcel Energy wind farms located near Pipestone, Minnesota that will produce and transmit electricity on to the grid area in which 3M consumes its electricity. Additional electricity will come through the wind projects that are part of Xcel’s Windsource program and solar sources.

    Chris Clark, president, Xcel Energy-Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, said: “We applaud 3M’s leadership in making a bold commitment to 100% renewable energy. Xcel Energy is proud to partner with 3M, because we both share a drive to innovate and a commitment to reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment.’’

     Minnesota, where 3M’s headquarters are located, is also a member of the Under2 Coalition, for which The Climate Group acts as Secretariat. As a member of this group of ambitious state and regional governments committed to climate action, Minnesota is currently debating a proposed bill which would require its utilities to provide 100% renewable electricity by 2050.

    For more information on RE100, read our latest Annual Progress and Insights Report November 2018.

  • Nike leaps ahead on renewable electricity with first European power purchase agreement

    RE100 member Nike has signed its first European power purchase agreement (PPA), which, once online, will see the company become 75% powered by renewable electricity worldwide.

    RE100 is a corporate leadership initiative on renewable electricity led by The Climate Group, the global non profit focused on accelerating climate action, and is delivered in partnership with CDP.

    The new PPA will see Nike receive a supply of 40 MW of wind power from a new 111 MW project being built by Iberdrola in Navarra, Spain.

    This is the first step the company has taken to cover its European operations with renewable power. It comes a year after Nike signed a PPA to source wind energy in Texas, transferring its North American operations to 100% renewable power.

    Mike Peirce, Corporate Partnerships Director, The Climate Group, said: “We’re thrilled about Nike’s news – this is a powerful illustration of how RE100 members are investing at scale and accelerating the global shift to clean energy.

    “By committing to source electricity from a new wind project in Spain, Nike is growing its own renewables portfolio as well as supporting the construction of new projects to power local homes and communities – generating benefits on all sides.”

    Noel Kinder, Nike Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “All athletes need fresh air and clean water to thrive. Delivering on our sustainability commitments, like working towards 100% renewable energy across our owned and operated facilities worldwide, is just one of the ways we protect the future of sport.”

    He continued: “In 2018, we announced that we had contracted for 100% renewable energy in North America, and this latest agreement means we will be operating on 100% renewable energy across Europe by 2020. This means we are delivering against more than 75% of our worldwide goal.”

    Growing renewables markets in Europe

    Nike is committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2025, with this recent PPA in Navarra representing an important first step for its European operations.

    Navarra is a member of the Under2 Coalition, a group of ambitious state and regional governments committed to climate action for which The Climate Group acts as Secretariat. 81.1% of its electricity demand is currently covered by renewables, and the region has established itself as a European leader in wind power innovation. Encouraging private investment in renewables is part of Navarra’s roadmap for growing the industry further. 

    Commenting on the agreement signed with Nike, Xabier Viteri, Director of Renewables at Iberdrola, said: “Large businesses with a focus on sustainability are showing that they can be a positive force in tackling climate change. More and more we are seeing companies set themselves tough carbon reduction goals, and Nike is showing leadership in taking action to deliver on those goals.”

    RE100 members are increasingly choosing PPAs as a method for sourcing renewable power. The recent RE100 Progress and Insights Annual Report revealed that 16% of the renewable power sourced by member companies in 2017 came from PPAs.

  • Budweiser puts 100% renewable electricity message at heart of Super Bowl commercial

    Budweiser is demonstrating to millions of consumers its commitment to brewing every beer with 100% renewable electricity from wind power.

    The company’s ‘Wind Never Felt Better’ commercial is being showcased during Super Bowl LIII – one of the biggest US sporting events of the year.

    The commercial features the iconic Budweiser Clydesdale horses alongside wind turbines, set to the soundtrack of Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’.

    Parent company Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest brewer, is a member of RE100, a corporate leadership initiative on 100% renewable electricity led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP.

    Anheuser-Busch has set a goal to source all of its purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2025, and it made great strides in the US last year by launching a 100% renewable electricity label for Budweiser.

    “Super Bowl is one of the most exciting times of the year for our team, and people all over the country,” said Ricardo Marques, VP of Marketing Core & Value brands, Anheuser-Busch.

    “Those who wait for the best commercials all year expect Budweiser to show up big, and we felt there was no better way to show up this year than to talk about our commitment to renewable electricity.

    He added, “We are proud to be the first Anheuser-Busch brand and the first major beer brand to be brewed with 100% renewable electricity from wind power and hopefully we can use this moment to inspire others in our pursuit for a more sustainable future.”

    Amy Davidsen, Executive Director – North America, The Climate Group, said, “We are thrilled that Budweiser is promoting renewable energy at the Super Bowl, reaching millions of people nationwide. We hope employees all over the country see this and ask, is my company showing the same leadership?”

    To help raise awareness and spread the 100% renewable message as far as possible, Anheuser-Busch has encouraged all RE100 members to promote their own commitments ahead of and during the big game.

    Business and government action go hand in hand

    Going further, Anheuser-Busch is donating clean energy to the city of Atlanta to power the entire Super Bowl week with 100% renewable electricity.

    Atlanta is a member of the Under2 Coalition of cities, states and regions committed to keeping global temperature rise to well below 1.5°C. Convened by The Climate Group, the Coalition is made up of more than 220 governments who represent more than 1.3 billion people and 43% of the global economy.

    Atlanta’s Climate Action Plan aims to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 20% below 2009 levels by 2040, 40% by 2030, and become carbon neutral by 2040. The Solar Atlanta Program is set to increase the city’s renewable energy capacity, reduce energy costs and GHG emissions, serve as a model to other cities on how to deploy solar, and provide educational opportunities about the benefits of renewable energy.

    To top it off, the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams football teams will be playing at Mercedes Benz Stadium, which happens to be the first professional sports stadium in the country to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

    “By working together to drive down emissions, businesses and local governments can accelerate the clean energy transition around the world,” said Davidsen.

    “The US has an important role to play in this and RE100 members like Anheuser-Busch are leading by example.” 

    Click here to read more about Budweiser’s 100% renewable electricity label.

  • Newsletter: New members, impressive progress and upcoming webinars

    Happy New Year from the RE100 team! This year will see us expanding our global impact, reaching into more geographies and sectors than ever before, and continuing to showcase the powerful business opportunity from sourcing 100% renewable electricity. In this newsletter, we welcome new companies, celebrate progress, and look ahead to upcoming webinars and events.

    New RE100 members

    We've reached 161 members of RE100, with Aurora Organic Dairy, Firmenich and Toda Corporation being the latest businesses committing to go 100% renewable for their global operations.

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    Businesses ask for raised ambition at COP24

    RE100 members such as BT Group, Carlsberg Group, IKEA Group, Mars, Inc. and Unilever participated at COP24 in Poland, showing business ambition for bold climate action as national governments negotiated a robust rulebook for the Paris Agreement - with a better-than-expected outcome.

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    Welcome changes to Japanese renewables claims

    The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced that non-fossil certificates, provided along with tracking information, will now be recognized as derived from renewable energy and therefore eligible for RE100 claims. Read more here.

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    Sourcing renewables in Central & Eastern Europe?

    We are collaborating with The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group to produce a report on advancing the clean energy transition in Central and Eastern Europe. If you are interested in contributing by sharing your experience of operating in this region, please contact Annabelle Roblin as soon as possible. Report launch due in March 2019.

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    Upcoming webinar: engaging your supply chain

    On January 30, we are presenting a webinar with WWF on strategies for supply chain engagement on renewable energy. IKEA Group and BT Group will share their experiences on getting internal buy-in and engaging suppliers. This is the first of four joint webinars. Register here.

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    Member news

    Anheuser-Busch InBev signed the largest unsubsidized solar PPA in the UK on record, enabling all Budweiser sold in the country to be brewed with 100% renewable electricity by 2020.

    Bank of America will purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from the first commercial wind-solar hybrid project in the US, covering its electricity usage in Minnesota state.

    DSM has tripled the size of its Belvidere solar field, making it the largest in New Jersey. Read the recent blog on how DSM is stepping up on renewables.

    IKEA Group  raised ambition with a new announcement for COP24, including a goal of reducing emissions from production by 80% compared to 2016.

    Infosys announced it will be 100% powered by renewable electricity by 2020.

    To find out about our events and webinars, go to www.there100.org/events. 

  • DSM triples the size and output of its Belvidere solar field in New Jersey

    RE100 member DSM has expanded its Belvidere solar field from 20 to 66 acres, tripling the size and the solar output of the project.

    The new solar field will power DSM’s Belvidere production plant and will at peak sunlight generate more solar power than the plant’s energy consumption. This will allow the company to sell back enough excess energy to the grid to power 406 homes for a year.

    Sam Kimmins, Head of RE100, The Climate Group, said: “DSM is a prime example of an RE100 member investing in pragmatic and impactful projects by cutting emissions from its operations and greening the grid to the benefit of local communities at the same time.

    “By expanding its Belvidere solar field to triple the size, DSM sends a powerful message that the business case for renewable power continues to grow – showing the wider business community that the energy transition is happening now and won’t slow down.”

    More of a good thing

    RE100, led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, brings together leading businesses committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity for their global operations. DSM is targeting an interim goal of 50% renewable power by 2025, and the newly expanded Belvidere solar field is an important part of the journey.

    “This newly expanded solar field is part of DSM’s commitment to doing well by doing good for both our communities and our environment,” said Hugh Welsh, President and General Counsel of DSM North America.

    “It will minimize our impact on the planet through clean, renewable energy, exceed our Belvidere plant’s energy needs, and allow for selling enough energy back to the grid to power 406 homes for a year. At DSM we are proud to do our part to move the state of New Jersey and our country toward a clean energy future.”

    By adding more than 42,000 panels to the existing Belvidere solar field, the Dutch vitamin company now operates the largest net-metered solar field in New Jersey and the second largest on the East Coast. It will reduce DSM’s operating emissions by 17,400 metric tons of CO2 annually.  

    RE100 members are progressing rapidly in their goals of sourcing 100% renewable electricity. Our recent RE100 Progress and Insights Annual Report revealed that the companies increased the amount of renewable power sourced by 41% from 2016 to 2017.

  • Newsletter: A year of accelerating international growth

    2018 marks our biggest year yet; 158 companies are now members of RE100. In November, we launched the RE100 Progress and Insights Annual Report 2018, highlighting the international growth of the initiative and the progress our members are making. RE-Source 2018 saw members gather at Europe’s largest PPA event, and the launch of a new call to action to EU policymakers. Read on for more.

    RE100 Progress & Insights Report 2018

    Our fourth annual report shows that RE100 members, operating in more than 140 markets, have increased the amount of electricity sourced from renewables by 41% in just one year. Their impressive progress and leadership on renewables is setting a clear precedent for other corporates.

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    New companies join RE100

    Commonwealth Bank of Australia became the first Australian RE100 member, and The Allianz Group, BESTSELLER and Hair O’right also joined RE100, all with ambitious targets to source 100% renewables before 2025. We look forward to welcoming more big names in 2019.

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    RE-Source 2018 and EU member's meeting

    Over 800 participants attended our RE-Source event, bringing together buyers and sellers across Europe. We held a members’ meeting to discuss barriers and opportunities for renewables procurement in Europe. Thank you to those members who signed a declaration calling for EU policymakers to remove barriers to corporate sourcing.

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    Japanese call to action

    12 Japanese RE100 members signed a call to action for the Japanese government to set out a strategy for net-zero emissions by 2050, led by our regional delivery partner, Japan-CLP.

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    RE100 webinars

    RE100 members were invited to our quarterly campaign update webinar as well as an overview and growth forecast of the renewable electricity market in Israel. Please get in contact if your company is an RE100 member and you would like to watch the recordings.

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    Member news

    Starbucks signed a long-term agreement for wind power which will power 340 stores in Illinois with 100% renewable electricity.

    Facebook's new data centers in Georgia and Alabama are to be supplied with 100% renewable electricity.

    Vail Resorts announced a long-term wind VPPA to purchase enough electricity to power 100% of its North American operations with renewables by 2020.

    To find out about our events and webinars, go to www.there100.org/events. 

  • Blog: DSM - Turning the tide by making waves through corporate climate action

    As the COP24 climate negotiations in Katowice, Poland enter their final days, Paulette van Ommen, Global Climate Lead at RE100 member DSM shares the actions the company is taking to step up on renewables, reduce its environmental impact, and accelerate market change.

    Did you know that over a century ago, DSM started off as a Dutch coal mining company? Fast forward to today, we’ve transformed into a global, purpose-led, performance-driven company in nutrition, health and sustainable living, working at the frontlines of climate action.

    With the world’s scientists flagging the climate disruption ahead of us, we believe that doing so is an important responsibility. Mother Earth has a fever, and we as humans are already affected by her sweating, sneezing, and coughing in the form of droughts, floods, and storms.

    Taking climate action is also an opportunity. As the recent New Climate Economy report pointed out: a thriving, low-carbon economy could deliver a direct economic gain of US$26 trillion by 2030, compared to business as usual.

    That’s why, at DSM, we improve our own environmental impact, enable the same for our customers, and advocate a progressive climate action agenda. In each of these, scaling renewable energy in an environmentally sound way is a key priority.

    Firstly, when it comes to improving our own environmental impact, we’ve set ourselves clear goals. We’ll cut 30% of our own (so-called Scope 1&2) greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 2016, in absolute terms.

    How? By being smarter in our energy use, and by sourcing 75% of our purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2030 – a new, higher interim target we set earlier this year, as we journey to being 100% renewable.

    In the Netherlands, we’re already at 100% renewable purchased electricity, thanks to our collaboration with energy company Eneco and the Dutch Wind Consortium, a partnership between DSM, Google, Philips, AkzoNobel. In the USA, we’ve teamed up with NextEra Energy Sources to buy wind electricity produced in Oklahoma.

    Our €50 internal carbon price, which we use when reviewing large investment decisions – including on renewable energy and energy efficiency projects – helps us to future-proof our business.

    We’re not acting in isolation. DSM is one of 158 companies in The Climate Group’s  RE100 initiative, with a collective electricity demand greater than Argentina and Portugal combined, as the new RE100 report reveals.

    We also encourage our suppliers to follow our lead. A few months ago, we kicked off this journey on the DSM Supplier Partnerships Day, where former UN climate chief and “stubborn optimist”, Christiana Figueres came over to inspire us.

    Indeed, her latest Nature article (supported by DSM’s CEO Feike Sijbesma) flags that today, more than 50% of new capacity for generating electricity is renewable, with wind and solar doubling every four years.

    Secondly, through our innovations, we also enable greenhouse gas emissions cuts for our customers, and their customers, who use our products.

    For example, our solar solutions help boost the output of PV modules. Our endurance backsheets are 100% recyclable with no production waste and have a 30% lower CO2 footprint compared to fluorinated backsheets. Our backsheets also help extend the lifetime of PV modules in very harsh conditions, like in desert where it’s hot and there’s a lot of sand, and in tropical environments, where it’s hot and humid.

    As IRENA and the International Energy Agency pointed out in a 2016 report, it’s key to integrate circular principles in renewable electricity generation, too, as PV module waste will emerge as a major source of electronic waste over the coming decades.

    Thirdly, while we put our money where our mouth is, we also have to use our mouth when it matters.

    Just before the current climate summit in Poland, together with 50 CEOs in the CEO Climate Leaders Alliance of the World Economic Forum, we launched an open letter to call on world leaders to accelerate and deepen their commitment to act on climate change.

    Having a meaningful price on carbon is an agenda we’ve been driving for years now. Putting a price tag on carbon stimulates what we want more of (renewable energy, clean air, jobs, innovation) at the expense of what we want less of (pollution and heat-trapping gases).

    For renewable electricity to scale further and faster, we need government policies and private sector leadership to be mutually reinforcing. This positive feedback loop, also called ‘the ambition loop’, is put into practice by our fellow RE100 members.

    Many are adding their voice to the #StepUpNow initiative, which brings together a range of non-state actors who jointly demonstrate a clear movement for a stronger response to climate change in Europe. It builds on the success of a similar initiative we helped launch immediately after the 2016 presidential elections in the US: #WeAreStillIn.

    While we’re still on a journey, DSM’s multiple transformations and ongoing actions inspire many people. Given what’s at stake, it’s now time to transform not only our individual companies, but our societies and economic systems.

    We can still turn the tide, but to succeed, we have to be ready to make waves. Together. At DSM, we are! As a consumer, citizen and professional: are you?

     

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