Are Corporations Lying About Climate Progress?
Since climate change has become such a polarizing issue, many corporations have been stepping up to lower emissions and become more sustainable. However, new research is saying they are not making as much climate progress as they claim.
A new report by New Climate has researched this issue extensively to find out which corporations are telling the truth, and which are not. And some of its findings have painted a different picture of large corporations like Google and Amazon.
Both have made huge promises to lower emissions, yet, according to the report, their integrity in reporting climate progress is very low.
What Did The Report Look At?
The report looked at a group of companies that accounts for 5% of the total global emissions. It essentially looked at the claims companies have made about their climate policy, and compared it against what was actually happening.
And unfortunately, just like government pledges, many corporations are not following through. At least, not in a way that the report could see.
That’s actually a big problem with the report. They do not have access to the same information that these companies do. In fact, many corporations were quick to reply and state that they do not agree with the findings of the report.
It really depends on how companies view their own emissions data and what they consider their “own.”
For example, the report found that about 70% of Apple’s emissions come from the electricity usage of its users. Some may feel that it is not fair for Apple to be responsible for those emissions. After all, they just make the device, not use it.
On the other hand, some environmentalists are calling for companies to be more responsible for the devices they produce. Thus, it can definitely change the results. It’s really all about perspective.
The report also broke down climate pledges from the corporations. And many of them were false or left out crucial information.
Why Do Corporations Lie About Climate Progress?
It’s pretty simple, money and notoriety.
There’s no denying that consumers are looking for green products. Many are even willing to pay more for a product if it is better for the environment. Corporations know this very well, that is why they are releasing green products and announcing all of this positive news.
It makes the consumers happy, and it gives them some good press. It’s a smart business practice.
For example, Meta (Facebook) is now opening a new data center in the Netherlands that will make the country miss its climate goals. Yet, according to the company, the plant only uses renewable energy.
That may be true, but they are leaving out the part that they are not adding any new renewable energy. Or in other words, the country will need more fossil fuels to support the energy demands.
It’s all about making money and garnering public support.
The only way this will change is if governments create stricter guidelines for reporting this information. And since governments don’t do this themselves, we could be waiting a while.
Robert has been following and writing about environmental stories for years at GreenGeeks. He believes that highlighting environmentally friendly practices can help promote change in every household.
