While it is difficult to definitively rank the top 10 corporate sustainability initiatives launched this year, here are some notable initiatives that have gained prominence:
1. Microsoft: In January 2020, Microsoft announced its plan to become carbon negative by 2030, aiming to remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.
2. Unilever: Under their ‘Clean Future’ program, Unilever committed to investing over €1 billion in a new initiative to tackle climate change, reduce plastic waste, and protect natural resources.
3. Amazon: In September 2020, Amazon launched ‘The Climate Pledge’, a commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040 and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement ten years ahead of schedule.
4. Apple: Apple announced its plan to be 100% carbon neutral across its entire supply chain, products, and corporate activities by 2030.
5. HP Inc.: HP unveiled its ‘Climate Action Plan’ to address climate change, including goals to achieve carbon neutrality across its global operations by 2025.
6. Walmart: Walmart introduced the ‘Project Gigaton’ initiative, aimed at avoiding one billion metric tons (a gigaton) of greenhouse gas emissions from its global value chain by 2030.
7. Google: Google committed to operating on carbon-free energy 24/7 by 2030, aiming to run its data centers and campuses on round-the-clock renewable energy.
8. Adidas: Adidas launched the ‘Adidas Infinite Play’, a sustainability initiative that focuses on recycling used products and reducing waste across its supply chain.
9. Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola announced a new ‘World Without Waste’ strategy, aiming to help collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells worldwide by 2030.
10. Nestlé: Nestlé outlined its ambition to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, setting renewable energy goals and focusing on regenerative agriculture.
These are just some examples, and numerous other companies have launched notable sustainability initiatives this year.