Thirty-three (33%) of the 321 companies in the S&P 500 that responded to the most recent Carbon Disclosure Project questionnaire have set targets to curb their emissions. If this sounds impressive, please note that 81% of the same cohort consider global warming to be a risk. Therefore 48% believe that global warming is a risk, but have yet to set targets to curb their carbon emissions. (The press release about the survey is available as a PDF here.
On the other hand, 71% said they view global warming as an opportunity. Indeed, this can be a risk and an opportunity. In 2007, John Doerr (His Wikipedia page provides a good resume for any not familiar with Doerr) said, “Fighting climate change is the largest economic opportunity of the next century”.
As a green building professional, I am the first to evangelize that there are other approaches to reduce your impact on global warming beyond direct carbon emissions reductions goals. Indeed, many companies are making stellar progress in reducing their carbon emissions without a specific carbon reduction gal in mind.
Carbon emissions reduction goals are a valiant umbrella, but the nuts and bolts of these goals are in “greening” your buildings, “greening” the habits of your employees, “greening” your supply chain, etc. Our research at SRI has shown that companies that have set carbon emissions goals (whether they are per unit or absolute reductions) are having difficulty achieving those goals. And it is not for a lack of effort! As we help these companies move forward, we are helping them focus their efforts on what is truly working operationally as they strive for their “green” goals.