U.S.-based companies General Motors (GM), Bank of America and Apple have joined RE100, a global collaborative initiative of dozens of businesses committed to using 100% renewable electricity.
Last week, automaker GM announced plans to generate or source all electrical power for its 350 operations in 59 countries with 100% renewables by 2050. GM says its new RE100 pledge, along with the pursuit of electrified vehicles and efficient manufacturing, is part of the company’s overall approach to strengthening its business, improving communities and addressing climate change.
“Establishing a 100 percent renewable energy goal helps us better serve society by reducing environmental impact,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “This pursuit of renewable energy benefits our customers and communities through cleaner air while strengthening our business through lower and more stable energy costs.”
GM says it currently saves $5 million annually from using renewable energy – a number it anticipates will increase as more projects come online and the supply of renewable energy increases. The new commitment builds on GM’s previous goal to promote the use of 125 MW of renewable energy by 2020, and the company expects to exceed this when two new wind projects come online later this year to help power four manufacturing operations.
According to GM, the company has 22 facilities with solar arrays, three sites using landfill gas and the four aforementioned facilities that will soon benefit from wind. In addition, GM is in the process of adding 30 MW of solar arrays at two facilities in China.
“This bold and ambitious commitment from General Motors will undoubtedly catch the attention of the global automotive industry,” said Amy Davidsen, North America executive director at The Climate Group, which leads RE100. “GM has already saved millions of dollars by using renewable energy, and like any smart business that recognizes an investment opportunity, they want to seize it fully.”
Bank of America has also joined RE100, with the bank announcing that it aims to become carbon neutral and purchase 100% renewable electricity for its operations by 2020. The bank made the announcement during the 2016 Climate Week NYC event, which kicked off in New York City on Monday.
Furthermore, the bank says it will work to reduce location-based greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by 50%, energy use by 40%, and water use by 45% in its operations across the globe by the end of this decade. Bank of America says these new commitments build on the success of the company’s 2015 operations goals and the deployment of its $125 billion environmental business initiative.
“Addressing global issues like climate change and the transition to a sustainable and low-carbon future takes collaboration, innovation and investment,” said Anne Finucane, vice chairman of Bank of America. “The expansion of our operational goals to 2020, achieving carbon neutrality, and the purchase of 100 percent renewable electricity build on our existing environmental commitment and responsible growth strategy.”
From 2010 to 2015, the company reduced its GHG emissions by 37%, primarily through implementing energy efficiency projects, consolidating space and leveraging a less carbon-intensive grid. To achieve carbon neutrality, the bank will continue to scale its energy efficiency and conservation efforts, purchase 100% renewable electricity, and utilize carbon offsets.
Notably, the bank recently purchased Texas-based wind power for the company’s Texas data centers. This will contribute five percentage points toward the 2020 carbon-neutral goal.
The Climate Group’s Davidsen commented, “Bank of America continues to demonstrate its commitment to the environment by joining RE100 with a goal to reach 100 percent renewable electricity by 2020. One company can make a significant and positive impact on the environment, but collective action is key, and we believe Bank of America will inspire more to follow suit.”
During the Climate Week NYC event, technology giant Apple announced it, too, is joining the RE100 campaign.
“Apple is committed to running on 100 percent renewable energy, and we’re happy to stand beside other companies that are working toward the same effort,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for environment, policy and social initiatives, during her opening ceremony keynote. “We’re excited to share the industry-leading work we’ve been doing to drive renewable energy into the manufacturing supply chain, and look forward to partnering with RE100 to advocate for clean-energy policies around the world.”
Over 70 companies, including BMW, Coca-Cola, IKEA and Google, have joined RE100 so far, and the number of participants is expected to keep growing.
Photo courtesy of GM: A 2.2 MW solar array powers 1.5% of GM’s Lordstown assembly plant in Ohio, the home of the Chevrolet Cruze.