Nearly half of the largest US firms have renewable energy goals
Nearly half of the largest US firms have now set themselves clean-energy targets, according to a report by CDP, Calvert Research & Management, Ceres and WWF. Of the Fortune 500 list, 48% have introduced such goals, with 44% of the list's smallest 100 companies also establishing targets, an increase of 19% from 2014. A collective $3.7bn in annual savings was also reported by 190 of the companies due to increased use of renewable energy. Of Fortune 100 companies, 63% had developed clean energy goals, such as reducing emissions and increasing energy efficiency and the use of renewables.
A new report from WWF, Calvert Investments, CDP and Ceres finds nearly half of Fortune 500 companies—48 percent—have at least one climate or clean energy target, up five percent from an earlier 2014 report.

This is the next report in the series after: Power Forward 2.0: How American Companies Are Setting Clean Energy Targets and Capturing Greater Business Value.

Other key findings:

Nearly 80,000 emission-reducing projects by 190 Fortune 500 companies reporting data showed nearly $3.7 billion in savings in 2016 alone.

The annual emission reductions from these efforts are equivalent to taking 45 coal-fired power plants offline for one year.

The largest companies in the Fortune 500–the Fortune 100–continue to lead: Sixty-three percent of Fortune 100 companies have set one or more clean energy targets.

There has been strong improvement among the smallest 100 companies in the Fortune 500, with 44 percent setting goals in one or more categories, up 19 percentage points from the 2014 report.

A growing number of companies are setting 100 percent renewable energy goals and science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets that align with the global goal of limiting temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius.

The report documents how different sectors compare in setting targets and how Fortune 500 companies are doing in meeting the targets they’ve set. The report also includes key recommendations for companies, policymakers and investors to continue to scale clean energy efforts, such as:

Companies should continue to set, implement and communicate clean energy targets, while supporting local, state and national policies that make it easier to achieve their climate and energy commitments.

Federal and state policymakers should establish clear, long-term low-carbon polices that will help companies meet their clean energy targets while also helping the US meet its carbon-reducing commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Investors should consider allocating their investments to companies well-positioned for the low-carbon economy and continue to file shareholder resolutions and engage in dialogues with companies to encourage them position themselves for the coming low-carbon future.

Utilities should provide renewable energy purchasing options in line with what their corporate customers want.

For additional information, please visit the following WWF pages:

For previous reports in the Power Forward series, please see: