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Most large companies' sustainability reports tend to be glossy 100+ pages reports that don't tell you very much.
If you have to write about that company, here's a thread on all the things you should be paying attention to for climate's sake.
If you have to write about that company, here's a thread on all the things you should be paying attention to for climate's sake.
My colleague @eroston has already done the work, if you'd like this in article form. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-23/how-to-tell-if-companies-are-truly-fighting-climate-change?sref=jjXJRDFv
1. Is the company declaring all its emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3? Most large companies emissions from their own operations (Scope 1 & 2), such as buildings or car fleets, are a tiny fraction of the total emissions. Most come from suppliers or customers (Scope 3).
2. Are emissions reductions goals based on science?
Every economic sector has to cut emissions at slightly different paces to meet the goals set under the Paris climate agreement. @sciencetargets is the foremost body helping companies figure it out.
Every economic sector has to cut emissions at slightly different paces to meet the goals set under the Paris climate agreement. @sciencetargets is the foremost body helping companies figure it out.
3. Does the company rely too heavily on reducing emissions using carbon offsets?
If yes, that's a big red flag https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-15/why-carbon-offsets-don-t-do-all-that-they-promise-quicktake
If yes, that's a big red flag https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-15/why-carbon-offsets-don-t-do-all-that-they-promise-quicktake
4. Is the company linked to lobby groups that are known to push against climate policies?
A company may have the world's most ambitious climate plan, but as @kmac explains it will still be a polluter if it doesn't clean up its lobbying activities. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-21/climate-friendly-companies-can-still-be-polluters-by-association?sref=jjXJRDFv
A company may have the world's most ambitious climate plan, but as @kmac explains it will still be a polluter if it doesn't clean up its lobbying activities. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-21/climate-friendly-companies-can-still-be-polluters-by-association?sref=jjXJRDFv
5. Everything else -- renewables goal, reducing plastic use, increasing recycling, cutting water consumption, improving traceability through the supply chain, etc. -- are also important, but if 1-4 are not answered well, it's not really going to help mitigate climate change.
If you'd like to see how asking the questions play out in stories, see the tweet. Since then here are few more I've done:
P&G: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-28/esg-investing-apple-s-climate-plan-will-cut-carbon-footprint
Apple: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-28/esg-investing-apple-s-climate-plan-will-cut-carbon-footprint https://twitter.com/AkshatRathi/status/1273290641657794566
P&G: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-28/esg-investing-apple-s-climate-plan-will-cut-carbon-footprint
Apple: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-28/esg-investing-apple-s-climate-plan-will-cut-carbon-footprint https://twitter.com/AkshatRathi/status/1273290641657794566
