CNBC Business | The Top 100 Low Carbon Pioneers

The Top 100 Low Carbon Pioneers

The business of climate change

10
Dell
Round Rock, Texas, US
Public
Computers
Michael Dell, CEO

Dell recently rolled out a 'Plant a tree' programme enabling US customers to buy third party-audited forestry offsets. Like its PCs, Dell's carbon is cheap at '€3.23 per tonne ' it will need to be vigilant in order to demonstrate that nonprofi t partners Conservation Fund and carbonfund.org deliver the promised trees because it takes 70 years for one tree to sequester just 1.3 tonnes of CO2. Just as significant are free re-cycling programmes for old equipment and lowcarbon manufacturing. Dell claims that since Q1 2005 its power management technology has saved over 18m tonnes of CO2, capping its offering for what it calls the 're-generation'.

11
Marks & Spencer
London, UK
Public
Retail
Stuart Rose, CEO

At the beginning of last year, UK retail giant Marks and Spencer announced a '€280m five-year plan to become 'carbon neutral' by 2012. It is implementing a 100-point action plan which includes cutting energy consumption, packaging and food air miles. New M&S stores use up to 25% less energy and emit 50% less CO2 than an average M&S store and are powered by renewable sources. CEO Stuart Rose says: 'a responsible company can be a profitable company. If you believe that all of us are going to have to espouse this green issue ' whether it is climate, waste or whatever else ' then there is no alternative.'

12
Vestas Wind Systems
Public
Energy
Ditlev Engel, CEO

Vestas is the grandad of the wind sector having installed its first turbine in 1979. Rapid growth in the '80s paved the way to dominance today, and the Danish company has a 28% global market share in installed wind turbines, more than any other company. Growth pains are now its biggest headache, with revenue and growth rates per annum averaging over 25% but with some niggles over warranty costs and parts availability. Vestas' third quarter revenues last year were up over 30% on 2006 and Engel predicted a solid performance in 2008. Perhaps more than any other company, Vestas has made wind power a mainstream energy source.

PepsiCo
New York, US
Public
Food & Beverages
Indra Nooyi, CEO

Swatting away accusations of behaving like a big, bad multinational, PepsiCo's Indian CEO Indra Nooyi is implementing a dramatic 'performance with purpose' programme. Water use in bottling plants has halved and monsoonal rain collecting procedures are in place in India. PepsiCo's fourth largest business unit, Walkers, was one of the first brands to declare the carbon footprint of their crisps on the packet. Walkers has reduced its energy use per pack by a third, and like its parent reduced water waste, per kilo of product, by almost half since 2001. To reduce food miles, all Walkers' potatoes are now sourced domestically in the UK. Like Walmart, PepsiCo stands to drive enormous change through its suppliers.

14
Dupont
Wilmington, US
Public
Chemicals and materials
Charles Holliday, CEO

Dupont was way ahead of its time: former CEO Ed Woollard started an emissions reduction programme as far back as 1993, leading to a 72% reduction 11 years later. These days, the company is not just focusing on its own emissions but has pledged to improve energy efficiency down the supply chain, creating '€1.36bn worth of greener products by 2015 by improving or inventing lighter materials for the housing, automotive, aerospace and other sectors. It is also moving more closely to 'non-depletable' resources, as shown through a biobutanol pilot plant commissioned last summer. Truly a pioneer.

15
Eurostar
London, UK
Private
Transport
Richard Brown, CEO

Eurostar launched the first carbonneutral train journey in the world in November 2007. This came at no extra cost to its customers, backed by their sincere belief that it is the corporation's responsibility to offset carbon emissions, which they have done by purchasing carbon credits in advance and investing in renewable and sustainable energy projects. To reinforce their green commitment, they launched a 'Tread Lightly' initiative, aiming to cut CO2 emissions per traveller journey by 25% by 2012. CEO Richard Brown has played an active role in pushing though changes, with the help of key colleagues.

16
Bayer
Leverkusen, Germany
Public
Chemicals, materials,
biotechnology
Werner Wenning, CEO

Acknowledged as Best in Class by CDP, Bayer shows that business can succeed where governments fail. It has reduced emissions by 70% since the early 1990s, while making more money ' pre-tax profits rose 23.4% in H1 2007. In one year alone it cut greenhouse gases by 7% while increasing product volumes by 9%. Its Climate Programme will continue this progress and create new products. Improved building performance (for example through polyurethane insulation due to save 70 times the energy used to make it by 2050) and biotechnology to solve biofuels' problems will be a particular focus.

Yahoo!
Sunnyvale, California, US
Technology
Public
Jerry Yang, CEO

By the end of 2007, Yahoo! claimed they were carbon neutral as a result of acquiring carbon reduction credits from Ecosecurities and CantorCO2 based on investing in clean energy projects in Brazil and India. They have also launched initiatives of their own, including a 100% windpowered office in Hillsboro, Oregon, and their awardwinning Commute Alternatives Programme in California, where employees are encouraged to find alternatives to driving alone to work. Attaining energy savings in the region of 15% annually, Yahoo! Green has also been established as a one-stop resource for environmentally concerned consumers, and this is at least as significant as reducing its own, relatively modest carbon .

18
Sun Microsystems
Santa Clara,
California, US
Public
Computing
Jonathan Schwartz, CEO

Sun Microsystems has developed energy-efficient servers, including UltraSPARC T1, which it says will reduce its US GHG emissions over 2002 levels by 20% by 2012. Their Open Work program, encouraging employees to work 'anywhere, anytime, using any device', has contributed to the goal, eliminating a claimed 29,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from reductions in commuting. To drive their initiatives, Sun has appointed David Douglas as their first Vice President of Eco Responsibility, responsible for strategy and implementation of initiatives across the organisation.