Your Opinion: Companies commit to reduce carbon emissions

Dear Editor:

I recently participated in a web seminar sponsored by Yale University on carbon pricing. It featured Royal DSM, one of 428 companies committed to reducing carbon emissions. Two local companies also on the list are ABB and Johnson Controls.

Royal DSM is a global health, nutrition and materials company with sales of 8 billion and 21,000 employees in 50 countries. Royal DSM believes it has a moral obligation to care for the planet and that every action should contribute to a more sustainable world and be guided by three principals: economic performance, environmental quality and social responsibility.

Royal DSM is convinced human activity increases carbon dioxide emissions causing climate change and that major reductions are required to avoid a devastating impact on people and life on earth. The company is committed to decreasing emissions and enabling a low-carbon economy. To account for the damage carbon emissions cause to the health of people and the planet, Royal DSM uses a carbon price in capital decisions.

These measures to protect our climate often save money too. Royal DSM improved energy efficiency by 17 percent toward a goal of 20 percent during the next four years. Even with a 16 percent increase in volume Royal DSM decreased greenhouse gas emissions by 2 percent with a target of 25 percent in four years. It has already exceeded targets for two of the greenhouse gases and for solid waste.

In addition to the 428 companies committed to reducing emissions, 120 cities worldwide are reporting and monitoring emissions annually. Forty-six, including 15 in the United States, have reduced emissions. Seven national capitals reported decreases. Moscow and Mexico City are among them. For more information on businesses and cities please see https://www.cdp.net/en-US/Pages/HomePage.aspx

Royal DSM takes a lead role discussing climate and energy in several industry associations but believes governmental polices are also required. The policies should price carbon, end fossil fuel subsidies and inform citizens on how climate change affects us and our earth. The policies also ought to provide incentives for low carbon, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

For more information on how DSM is reducing carbon emissions see their website: http://www.dsm.com/corporate/sustainability/climate-change.html

Royal DSM is just one of many companies and governments around the world committed to and actually reducing carbon emissions to preserve our health and that of our planet.