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Florida Entrepreneur Richart Ruddie on The Climate Pledge& How Corporations Can Help Solve The Climate Crisis

Despite many world leaders’ best efforts, businesses around the world continue to emit vast amounts of carbon and other greenhouse gases and to get positive headlines they claim they are going to be carbon neutral and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. What they aren’t saying according to Fort Lauderdale resident Richart Ruddie is that they are buying carbon credits and not necessarily making internal changes and following ESG principals.

The greenhouse emissions are accelerating the warming of the earth’s atmosphere whether climate change deniers want to admit it or not during a warmer than usual winter. There is a difference between climate change and a climate crisis. We’re entering a crisis and millennial entrepreneurs like Ruddie want others to wake up and make a difference.

Fortunately, businesses and governments are beginning to understand fully the implications of global warming and are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact through initiatives such as the Climate Pledge. Now we need more Florida companies from Real Estate, Construction, Energy, Hospitality, and Tech to all take notice and do their part.

What is The Climate Pledge?

 The Climate Pledge is a brainchild of Global Optimism and Amazon. The pledge is a promise that businesses make a deliberate effort to reduce their emissions to net-zero. The Climate Pledge’s goal is to reduce the environmental impact of businesses rather than individuals. The Climate Pledge urges businesses to reach net-zero carbon in their operations by 2040. The only negative is companies can buy credits to fake their way to carbon neutrality.

Climate Pledge signatories commit to these three principles:

  • Regular Reporting – Regularly measure and report the company’s greenhouse emissions.
  • Carbon Elimination – Implement decarbonization measures that align with the Paris Agreement goals through innovations and real business changes, including renewable energy, material reduction, and efficiency improvements, other decarbonization strategies.
  • Credible Offsets – Neutralize any remaining carbon emissions through additional, real, social-beneficial, and permanent offsets to reach net-zero annual emissions by 2040.

Reasons for Signing the Climate Pledge

By signing The Climate Pledge, businesses publicly declare their intention to tackle climate change. Investors and business owners are beginning to understand the implications of the climate crisis. The global economy and society will be massively impacted by the potential disruptions wrought by steady global warming. Moreover, investors are increasingly interested in how companies can remain profitable in the future’s low-carbon economy.

If businesses succeed in reducing their environmental impact, it will prove to governments, investors, and consumers that a business can thrive in a low-carbon economy.

Number of FloridaCompanies That Have Joined the Climate Pledge

According to Global Optimism and Amazon, over 200 companies have joined The Global Pledge. The signatories include global giants such as Procter & Gamble, Salesforce, Nespresso, ASOS, and HP.Richart Ruddie is asking where are all the big Florida corporations? Sadly as The Guardian recently reported that:

“Some of America’s most prominent companies, including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Disney, are backing business groups that are fighting landmark climate legislation, despite their own promises to combat the climate crisis, a new analysis has found.” Source

So if the biggest names are out there saying they want to make a difference with global warming but are doing the opposite behind the scenes lobbying against progress what gives? How can we believe what they say? How can we support their businesses? The trust is broken and it’s a big issue. The world needs more Elon Musks and less fakes.

Publix, Burger King, Outback Steakhouse, Disney World, Cruise Lines, Alamo Car Rental, Autonation, CSX, Ryder Systems, Jabil, FPL, Mednax, Raymond James, and all the others need to take notice and make an impact for the better and not solely through buying tax credits to offset their emissions. Look at Tesla’s growth for promoting sustainable practices. The investment is worthwhile.

Pledge signatories collectively generate global annual revenues that exceed $1.8 trillion and employ over 7 million workers across 25 industries. By reaching net-zero emissions by 2040, a decade ahead of the goals set by Paris Agreement, the current signatories will collectively eliminate 1.98 BMT (billion metric tons) of carbon emissions. This is equal to 5.4% of the current emissions — revealing the impact The Climate Pledge will have in fighting climate change and spurring more action to address the climate crisis. According to Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy, companies such as Amazon have a responsibility to address the climate crisis. However, solving the challenge will take collective action, which is why The Climate Pledge is a useful and timely initiative. As an entrepreneur in South Florida Richart Ruddie who’s businesses range from real estate construction to cyber securitysoftware always strives for sustainable energy practices and gives those who put the environment first at the top of the list when choosing which vendors to work with and which ones to cut.

Many of The Climate Pledge signatories have already made significant progress in reducing their emissions. For instance, Procter & Gamble has reduced emissions by 52% since 2010.

Besides, the company has increased its renewable energy usage by 97% and partners with customers to enhance sustainability efforts at home through products, such as Ariel and Tide, which allow for cold-water washing and thus reduce carbon emission. According to Procter & Gamble CEO, David S. Taylor, addressing climate change requires science-based actions and collaboration across industries.

This sentiment is also echoed by HP Inc CEO Enrique Lores who asserts that the climate crisis requires bold action, which is why signing The Climate Pledge is a necessary step.

Why the Climate Pledge is Important

Businesses have hugely contributed to climate change; however, they can help stabilize increasing temperatures by cutting their emission of carbon and other greenhouse gases. This is why businesses across the globe need to take ambitious and urgent action. Companies that have signed The Climate Pledge are well-positioned to tackle the climate crisis and help create a thriving low-carbon economy.

According to ASOS CEO, Nick Beighton, climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Businesses are, therefore obligated to collectively and individually take decisive and bold action to address the climate crisis. Nespresso CEO, Guillaume Le Cunff, believes that collective action by private sector actors can be a great catalyst for change. According to the Salesforce chief impact officer, Suzanne BiDianca, the environment is an important stakeholder and businesses can be the greatest platform for tackling the climate crisis.

The latest IPCC (United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report highlights why there is a need for urgent action toward tackling the climate crisis. According to the report, unless there is a rapid, large-scale, and immediate reduction in the emission of carbon and other greenhouse gasses, it\’s will be impossible to limit warming to 1.5 (or even 2) degrees Celsius.

The former UN climate chief, Christiana Figueres, says that the IPCC report is a stark warning that the systems that support humans life are close to a tipping point and the time for decisive action is running out. Therefore, it’s encouraging to see some of the largest corporations in the world sign The Climate Pledge and commit to tackling the climate crisis.

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