The U.S. government just announced the American businesses that have committed to the American Business Act on Climate Pledge as of October 19. The 81 companies represent more than $3 trillion in annual revenue. If they were a nation, they would have the world’s 5th largest GDP, behind only the U.S., China, Japan, and Germany according to World Bank data. Half of the largest businesses in the U.S. have joined the movement.
The five of the ten largest U.S. corporations that have taken the pledge are #1 Walmart, #4 Berkshire Hathaway, #5 Apple, #6 General Motors, and #8 General Electric. Here are some highlights of their actions.
By the end of 2020 Walmart will replace 7 billion kWh of traditional electricity with the production and purchase of renewable electricity, a 600% improvement over 2010. All of Apple’s U.S. operations already run on 100% renewable energy, and it will add 280 MW of additional clean power generation capacity by the end of 2016. By 2020 GM will achieve 150 landfill-free facilities and reduce total waste by 40 percent compared to 2010.
Who out of the top 10 hasn’t signed the pledge yet? The usual suspects, #2 Exxon Mobil, #3 Chevron, and #7 Phillips Petroleum. But also #9 Ford Motor and drugstore #10 CVS Health. Does CVS worry that a healthier population resulting from less pollution and waste will be bad for their business?
GOOD NEWS FOR NATURE : green success stories 
I’d have expected CVS to sign on by now. Last year they stopped selling tobacco products, and now they offer tips to smokers who’d like to quit. That’s not directly related to the climate pledge, but let’s hope they’d rather have healthy customers than dead ones.
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