NEW DELHI and MARRAKECH, Morocco, November 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Leading companies Dalmia Cement, Swiss Re and Helvetia have today (Friday November 11, 2016) made new and bold energy commitments for their global operations that will help to cut costs, lower emissions, and drive zero-emissions economies.
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The news comes on Energy Day at COP22 in Marrakech, where world governments and non-state actors are gathered to increase ambition and action on climate change. It is a week to the day that the landmark Paris Agreement entered into force, and more businesses than ever before are committing to bold actions, to help ensure that global warming stays well below two degrees.
India's Dalmia Cement, self-branded as the world's greenest cement company, and Swiss insurer Helvetia, have committed to 100% renewable electricity through RE100; a global, collaborative initiative of influential businesses working to massively increase demand for and delivery of renewable energy. RE100 is led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP.
Also today, (re)insurance company Swiss Re has committed to doubling its energy productivity through EP100, a global effort by The Climate Group, in partnership with the Global Alliance for Energy Productivity, to help companies maximize the economic benefits of every unit of energy they consume.
The two initiatives are designed to provide the least-cost decarbonization pathway for business. Dalmia Cement and Swiss Re are the first companies to sign up to both - Dalmia Cement joined EP100 at Climate Week NYC in September, while Swiss Re was a founding partner of RE100 in 2014.
The new additions to RE100 take the total number of members to 83, and the total demand for renewable electricity being created to over 100 TWh - more than enough to power Morocco three times over.
Mahendra Singhi, Group CEO and Whole Time Director at Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited, said, "Being one of the greenest cement companies in the world, we are committed to decarbonizing our operations in a way that makes business sense. Our presence as the first cement company in RE100 and EP100 illustrates our commitment on this issue. We are scaling up our ambition to double our energy productivity and make a long term transition to 100% renewable power, achieving a fourfold increase in the percentage of renewable energy in our electricity consumption by 2030."
Vincent Eckert, Head of Internal Environmental Management, Swiss Re, said, "Improving energy productivity is key in our company's efforts to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality. We have joined EP100 to demonstrate that a strong commitment to a sustainable energy future is good for business."
The newcomers were welcomed by Damian Ryan, Acting CEO of The Climate Group: "Right now, we're seeing greater corporate action on climate than ever before, thanks to the leadership of the world's most influential companies. No matter the sector or where your operations lie, if you're a major company that understands the importance of renewable power and energy productivity, it makes sense to join RE100 and EP100. 'Using better energy better' brings cost savings, lowers emissions, and enhances corporate reputations."
He added, "But to deliver net-zero emissions economies and keep global warming well below two degrees, we've got to go further still. Businesses have enormous influencing power over their suppliers, customers, and peers - they need to look vertically along their supply chains and encourage others to act. And governments at all levels must implement supportive policies - most urgently carbon pricing."
The new members of RE100 and EP100 were announced at Energy Day by EP100 Advisory Board member Rachel Kyte, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and CEO of SEforALL.
Energy Day is one of twelve thematic days comprising the UNFCCC's Global Climate Action Agenda, convened under the leadership of the high-level champions, H.E. Minister Hakima El Haité, and Ambassador Laurence Tubiana.
RE100 members Mars and Formula E will be speaking at today's event, and sharing their experiences of working towards 100% renewable power.
About The Climate Group:
The Climate Group is an award-winning, international non-profit. We specialize in bold, catalytic and high-profile climate and energy initiatives with the world's leading businesses and state and regional governments. Our work is at the forefront of ambitious climate action. Our vision is a world of prosperous 'net-zero' emission economies and thriving, sustainable societies. Our mission is to catalyze climate leadership in government and business to accelerate the shift to a prosperous and thriving 'net-zero' future for all. We do this by communicating to inform, convening to connect, and collaborating to scale and succeed. Founded in 2004, our offices are located in Beijing, Hong Kong, New Delhi, New York and London.
TheClimateGroup.org | @climategroup
About RE100:
RE100 is a global, collaborative initiative of influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity, working to massively increase demand for and delivery of renewable energy. This will accelerate the transformation of the global energy market and aid the transition towards a low carbon economy. RE100 shares the compelling business case for renewables and showcases business action, while working with others to address barriers and develop transparent reporting mechanisms. RE100 is brought to you by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, as part of the We Mean Business coalition. Members of RE100 set their own strategy for achieving their 100% goals, but are strongly encouraged by RE100 to work to the shortest possible timeline.
The 83 members of RE100 include: Adobe, Alstria, Amalgamated Bank, Apple, AstraZeneca, Autodesk, Aviva, Bank of America, Biogen, Bloomberg, BMW Group, BROAD Group, British Land, BT Group, CaixaBank, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Colruyt Group, Commerzbank, Crédit Agricole, Dalmia Cement, Dentsu Aegis Network, Diageo, DNB, Elion Resources Group, Elopak, Equinix, Facebook, Formula E, General Motors, Givaudan, Goldman Sachs, Google, H&M, Helvetia, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), HP Inc., IFF, IKEA Group, Infosys, ING, Interface, J. Safra Sarasin, Johnson & Johnson, Kingspan, KPN, La Poste, Land Securities, Marks & Spencer, Mars, Nestlé, Nike, Nordea, Novo Nordisk, Pearson, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Proximus, Rackspace, RELX Group, Royal DSM, Salesforce, SAP, SAVE S.p.A, SGS, Sky, Starbucks, Steelcase, Swiss Post, Swiss Re, Tata Motors Limited, TD Bank Group, Tetra Pak, UBS, Unilever, Vaisala, VF Corporation, VMware, Voya Financial, Walmart, Wells Fargo, Workday and Yoox Group.
RE100.org | @theRE100 | #RE100
About EP100:
EP100 is global initiative led by The Climate Group in partnership with the Global Alliance for Energy Productivity, showcasing the world's most influential businesses committed to doubling their energy productivity. Energy productivity is about getting more economic output from each unit of energy; research suggests that doubling energy productivity in the US by 2030 could save US$327 billion a year in energy costs while reducing CO2 emissions by 33% below 2005 levels. EP100 offers a forum for sharing best practices and showcasing the leadership of companies making progress toward bold, public commitments on energy productivity. Current EP100 members include Covestro, Dalmia Cement, Danfoss, Hongbo Group, Johnson Controls, Mahindra Holidays and Resorts Ltd., Mahindra & Mahindra, Philips Lighting, and Swiss Re.
About The Companies:
Dalmia Cement has set a goal to power all its operations with 100% renewable electricity, and an interim target to increase fourfold the renewable/carbon-neutral share of its electricity use by 2030 (2015 baseline). The company currently sources around 7% of its electricity use from renewables (FY 2015-16), including solar PV. Dalmia Cement is also committed to doubling its energy productivity by FY 2029-30 (2010-11 baseline), which is significant given that most of its energy use is through heat.
Helvetia is a Swiss insurance company, already 100% renewable via Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs). It achieved this milestone in 2015, five years ahead of its original goal of 2020. It is now adding its voice to the coalition of companies signalling to policy makers and investors to further increase supply of renewable power. The Swiss Re Group is a leading provider of reinsurance to insurance companies, and insurance to mid-to-large-sized corporations and public sector clients. Swiss Re has committed to doubling its energy productivity by 2020 (2005 baseline). The company has a goal to use 100% renewable electricity by 2020 and is currently 87% of the way there (2015).
Media Contact:
Pooja Bharadwaj
[email protected]
+91-95601 66999
Asst General Manager
Dalmia Bharat Limited
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