The failure to pass new climate change legislation will not halt climate change initiatives currently underway at many leading US firms, according to a new report from the Climate Registry emission reporting group.
The not-for-profit body, which aims to promote public and standardised reporting of carbon emissions, polled over 100 of its corporate members and found that the desire to cut costs and improve environmental credentials were the main drivers for emission reduction projects.
The report, which was published yesterday, found that fewer than a fifth of respondents felt their future greenhouse management or reduction plans were driven in the main by legal requirements.
Almost half said that they expected regulatory requirements to have a major impact on their environmental strategies over the next few years. But with 51 per cent predicting rising energy costs will have a similarly significant impact, the survey will offer encouragement that green initiatives will continue even if the Obama administration's controversial climate change bill is defeated.
Surprisingly while 16 per cent said they saw the reduction of greenhouse gases as a commercial opportunity, and hoped to make money by participating in the carbon offsets market, only the same proportion predicted that consumer pressure to be green would have a significant on business operations over the next few years.
The poll also offered further evidence that emission reduction projects have become part of the mainstream corporate landscape with almost 70 per cent of respondents confirming their short term business plan included a greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy.
Moreover, nearly half of the companies participating in the study have established greenhouse gas reduction goals, reduced emissions and completed a sustainability report.
Although the organisations cited a wide range of measures they planned to implement to reach those goals, most included a combination of energy efficiency, renewable energy, fuel switching, and energy conservation, as well as reductions in so-called Scope 3 supply chain emissions through improved green purchasing practices.
Hundreds of public and private organisations and companies report their emissions to The Climate Registry, which bills itself as the only voluntary emissions registry in North America.
US Department of Agriculture and dairy industry sign landmark partnership to slash emissions and accelerate roll out of anaerobic digestors 29 Dec 2009
Surveys on both sides of Atlantic reveal support for efforts to curb carbon emissions remains more robust than expected 11 Jun 2010
Centre for Alternative Technology launches influential report that shows how Britain could eliminate emissions by 2030 16 Jun 2010
US energy giant quits coal lobby group embroiled in anti-Waxman-markey bill forged letters scandal 03 Sep 2009
Connection to Solvay chemicals suggests opposition to action on global warming is spreading from 'big oil' to 'big chemical' 22 Apr 2010
Power supplier urges companies with complex or foreign ownership structures to engage with the Environment Agency immediately 30 Jul 2010
Danish firm’s swan song gives way to new turbine blade maker on Isle of Wight 30 Jul 2010
Memorandum signed with Energy Department to use more renewables 30 Jul 2010
More news
Energy analyst's report questions wisdom of DECC’s energy review 29 Jul 2010
Telecity becomes 300th organisation to get the Trust’s official stamp for ongoing carbon reduction 28 Jul 2010
The price of decarbonising versus the price of business as usual: both are variables 28 Jul 2010 More in-depth
