CDP report: BMW and Nestle leading on climate progress

Published today, the CDP’s Global 500 Climate Change report 2013 includes two leadership indices, the Climate Performance Leadership Index (CPLI), which marks companies that are implementing a robust climate strategy and approach to reducing emissions and the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI), which identifies the companies that are the most climate transparent.

The index comprises those that score within the top 10% for the quality of the data they disclose. As corporate understanding of the need for clear climate accountability has developed, the minimum score to achieve a position on the CDLI has consistently risen and now stands at 97%.

While BMW achieved the maximum disclosure score of 100, some of its fellow motor manufacturers also scored highly, with prominent electric vehicle manufacturer Nissan scoring 99 along with Honda and Volkswagen.

The report also finds that 50 of the 500 largest listed companies in the world are responsible for nearly three quarters of the group’s 3.6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The carbon emitted by these 50 highest emitting companies, which primarily operate in the energy, materials and utilities sectors, has risen by 1.65% to 2.54 billion metric tons over the past four years.

This increase is equivalent to adding more than 8.5 million pickup trucks to the streets, or the supply of electricity to 6 million homes for a year.

In addition, the report shows that the five highest emitting companies from each of the ten sectors covered in the report have seen their emissions increase by an average of 2.3% since 2009.

CDP chief executive Paul Simpson, said: “Many countries are demonstrating signs of recovery following the global economic downturn. However, clear scientific evidence and increasingly severe weather events are sending strong signals that we must pursue routes to economic prosperity whilst reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

“It is imperative that big emitters improve their performance in this regard and governments provide more incentives to make this happen. The corporate world is an aggregator of both risks and opportunities from this challenge, so this report is written for businesses, investors and policy makers that want a clear understanding of how the world’s largest listed companies can transform themselves in order to protect our natural capital,” he added.

Seven companies achieved the maximum score of 100 in this year’s report, while last year just two companies achieved 100 – German pharmaceuticals company Bayer and again Nestle of Switzerland.

Leigh Stringer