DOE announces pledges from 90+ organizations to slash emissions by 50% within decade
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces a commitment from over 90 companies and organizations to reduce their carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 through DOE’s Better Climate Challenge. This national public-private partnership calls on organizations across the country to set bold, portfolio-wide greenhouse gas reduction targets and share their innovative solutions and best practices with partners and across industries.
DOE will double down on these commitments
DOE will be providing technical assistance and convening peer-to-peer exchanges to facilitate solution sharing across their facilities and fleets. Inaugural partners in the Better Climate Challenge include IKEA Retail U.S., Hilton, Harley-Davidson, the Cleveland Clinic, and the State of Maryland. Public-private partnerships like the Better Climate Challenge are key to reaching President Biden’s goal of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050 through an equitable clean energy transition.
Partners take on goals for buildings and factories
Partnered companies and organizations have committed to reducing their enterprise-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% within 10 years without the use of offsets. Partners will work with DOE to provide annual updates while working collaboratively to identify pathways and key areas for collaboration and improvement. By taking on this goal for their buildings and factories, partners in the Better Climate Challenge are helping the nation meet its economy-wide goal of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. If all organizations in the commercial, public, and industrial sectors reduced their U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, it would save nearly 1.5 billion metric tons of CO2e annually, more than the emissions from every home in the country.
The bold climate goals of the Better Climate Challenge will foster cutting-edge innovation and help American businesses decarbonize a crucial sector while they reap the benefits of investing in cleaner and cheaper energy, These commitments harness the collective power of American businesses to carve new pathways to emissions reductions and accelerate progress towards deploying climate solutions across the country and reaching our zero-emissions goals.
Gina McCarthy, White House Climate Advisor.
Combating the climate crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, including innovation in the public-private sector to substantially reduce our nation’s carbon footprint. I applaud the organizations participating in the Better Climate Challenge to shrink harmful carbon emissions by 50 percent over the next decade. Embracing energy efficiency and shifting towards clean energy not only creates jobs and bolsters our economy, but also builds a more sustainable future in the Granite State and around the country,
Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senator
Today, Secretary Granholm, Secretary Fudge, and Advisor McCarthy hosted a roundtable with Better Climate Challenge partners to highlight their commitment to curbing emissions and sharing best practices. They were joined by current partners, who represent multiple sectors of the U.S. economy, including state and local government, commercial, industrial, multifamily, and higher education.
DOE’s Better Climate Challenge builds on over a decade of experience working with partners to set portfolio wide goals and to address barriers to greater energy efficiency though the Better Buildings Initiative. More than 950 organizations work with DOE as part of the Better Buildings Initiative and partners have shared more than 3000 innovative approaches and strategies for accelerating the adoption of energy efficient technologies and practices. Discover more about these solutions on the Better Buildings Solution Center.
To learn more, visit DOE’s website.