Good morning, this is Kristin Stoller reporting. I had the opportunity to speak with Saint-Gobain CEO Benoit Bazin at the Opening Ceremony of Climate Week in New York. Bazin is focused on making the construction sector more sustainable by promoting the use of green construction materials produced by Saint-Gobain. He emphasized that sustainable construction does not have to be more expensive, as the long-term benefits in terms of energy efficiency and material recycling can make it cost-effective in the end.
In light of Climate Week, members of the Fortune CEO Initiative also shared updates on the progress their companies are making towards sustainability goals. Jim Kavanaugh from World Wide Technology highlighted their emission reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. Penny Pennington of Edward Jones mentioned their partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees, resulting in significant CO2 sequestration and water runoff reduction. Weatherford’s CEO Girish Saligram emphasized their commitment to becoming net-zero by 2050 and advancing ESG initiatives. Kevin Xu of MEBO International discussed the challenges of meeting compliance and regulations in multiple countries for a global corporation. Paul Griggs from PwC shared their goal of reducing business travel emissions and direct emissions by 50% by 2030. Pernille Lind Olsen of Henkel highlighted their focus on sustainable packaging and renewable energy sourcing. Charles Giancarlo of Pure Storage discussed their efforts to reduce e-waste, carbon emissions, and energy use in data centers.
It’s inspiring to see these companies taking concrete steps towards sustainability and showing commitment to environmental stewardship. By investing in green construction materials and setting ambitious goals for emission reduction and resource conservation, these companies are leading the way towards a more sustainable future. Let’s continue to support and celebrate these efforts as we work towards a greener, more environmentally conscious world.