The just concluded Paris Climate Summit (COP21) was a land mark assertion that defied concerns of terrorism and spelt out a global vision on measures required to combat the perils of climate change. It included pro active businesses announcing cuts on their carbonaceous emissions.

Matching the ambition of the negotiators was the enthusiasm and eagerness of business leaders who took part in the conference to seek ways to usher in a low-carbon world.

In the Paris summit, many big businesses impressed with their significant turn out. The CEOs of world's top companies such as Unilever's Paul Polman and Marks & Spencer's Marc Bolland and Kellogg's John Bryant were all around, talking and listening, reports The Huffington Post.

Global brands

More pertinent was the initiative of global brands, Kellogg, Sony, Coca-Cola Enterprises and a group of other companies, which agreed to restrict their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets and were ready to be certified by independent assessors, reports Reuters.

Thus Coca-Cola Enterprises (the European bottling partner of Coca-Cola Co), Dell, Enel, General Mills, Kellogg, NRG Energy, Procter & Gamble, Sony and Thalys made news by approving the goals to curb emission that will be to the equivalent of nearly 2 billion barrels of oil that will not be burned over the lifetime of their targets.

At the Caring for Climate conference, 114 companies publicly committed to manage their emissions-reduction targets to thwart the possibility of global temperature breaching the dangerous threshold of more than 2 degrees Celsius.

The UN global compact and many NGOs including the US-based World Resources Institute (WRI) had been in the frontline to persuade businesses in setting up carbon reduction goals after the 1997 Kyoto Protocol came into being. In the Paris Summit, it was made clear that companies have to steer of clear of vague promises and lay down a clear cut action plan.

According to Ignacio Gavilan, sustainability director at Consumer Goods Forum that represents 400 top retailers and manufacturers, skirting aggressive climate goals will be an invitation for attack in the social media on all brands.

Meanwhile, Kellogg’s took a huge step in climate action by announcing an ambitious science-based GHG emission reduction targets. At the New York Times Energy for Tomorrow Conference in Paris, Kellogg said it would to cut GHG emissions by 65 percent across all operations. In processes, named as Scope 1 and 2, and in the Scope 3 initiative, it would work with suppliers to reduce their emissions by 50 percent by 2050.

Nurturing planet

“Kellogg is more than a business. We care about nourishing people with our foods, feeding those in need, nurturing our planet, and living our founder's values,” said John Bryant, Kellogg Company Chairman and CEO, said a press release.

“People care about their food, where it comes from, the people who grow and make it, and that there's enough for everyone. We must live our values and communicate with transparency to earn our seat at millions of tables every day,” Bryant added.

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