World tech giants halved their enterprise flight emissions in 2023 in comparison with 2019, however corporations like Apple and Google are falling behind, risking a return to pre-pandemic ranges, a Brussels-based NGO stated in a report.
Enterprise journey final yr approached pre-pandemic ranges however trailed behind leisure journeys, as geopolitical conflicts and a slower rebound in key markets hindered full restoration.
Emissions from company flights by 26 main tech corporations analysed by Journey Sensible, a marketing campaign led by Transport & Surroundings (T&E) dropped by a mean of 49% in 2023, it discovered.
Whereas this exhibits that many tech corporations are on the proper path, solely seven have set particular discount targets which are important to preserving enterprise flight numbers in verify, T&E stated.
Google, which has not set a objective to chop emissions, and Apple, which set a broader goal, are slowly creeping again towards 2019 ranges, T&E stated. The 2 had been among the many worst performers, with reductions in company journey emissions of simply 23% and 31% in 2023, respectively.
“How can [Google CEO] Sundar Pichai say that Google is progressing to a sustainable future when its journey emissions are going within the unsuitable course?” stated Denise Auclair, company journey supervisor at T&E.
Microsoft, IBM and SAP, regardless of vital cuts, are additionally in danger as they’re among the many corporations that fly essentially the most with out having set discount targets, T&E stated.
Discount targets
“Tech corporations have claimed to be local weather leaders for a very long time, and plenty of have considerably lowered their enterprise journey emissions, but when they wish to be credible, they have to set discount targets,” Auclair added.
Requested about its efficiency, Apple stated it has already lowered its greenhouse fuel emissions by greater than 55% since 2015 as a part of its objective to develop into carbon-neutral by 2030.
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“We’re attaining this by making reductions throughout our whole carbon footprint — together with enterprise journey — and implementing vital cuts to the most important sources of our emissions,” a spokesman for Apple stated.
Different corporations weren’t instantly accessible for remark. — Dagmarah Mackos, (c) 2024 Reuters
