Business bosses join the push to slash emissions

A HIGH-POWERED group of 33 chief executives of major Australian companies such as Coles, Ampol and Qantas – plus another 120 businesses and major organisations including Kmart and Lendlease have committed to plans to slash emissions.

The chief executives – including the bosses of resources giants BHP and Rio Tinto – will today release a roadmap to achieving major emissions reductions by 2030.

The Roadmap to 2030 report will today be released by the Climate Leaders Coalition as a “pragmatic guide for any business leader on how to prepare for and achieve emissions reductions”, according to CLC cochair John Lydon.

The CLC represents companies who employ more than 632,000 people and generate more than $300bn in revenue.

Significantly, some of their members include some of the biggest emitters, responsible for 22 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Coles has already signed off on a deal for all their operations and supermarkets to be 100 per cent renewably powered by 2025.

“CLC members are also conscious of the skills required for the challenge and the key role of employees in delivering change,” Mr Lydon said.

“Preparing existing workforces and creating new jobs are twin objectives to provide the basis for an inclusive transition to a new competitive and sustainable economy.”

Meanwhile, The Race to Zero project, helmed by the Smart Energy Council, brings on board non-state actors such as companies, investors, cities, regions, educational, and healthcare institutions who are taking action to cut their emissions ahead of, or regardless of, government targets.

“Australian businesses get it,” Smart Energy Council chief executive John Grimes said.

“They know we need urgent action on climate change, and they’ve rolled up their sleeves to get moving in line with what is the greatest challenge of our generation. It’s now time for our political leaders to step up. We’ve had a policy vacuum for too long.”