This Earth Day, Another Certification Milestone
This 52nd Earth Day we announce our first group of Climate Neutral Certified companies for 2022 and celebrate their decision to Invest in Our Planet.
“Unless businesses act now, climate change will ever more deeply damage economies, increase scarcity, drain profits and job prospects, and impact us all. Yet we already know that private sector innovation (with public support) accelerates the kind of rapid change we need, like nothing else…So for both humanitarian and business reasons, it is imperative that companies of all sizes take action and embrace the benefits of a green economy. Tell business leaders to get on board with a sustainable future or get out of the way.” - From Earth Day 2022
Top photo: An estimated 7,000 people jam a quadrangle at the Independence Mall in Philadelphia, during Earth Week activities celebrating the eve of Earth Day, April 22, 1970. (AP Photo)
‘Rapid change…business imperative…get on board or get out of the way.’ We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. But of course we have a duty to add our spin to this tale.
First off, thanks for being here this Earth Day. It’s a big day as we announce our first set of certified companies for 2022. We added some amazing Certified brands to our community. Over the past few months we worked closely with hundreds of amazing folks from our certified brands as they pursued certification. We reviewed carbon measurement reports, answered many questions, gave all-hands briefings, arranged reduction workshops, and provided carbon market analysis.
And at the end of it all, we asked them to write some really big checks. Because that’s been our point since the beginning: get companies to measure and pay to account for all of their carbon emissions.
Few things are certain about solving climate change, but we do know this: talking about it isn’t solving it. Not in policy debates, not in diplomatic forums, not in angry Twitter threads. What solves climate change is when someone decides to put up the money to turn a coal plant into a wind farm, a kerosene tank into a battery, a clearcut into a forest.
The first Earth Day in 1970 was a day of protests against blatant abuse of the environment. It led to new policies that brought us cleaner air and water and soil. It sure would be nice if this Earth Day brought us some exciting new climate policies. But the organizers have basically said: don’t hold your breath. We’ve moved on. Voluntary action is our best hope. Get on board, or get out of the way.
The theme of this 52nd Earth Day is ‘invest in our planet’. Mobilize businesses and communities. Take matters into your own hands. Which brings us back to Climate Neutral.
Climate Neutral Certified brands take responsibility for their impact. They measure and immediately invest to avoid, remove, and reduce their carbon emissions to earn the Climate Neutral Certified label. This newest cycle of brands now joins a growing community - hundreds of new and previously Climate Neutral Certified businesses - that continues to lead the way on climate action today.
I’m confident that our certified companies would find other ways to dole out their money if climate change weren’t a thing. But it is. So they’ve done what every responsible brand should do: tally up the damage, and then find and fund ways to reverse it.
Not because of a law or a policy, but because it’s the right thing to do.
And that’s where we are. It’s time, folks. And you know what? Progress can be enjoyable. Just three years in, and we just created over one million tonnes of annual impact with more than 225 companies. And it feels great to know that we have gotten a small corner of the business world to invest in our planet.
You know what would feel even better? Another 225 companies. Not waiting for laws or policies. Just acting now.
You’ll see our label out there on a whole lot more products now: shoes and beer, hair care and underwear, snacks and backpacks.
The only thing standing in the way of more companies doing this is the mistaken belief that it’s okay not to. Sooner or later, more companies will realize it’s time. You can help them. Go holler at your favorite brands, your boss, your friend’s company’s CEO, and let’s make this happen.
“Tell business leaders to get on board … or get out of the way.”
Climate change won’t wait for a better moment. Let's seize this Earth Day to keep building the momentum.
Thank you.
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Austin Whitman is the CEO of The Change Climate Project. He started working on climate and clean energy 19 years ago and believes companies and individuals can make a huge difference for the climate if they're just shown how. When he's not engrossed in organization-building, he's probably with his family or being an amateur at one of his many hobbies.
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