Verizon – Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2017)

Outcome: 15%

Resolved:
Shareholders request Verizon Communications senior management, with oversight from the Board of Directors, issue a report assessing the feasibility of adopting science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets consistent with the 2-degree scenario.
Whereas:
In December 2015, representatives from 195 countries adopted the Paris Climate Agreement, which specifies a goal to limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C. In order to meet this goal, climate scientists estimate it is necessary to reduce global emissions by 55 percent by 2050 (relative to 2010 levels), entailing a US reduction target of 80 percent.
The costs of failing to address climate change are significant and according to a 2015 report by Citigroup, could lead to a $72 trillion loss to global GDP. Risky Business, a recent analysis of climate change impact, finds serious economic effects including property damage, shifting agricultural patterns, reduced labor productivity, and increased energy costs. These effects could substantially impact a company’s business operations, revenue, or expenditure.
In 2013, CDP found that four out of five companies earn a higher return on carbon reduction investments than on their overall corporate capital investments, and that energy efficiency improvements earned an average return on investment of 196%, with an average payback period between two and three years. Money saved from energy efficiency and clean energy investments can be reinvested into the business, benefiting shareholders.
Renewable energy will need increasingly to replace fossil fuels in the supply of electricity, with the management of this variable energy source dependent on adequate storage capacity. The rapid growth of the digital economy has given the telecommunications sector the opportunity to drive significant change in the demand and consumption of clean energy. With the continued growth of data usage and the corresponding demand for more energy, there is a stronger emphasis on the need for companies to diversify their energy sources. The average price of wind energy installed in 2014 was 2.5 cents per kWh according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Electricity costs from sources such as wind and solar have declined rapidly and are now cheaper in some regions than fossil fuel-based energy.
A growing number of companies are aligning their emissions reduction targets with climate science. BT Group, a leading telecommunications company and Verizon peer, is one the 196 companies who have made this commitment. BT Group has also committed to sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020. By setting ambitious climate goals BT group has achieved an 80% reduction in absolute carbon emissions 3 years early and realized £2.147 million in savings.
Verizon Communications does not currently have carbon reduction or clean energy goals that are based on climate science. By setting science-based commitments, the company can strengthen its climate change strategy, reduce costs, manage operational and reputational risk, and create new products and services.