Multinational clothing retail company, H&M, and US-based LED lighting manufacturer, Cree, have become the latest members of EP100, a one-year-old global, collaborative initiative of influential businesses that have pledged to double their energy efficiency.
The announcement was made of May 8 at the 2017 Energy Efficiency Global Forum (EE Global) in Washington D.C., where global leaders from business, government, and leading NGOs gathered to assess the future of energy productivity.
The EP100 initiative – organized and operated by The Climate Group in partnership with the Alliance to Save Energy – now comprise a dozen companies – among them: polymer manufacturer Covestro, LED lighting manufacturer Cree, .cement maker Dalmia, refrigeration producer Danfoss, LED manufacturer Hongbo, clothing retailer H&M, diversified technology supplier Johnson Controls, commercial property and investment company Land Securities, automaker Mahindra & Mahindra, hospitality provider Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India, insurer Swiss Re, and retailer Woolworths Holdings.
“I am beyond pleased to welcome two new companies to EP100 on the first anniversary of the program." said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, adding, "EP100 is a unique chance for companies to demonstrate the business case for clean energy through the adoption of the ambitious goal of doubling energy productivity. Leading by example, H&M, Cree and all other EP100 companies are helping us [to] build a stronger economy and a healthier, more prosperous world through the deployment of the efficient technologies and practices we know create jobs and improve the environment.”
Jenny Chu, head of Energy Productivity Initiatives, The Climate Group, remarked, “We know that business accounts for about half of the electricity used worldwide and, by focusing on energy-productivity outcomes, companies like H&M and Cree demonstrate that corporates can reduce their own energy demand, improve their bottom lines and contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.”
On joining the campaign, Pierre Borjesson, Global Sustainability business expert for H&M said: “‘Using less energy and increasing our economic output is a fundamental part of our strategy. We have long been working to reduce our climate impact and recently launched our new commitment to achieve a climate positive value chain by 2040. This means H&M will support reductions of greenhouse gases to a larger extent than what our value chain emits. Two of our key priorities are leadership in energy productivity and using renewable energy throughout the value chain.”
By 2030 at the latest, H&M has committed to build future stores using 40 percent less energy per square meter, compared to those constructed today. Within its stores, the retailer aims to invest in new technologies for lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Additionally, H&M aims to have 100 percent of its supplier partners enrolled in an energy efficiency program by 2025, as well as to reduce the energy used in its logistics transport and warehouses.
According to EP100, Cree has been a leader on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction in recent year, joining the “Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR” campaign in 2010. As part of the campaign, Cree has saved over one million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from 2015 to 2016, and over 200,000 pounds of GHGs from 2016 to 2017.
Greg Merritt, VP of Marketing and Public Affairs for Cree said, “Joining EP100 is a natural for us, as improving energy productivity is the essence of what we do at Cree. Our constant innovations in LEDs, LED lighting, and other Cree technologies enable people to do more and consume less.”
According to a 2015 report issued by Ecofys Consultancy, doubling energy productivity globally could cut the global fossil fuel bill by an estimated $2.3 trillion and could create more than 6 million jobs by 2020.
