Networked Enterprise Featured Article

Thirteen of the largest companies in the U.S. showed their support for climate change and energy efficiency by meeting with the White House, Secretary of State John Kerry and senior U.S. officials yesterday for the launch of the Obama administration’s American Business Act on Climate Pledge.

Alcoa, Apple, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Cargill, Coca-Cola, General Motors (News - Alert), Goldman Sachs, Google, Microsoft, PepsiCo, UPS, and Walmart met with the White House and pledged their support to the initiative. Combined, these companies represented more than $1.3 trillion in revenue last year and have a combined market capitalization of more than $2.5 trillion.

The pledge shows support for strong measures at the Paris climate negotiations, encourages low-carbon investment and a focus on renewable energy, and asks companies to set a strong example of energy efficiency for their peers.

Government also has a strong role to play in leading the way in energy efficiency, and companies such as Panduit are enabling the public sector to increase energy efficiency through improved building technology and sustainability.

For instance, Panduit’s Net-Contain Passive Thermal Containment Systems can save energy in government buildings by using a vertical exhaust duct that channels hot exhaust air directly into the ceiling plenum to prevent mixing for improved cooling utilization.

Other energy efficiency measures that public buildings can put in place include cold aisle and hot aisle containment, which physically separates cold and hot exhaust air to reduce energy use.

Solutions such as these can be applied not only to government buildings, but also to those in the private sector. Public buildings can lead the way, however, showing both the cost and environmental advantages of smart building technologies that reduce energy use.

The impacts of climate change is being felt; 19 of the 20 hottest years on record occurred in the past two decades, according to the White House, and this climactic change effects everyone. Rising temperatures can lead to more smog, longer allergy seasons, and an increased incidence of extreme-weather-related injuries, among other effects such as more natural disasters.

Addressing climate change requires a partnership among both public and private sector organizations, and the new American Business Act on Climate Pledge is an attempt to form that partnership to create lasting positive change on the environment.