22 September 2021, New York - , 3M, The Estée Lauder Companies, Google and Novo Nordisk have been announced as winners of the RE100 Leadership Awards 2021, at a special ceremony at Climate Week NYC.
Judged by an international and independent panel, these RE100 members have been recognised for their pioneering work in accelerating the global transition to 100% renewable electricity.
The winners
Winner of the RE100 Market Trailblazer Award
Using a collaborative solutions approach has allowed 3M to overcome the challenges of sourcing renewables for rural locations in North America.
“We are very pleased by this recognition from RE100 and proud to report 3M is on track to surpass 50% renewable electricity use this year — four years earlier than we had anticipated. This accelerated progress can be attributed to our collaborative problem-solving approach and developing solutions that enable others to join us on the renewable path. Through collective action and our shared vision of achieving 100% renewable energy use, we are amplifying our impact on the health of our planet and creating a bright future for its people.”- Gayle Schueller, 3M Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer
Winner of the RE100 Enterprising Leader Award
The Esteé Lauder Companies used a portfolio approach to source renewable electricity for 50% of their power usage by installing an onsite 5-megawatt solar array and investing in wind power.
“It is gratifying to be recognized by the Climate Group with this year’s RE100 Enterprising Leader Award. The Estée Lauder Companies strive to develop long-term climate solutions that have the potential to positively impact the planet while meeting our business objectives. We have achieved significant milestones in our climate strategy thanks to the entrepreneurism of our dedicated team — developing an innovative, portfolio approach to source 100% renewable electricity across our direct operations, including a virtual power purchase agreement, onsite solar, and renewable energy credits. The key to innovation and scale will require continued cross-sector collaboration, and we are committed to working alongside the business community, non-profits and the public sector to address the climate crisis.”- Nancy Mahon, Senior Vice President, Global Citizenship & Sustainability, The Estée Lauder Companies
Winner of the RE100 Changemaker Award
Their innovative 24/7 clean power strategy is looking to fully decarbonise their electricity consumption, moving Google from net zero to zero emissions.
“Google is honoured to receive a 2021 RE100 Leadership Award and be recognized as a Changemaker. The urgency of climate change demands much more of all of us, which is why we announced a new ambition to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030 and are working to enable other organizations to do the same. We look forward to working with this important community of businesses committed to driving climate action and addressing the global challenge ahead of us.”- Michael Terrell, Global Head of Energy, Google
Winner of the RE100 Key Collaborator Award
Novo Nordisk have shared their expertise on renewable electricity usage and have set ambitious clean power targets with their suppliers to reduce emissions by 300,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
“Asking all of our direct suppliers to supply us using renewable power by 2030 is a key step towards our ultimate goal of having zero environmental impact. We strongly believe in the importance of collaboration and work with our suppliers to achieve this transition – an approach that we hope can inspire others to take action.”- Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, CEO, Novo Nordisk
Sam Kimmins, Head of RE100 at Climate Group, said “Each winner of this year’s Awards has demonstrated ambition and leadership along their 100% renewable electricity journey. They have shown that setting corporate targets isn’t just a tick box exercise. It’s an integral part of each business’ corporate strategy, and it influences everything they do.”
All 300+ RE100 members were invited to enter the RE100 Leadership Awards 2021, giving a broad geographical spread to this year’s shortlist and winners. From those opening up challenging markets, to members pioneering new ways of sourcing clean power, it is clear that RE100 members are driving leadership in all its forms, no matter the location.
Representing China’s transition to renewable electricity at the Leadership Awards, Alex Ju, CEO and Founder of Chindata Group and headline judge of the RE100 Changemaker Award, said “The 21st Century is the century of digital and sustainable development. Since Chindata Group's establishment, our initiative has always been sustainable development, making our hyper-scale data centres in the Asia-Pacific area environmentally friendly and affordable. It is our pleasure to work with the world's most influential businesses and pursue a zero-carbon future.”
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Contact
For any media enquiries, including interview requests, please contact: Hannah Fairley, senior communications officer at Climate Group at hfairley@theclimategroup.org
Notes to Editors
About Climate Group
Climate Group drives climate action. Fast. Our goal is a world of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all. We focus on systems with the highest emissions and where our networks have the greatest opportunity to drive change. We do this by building large and influential networks and holding organisations accountable, turning their commitments into action. We share what we achieve together to show more organisations what they could do. We are an international non-profit organisation, founded in 2004, with offices in London, New Delhi and New York. We are proud to be part of the We Mean Business coalition. Follow us on Twitter @ClimateGroup.
RE100 is a global initiative bringing together the world’s most influential businesses committed to 100% renewable power. Led by international non-profit the Climate Group in partnership with CDP, the group have a total revenue of over US$6.6 trillion and operate in a diverse range of sectors. Together, they send a powerful signal to policymakers and investors to accelerate the transition to a clean economy. #RE100
