Over 200 companies pledge net-zero emissions by 2040 as pressure on private sector mounts
ABC News
The announcement comes in the wake of a dire warning from a UN climate panel.
Nearly 90 new companies -- including multinational corporate giant Procter & Gamble, tech behemoth HP and cloud-computing titan Salesforce -- have signed onto the Climate Pledge, an Amazon-backed initiative that asks firms to commit to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Organizers of the Climate Pledge announced Monday a total of 86 new signatories, bringing the total number of companies involved to 201. The new commitments come as the United Nations General Assembly kicks off in New York City, with climate change talks expected to take center stage among the high-profile meeting of world leaders.
It also comes in the wake of a recent report from a U.N. panel -- that U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called a "code red for humanity" -- warning of dire environmental consequences if immediate action is not taken to cut back greenhouse gas emissions.
ASOS, Nespresso and Selfridges are among some of the other household names who joined the pledge Monday. Altogether, pledge signatories employ more than 7 million employees across 26 industries in 21 countries.
