One quarter of big UK firms have CO2 goals: survey

Around half of the UK's largest companies now report their annual greenhouse gas emissions, but only one quarter have real reduction targets in place, a survey published on Wednesday showed.

In a bid to address the business risks and opportunities presented by climate change, two-thirds of Britain's largest 350 companies by market capitalization responded to a survey by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

The findings, presented on Wednesday, showed that although only 93 companies disclosed emissions reduction targets, 183 published emissions figures in their annual corporate reports.

"The ability and willingness of the FTSE 350 responding companies to monitor activities relating to climate change reflect its inexorable rise from debate at the fringes of society to the boardroom agenda," said the CDP's findings.

The survey said half of the 350 firms reported to have an executive or board member with climate change management responsibilities.

The CDP, backed by 385 institutional investors with $57 trillion in assets under management, surveys the world's largest companies and analyzes their disclosed greenhouse gas emissions.

The report, now in its sixth year, breaks down emissions into three types representing those from burning fossil fuels, those generated by electricity bought or produced and those relating to business travel, transportation, supply chain activities and product waste.

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Source: Reuters