Greenhouse Gases | Jonathan Gilligan

Government action isn't enough for climate change: The private sector can cut billions of tons of carbon

21 June 2017, by Jonathan Gilligan and Michael Vandenbergh climate change, climate policy, private governance, Paris agreement, greenhouse gases, green business, Michael Vandenbergh, The Conversation, behavioral wedge

With President Trump’s announcement to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, many other countries around the world—and cities and states within the U.S.—are stepping up their commitments to address climate change.

But one thing is clear: Even if all the remaining participating nations do their part, governments alone can’t substantially reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change.

Private industry, better messaging can help overcome damage from Paris withdrawal

2 June 2017, by Heidi Hall Michael Vandenbergh, private governance, Paris gap, Paris agreement, greenhouse gases, climate change

President Donald Trump’s announcement on Thursday that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement phases out U.S. commitments to achieve carbon reduction targets and make financial contributions to slow climate change.

It was a move environmentalists found disappointing, at best. But Vanderbilt University law and earth science professors contend initiatives that reduce carbon emissions from corporations and households can fill some of the gap.

They point to the example of Walmart, which reduced carbon emissions worldwide by more than 20 million metric tons by focusing on efficiency in its global supply chain. Google agreed to locate its massive data center in Clarksville, Tennessee, only after the Tennessee Valley Authority agreed to supply it with renewable power.