Skip to main content

Apple, Google, and other tech companies lead the way in fighting climate change

american business act on climate pledge 4248409028 c4cbac7c20 b
Flickr/Mikael Miettinen
Going green is all the rage in corporate America these days, especially with stakeholders expressing a deeper interest in supporting companies with green, sustainable practices. And now, tech giants Google, Microsoft, and Apple have joined the White House to launch the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, along with 10 other behemoths of business: Alcoa, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Cargill, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Goldman Sachs, PepsiCo, UPS, and Walmart. With more than $1.3 trillion in combined revenue last year and a total “market capitalization of at least $2.5 trillion,” if this group puts their money where their mouths are, there might be some serious movement in the climate change community in the very near future.

At least, this is the hope of Secretary of State John Kerry and other members of the Obama administration, who have brought together the aforementioned heavy hitters to draw attention to the climate crisis, reinforce their own commitment to taking action against the issue, and ultimately, set an example for their peers. Unfortunately, there appear to be few truly actionable steps being taken today (especially among companies that are already considered “green” to the casual observer), but still, the message behind the movement is growing louder and clearer.

According to the White House’s fact sheet regarding the pledge, signatories agree to “voice support for a strong Paris outcome,” referring to the fast approaching U.N. Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris in November. In a blog post announcing its involvement, Google reiterated its support for the Paris conference, saying, “Reaching a strong deal in Paris is an absolute and urgent necessity. The data is clear and the science is beyond dispute: a warming planet poses enormous threats to society.”

Moreover, pledge takers are expected to demonstrate “an ongoing commitment to climate action,” with companies agreeing to “significant new pledges to reduce their emissions, increase low-carbon investments, deploy more clean energy, and take other actions to build more sustainable businesses.”

In a blog post of its own, Microsoft has promised to “maintain carbon neutral operations for our emissions from all our operations — including datacenters, offices, labs, manufacturing — through efficiency, green power, and offset, produce and purchase 100 percent green power for all of our operation, and offset 100 percent of emissions from fuel combustion, business air travel, and other sources through supporting carbon offset projects that also drive social benefits.”

Given the enormous impact these 13 companies have already had on the financial landscape of the country (and the world at large), it seems fair to say that a public renewal of its commitment towards a greener future can only aid in the fight against global warming.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Don’t buy the Meta Quest Pro for gaming. It’s a metaverse headset first
Meta Quest Pro enables 3D modeling in mixed reality.

Last week’s Meta Connect started off promising on the gaming front. Viewers got release dates for Iron Man VR, an upcoming Quest game that was previously a PS VR exclusive, as well as Among Us VR. Meta, which owns Facebook, also announced that it was acquiring three major VR game studios -- Armature Studio, Camouflaj Team, and Twisted Pixel -- although we don’t know what they’re working on just yet.

Unfortunately, that’s where the Meta Connect's gaming section mostly ended. Besides tiny glimpses and a look into fitness, video games were not the show's focus. Instead, CEO Mark Zuckerberg wanted to focus on what seemed to be his company’s real vision of VR's future, which involves a lot of legs and a lot of work with the Quest Pro, a mixed reality headset that'll cost a whopping $1,500.

Read more
Meet the game-changing pitching robot that can perfectly mimic any human throw
baseball hitter swings and misses

Who’s your favorite baseball pitcher? Shane McClanahan? Sandy Alcantara? Justin Verlander? Whoever you said, two of the top sports-tech companies in the U.S. -- Rapsodo and Trajekt Sports -- have teamed up to build a robot version of them, and the results are reportedly uncannily accurate.

Okay, so we’re not talking about walking-talking-pitching standalone robots, as great a sci-fi-tinged MLB ad as that would be. However, Rapsodo and Trajekt have combined their considerable powers to throw a slew of different technologies at the problem of building a machine that's able to accurately simulate the pitching style of whichever player you want to practice batting against -- and they may just have pulled it off, too.

Read more
The best portable power stations
EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Read more