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IBM’s 30th Annual Environmental Report highlights reduction in CO2 emissions

IBM implemented 1,660 energy conservation projects at nearly 230 locations globally. These projects delivered annual energy savings of 136,000 MWh, equal to 3.2% of the company’s total energy use during 2019 and surpassing the corporate goal of 3%.

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Photo by Miriam Espacio from Unsplash.com

IBM’s operational CO2 emissions have been reduced by 39.7%  since 2005, according to IBM’s 30th annual IBM and the Environment Report, released today. The achievement puts IBM well ahead of schedule in reaching its current goal of a 40% reduction in COemissions by 2025.

In addition, 47% of the electricity IBM consumed in 2019 came from renewable sources, keeping the company on track to get 55% of its electricity from renewables by 2025.

IBM implemented 1,660 energy conservation projects at nearly 230 locations globally. These projects delivered annual energy savings of 136,000 MWh, equal to 3.2% of the company’s total energy use during 2019 and surpassing the corporate goal of 3%.

“IBM was instrumental in establishing corporate environmental reporting three decades ago because we saw that embracing openness drives results,” said Wayne Balta, vice president of environmental affairs and product safety. “Our continual and dependable progress throughout the years has been underscored by our dedication to transparent reporting and IBM’s values.”

Other highlights from the report; in 2019:

  • IBM implemented 1,660 energy conservation projects at nearly 230 locations globally. These projects delivered annual energy savings of 136,000 MWh, equal to 3.2% of the company’s total energy use during 2019 and surpassing the corporate goal of 3%. IBM has sustained a goal for energy conservation since 1975 and began reporting annual energy conservation savings in 1992. Getting the same work done with less energy has long been a top priority at IBM for addressing climate change. 
  • IBM became a Founding Member of the Climate Leadership Council and supports its bipartisan roadmap for a carbon tax with corresponding carbon dividend.  
  • Technical experts at IBM across the company’s business units and research division continued to develop new ways of helping to solve difficult environmental problems based upon data and today’s exponential information technologies — including AI, analytics, IoT and blockchain, which have the power to change business models, reinvent processes, and reimagine work.

These solutions demonstrate “good tech” and the art of the possible. For example, IBM Research developed an AI-based forecasting and control system that improves electricity storage in photovoltaic systems. And IBM created a digital farming platform that will provide farmers with hyperlocal weather forecasts in addition to offering real-time recommendations tailored to the specific needs of individual fields and crops, helping to increase crop production, save water and decrease the need for fertilizers and pesticides.

Transparency in Carbon Reporting
The report codifies IBM’s longstanding practice of transparency in carbon reporting to ensure that IBM’s disclosure of energy consumption, COemissions, and renewable energy be done in a way that is clear.

“Climate change represents a serious threat to our planet that must be addressed right now,” Balta continued. “Transparent communications are essential to secure popular support for action.”

A long history of excellence
In addition to being one of the first multinational companies to produce its own environmental report, IBM also led the creation of the first cross-industry guidelines for voluntary corporate environmental reporting back in the early 1990s. Upon working with industry peers, learning from business associations, and with input from the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES), IBM and nine other companies published the Public Environmental Reporting Initiative (PERI) Guidelines in 1994. These guidelines marked a beginning of what has since become a common business practice for many companies. 

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Shell Philippines turns 3 metric tons of plastic waste into bike racks for sustainable mobility project

Shell Philippines bought plastic credits from PCX Markets,a responsibility platform that offers upstream solutions and helps fund plastic pollution cleanup projects around the world. 

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Shell Philippines has delivered a set of 110 bike racks made from 3,000 kg of plastic waste around Metro Manila and Southern Luzon as part of a unique activation to help encourage sustainable mobility and spotlight the power of the circular economy.

The Philippines has been hard hit by the plastic waste crisis which threatens the health of our planet.  The country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act, which requires large companies to recover 40% of their plastic packaging footprint in 2024, aims to encourage a circular economy for plastics to ensure waste doesn’t end up in nature.

Shell Philippines bought plastic credits from PCX Markets,a responsibility platform that offers upstream solutions and helps fund plastic pollution cleanup projects around the world.  One credit enables the collection and processing of 1,000 kilograms of plastic waste by project partners listed on PCX Markets. This purchase supports the work of EFT Philippines, an SME based in Davao that upcycles plastic waste into various items such as outdoor furniture.

Funds raised by credit sales helped EFT Philippines expand collection and purchase more plastic waste from informal sector waste pickers through aggregators, such as junk shops..  Shell went on to purchase upcycled bike racks from EFT, helping fund the entire circular journey of plastic waste, from collection through to processing and finally, through the purchase of the end product.

Shell unveiled the project on October 24, 2024 including the first prototype, as part of the company’s Sustainability Week event in Manila. The first 55 bike racks was installed in various Shell Mobility sites in Q1 of 2025, and another 55 will be deployed within the the 3rd quarter of 2025.

Shell supports the need for improved circularity of plastics markets and globally aims to increase the amount of recycled plastic in Shell-branded packaging to 30% by 2030 and ensure that the packaging used in their products is reusable or recyclable. The company’s approach to sustainability is integrating sustainable practices in every aspect of the business, from its operations to customer interactions. 

In the Philippines, Shell has partnered with PCX Markets to develop a downstream plastic diversion program that helps fund several recycling, upcycling, and social impact projects to help keep plastic out of nature. 

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Cebu Pacific Catering Services (CPCS) committed to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs across its operations by 2030

The company’s commitment follows similar pledges by major airline caterers worldwide, including its partner Cathay Pacific Catering Services in Hong Kong, demonstrating a coordinated industry shift toward more responsible sourcing practices.

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Cebu Pacific Catering Services (CPCS) won praise from international NGO Lever Foundation for committing to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs across its operations by 2030. This commitment aligns CPCS with a growing movement among international airline caterers to advance animal welfare standards in their supply chains.

“Our commitment to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs by 2030 reflects CPCS’s dedication to aligning with global sustainability standards while maintaining the highest quality in airline catering,” said Sherwin B. Olivar, General Manager at Cebu Pacific Catering Services Inc. “This initiative represents an important step in our ongoing efforts to implement responsible sourcing practices that meet international standards.”

A joint venture between MacroAsia Corporation, Cathay Pacific Catering Services of Hong Kong, and MGO Pacific Resources Corporation, CPCS prepares over 2000 meals daily for International flights at Mactan-Cebu International Airport. The company’s commitment follows similar pledges by major airline caterers worldwide, including its partner Cathay Pacific Catering Services in Hong Kong, demonstrating a coordinated industry shift toward more responsible sourcing practices.

“CPCS’s full transition to cage-free eggs demonstrates its strong leadership in sustainability within the airline catering sector,” said Robyn del Rosario, Sustainability Program Manager at Lever Foundation, which worked with the company on developing its new commitment. “Their decision will influence regional supply chains and show how international partnerships can drive positive change in the aviation services industry.”

Cage-free egg production, in which hens are given the freedom to move in open indoor environments, improves animal welfare and significantly lowers food safety risks compared to caged egg production. Exhaustive research by the European Food Safety Authority found that cage-free egg farms are up to 25 times less likely to be contaminated with key strains of salmonella than caged egg farms. The production of caged eggs has been banned across Europe, as well as in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Bhutan and parts of India, Australia and the United States. An increasing number of consumers have also been leaving eggs off their plate as the best way to help laying hens.

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PepsiCo continues its plastic waste diversion with Loop Lokal program in PH

pep+ aims to drive action and progress across three key pillars—Positive Agriculture, Positive Value Chain, and Positive Choices—bringing together PepsiCo’s efforts under a comprehensive sustainability framework.

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PepsiCo continues to proactively find solutions to address plastic waste and invest in solutions that benefit communities and the environment. In 2024, as part of its broader pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) ambition to drive sustainable change across its value chain, PepsiCo joined hands with Evergreen Labs Philippines to support solid waste collection and diversion efforts through its Loop Lokal program—strengthening local systems and advancing progress toward a circular economy.

pep+ aims to drive action and progress across three key pillars—Positive Agriculture, Positive Value Chain, and Positive Choices—bringing together PepsiCo’s efforts under a comprehensive sustainability framework.

“Plastic waste is a complex challenge, and addressing it requires steady, collaborative effort. Through our partnership with Evergreen Labs, we’re taking a practical step to strengthen local waste systems while avoiding harmful practices like open burning or co-processing. Instead, we’re supporting a model that upcycles plastic waste into something of value—driving better environmental outcomes and meaningful impact for local communities,” said Aditya Ahuja, General Manager, PepsiCo, Malaysia and Philippines (Foods).

In 2024, the Loop Lokal Program was launched across Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Cebu, Iloilo, and Guimaras Island, activating 11 communities and diverting over 180 metric tons of plastic waste. The program validated the effectiveness of a bottom-up, community-driven recycling model that empowers local government units (LGUs) and residents to expand existing environmental programs with targeted support from the private sector. By alleviating the financial burden of incentivizing community participation, the model promotes shared responsibility and demonstrates a scalable, replicable solution for a broader environmental impact.

A critical component of the Loop Lokal Program is PepsiCo’s investment in strengthening sorting and segregation infrastructure, particularly at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Biñan City, Laguna. Previously operating at limited capacity, the Biñan Ecopark is now being transformed into a hub suited for growth—with our investment enabling the addition of advanced equipment, including the installation of a mechanized sorting line, baling machine, and plastic crushing equipment. These enhancements aim to improve the site’s operational efficiency, streamlined material flow, and increased its capacity for pre-processing and recovery.

This infrastructure investment drives market efficiency by reducing leakages in the waste value chain and laying the groundwork for a replicable, scalable model of municipal waste recovery. Most importantly, it strengthens the collection and diversion infrastructure needed for the Philippines to meet its increasing targets under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law.

Across the 11 communities, Evergreen Labs Philippines implemented a range of community-centric engagement activities—from offering food incentives for plastic donations to partnering with LGUs and local organizations to strengthen existing waste diversion systems. The collected plastic waste was processed by local partners and upcycled into boards, lumber, and bricks—products that are now being used and sold locally, creating livelihoods and keeping value within the community.

“Funding from companies like PepsiCo makes it possible for us to design models that directly engage communities in sustainable waste management and environmental conservation. These efforts generate livelihoods, strengthen government systems, and ultimately keep tons of plastic waste out of our oceans and landfills,” shared Erica Cardoso, Managing Director of Evergreen Labs Philippines.

The Loop Lokal Program between Evergreen Labs Philippines and PepsiCo is slated to continue in 2025.

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