HONDA TARGETS CLIMATE CHANGE

USPA NEWS - 154 companies have now signed the pledge put forward by the Obama administration, each company offering specific strategies to combat climate change. In September 2015, at the United Nations General Assembly, 193 countries committed to 17 goals to achieve three extraordinary things by 2030.

These Important 'Global Goals' include end extreme poverty, fight inequality & injustice, fix climate change. American Honda and BMW are currently the only two motorcycle OEMs to sign the pledge. Here´s the text of the Pledge, in its entirety, courtesy of the White House: "We applaud the growing number of countries that have already set ambitious targets for climate action. In this context, we support the conclusion of a climate change agreement in Paris that takes a strong step forward toward a low-carbon, sustainable future." "We recognize that delaying action on climate change will be costly in economic and human terms, while accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy will produce multiple benefits with regard to sustainable economic growth, public health, resilience to natural disasters, and the health of the global environment."

Honda has made a commitment to “reducing its total company CO2 emissions by 50 percent by the year 2050, when compared to its 2000 baseline,“ as well as to “reduce the CO2 intensity of its automobiles, motorcycles and power equipment products worldwide by 30 percent by the year 2020, as compared to its 2000 baseline.“ “Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases remain at the centre of our vision for helping to address society´s energy and environmental concerns,“ said Honda North America President and CEO Takuji Yamada in a company press release. “Our efforts toward reducing GHG emissions and other environmental impacts extend to every facet of our operations.“ Part of Honda´s strategy to reach these numbers includes increasing its use of renewable energies, “establishing zero-waste-to-landfill facilities and reducing energy usage throughout its operations.“ ( courtesy Moto-USA)

What can we do to help as a business in Australia? The Global Goals Australia Campaign is a nation-wide campaign to promote the achievement of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. "The campaign aims to engage all levels of the community in the importance and fulfilment of the Global Goals in Australia and our neighbouring countries for future generations." Said CEO of Global Goals Australia Caterina Sullivan. "The fulfilment of these goals is essential for future generations to continue to enjoy a healthy and prosperous life on Earth. The Global Goals Australia Campaign works with the United Nations and NGOs to be able to provide a platform for federal, state and local governments, corporations and private companies, educational institutions, community groups, service groups and charities and religious institutions to promote their work towards the achievement of the Global Goals. This platform is for everyone to engage in the Goals and feel inspired to Tell Everyone." Said Sullivan. The Global Goals Australia Campaign also encourages people to take action towards achieving these goals and consults with different organisations about how to most effectively achieve the Global Goals for Sustainable Development by 2030.

As more and more organisations and local government departments start to listen to 'We The People' , the faster Global Goals become a unified target for everyone. Leonardo DiCaprio once said ,"This is not a partisan debate; it is a human one. Clean air and water, and a liveable climate are inalienable human rights. And solving this crisis is not a question of politics. It is our moral obligation." DiCaprio spoke recently at the UN Climate Change Summit , his opening line was , "Thank you, Mr Secretary General, your excellencies, ladies and gentleman, and distinguished guests. I´m honored to be here today, I stand before you not as an expert but as a concerned citizen, one of the 400,000 people who marched in the streets of New York on Sunday, and the billions of others around the world who want to solve our climate crisis. As an actor I pretend for a living. I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems. I believe humankind has looked at climate change in that same way: as if it were a fiction, happening to someone else´s planet, as if pretending that climate change wasn´t real would somehow make it go away." My thoughts?.....No matter which governments sign a treaty or a pledge , unless there is follow through , it was nothing more than ink on a piece of paper..... Namaste