The Fuzzy Math of Eco-Accolades

Plaudits for lower emissions don’t mean they’ve been cut

On Feb. 2 a panel of climate experts convened in a modern U.N. building in Paris to deliver the latest dire news about greenhouse gases. Across town the World Wildlife Fund held a press conference to praise three large corporations as “climate savers.” Sony (SNE ), Nike (NKE ), and French cement maker Lafarge had demonstrated that business can make “reasonable and meaningful” changes to stem global warming, the WWF announced.
Strangely, though, the companies’ own environmental reports undercut the more hopeful Paris event. Carbon emissions from all three companies have been rising: Lafarge’s by 11% over two years, Sony’s by 17% in a one-year span. While Nike trimmed emissions from a small piece of its business, overall releases from operations have increased by 50% since 1998.

The WWF is one of several major environmental groups that have befriended corporations claiming to have reduced their role in global warming. The groups argue that by lending expertise, they can change corporate behavior. But in some cases companies are gaining green cred while making only dubious progress.

Some companies provide the environmental groups with contributions or payments for services. Lafarge is paying the WWF about $6 million over three years to help fund environmental programs