Words by Smiley Team
Faced with a climate emergency, all companies have a responsibility to the environment. One with a particularly long history of eco-friendly initiatives is The Walt Disney Company, whose commitment to green enterprise goes back nearly a century. Building on this tradition, it has announced its environmental goals for 2030.
The Walt Disney Company has incorporated green thinking into its work for around 90 years, initiated by Walt Disney himself, who once said: “Conservation isn’t just the business of a few people. It’s a matter that concerns all of us.”
Its new goals are focused on five main areas: greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste, materials and sustainable design. Some of the most ambitious from this list include achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as well as purchasing and producing 100 per cent zero-carbon electricity for all their operations.
The international media enterprise hopes to collaborate with other industry groups and will invest in low carbon fuels and other solutions to climate change.
In their workplaces, they will create mechanisms to save water, serve responsibly-sourced seafood at parks and resorts and work to achieve zero waste. The company will transition to only sustainable packaging and will produce all its textiles goods from recycled, sustainable or low-impact materials.
The chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, said: “These goals focus on key areas of our business where we believe we can have a significant, lasting impact and make a positive difference in protecting our planet.”
He added: “Disney has shown a strong commitment to the environment throughout its history and we’re excited to continue building on that legacy with new, ambitious environmental goals for 2030.”
Their achievements to date include saving over 300 million gallons of water and building 292 acres of solar panels. In 2019, they brought online a 50-megawatt solar facility at Walt Disney World, which should generate enough power from the sun to operate two of their four theme parks in Orlando annually. Some of the company’s rides are fueled by cooking oil, it encourages recycling on Disney TV sets and helps maintain habitats for wildlife.
