Another year, another milestone! CMC and its utility partners did it again. We passed our goal of eliminating 300 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2023. In fact, we were able to cut more than 332 million pounds of carbon—10 percent more than our goal.
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere contributes to greenhouse gases (GHGs) that warm the planet. Human activities have raised the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide content by 50 percent in less than 200 years.
Our 2023 CO2 reduction is the equivalent of:
- Removing the greenhouse gas emissions from 33,523 cars for a year
- Eliminating 386,184,369 miles driven by passenger cars for a year
- Getting rid of the emissions needed for electricity for 29,312 homes for a year
- Stopping CO2 emissions from the power needed to charge 18,324,788,046 smart phones for a year. That’s right, 18 billion.
“This is an incredible example of the contributions that CMC and our utility partners can make to cut GHG gasses,” said Lisa Stotts, CMC President & CEO. “I can’t think of a better way for the company to live its vision of creating a more livable, equitable and sustainable planet for all.”
Cutting GHGs improves air quality, particularly in urban environments that can lead to premature deaths caused by asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. For example, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that outdoor air pollution could cause 6 to 9 million premature deaths a year by 2060 and cost 1 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP)—around $2.6 trillion annually.
Not a company to rest on its laurels, Stotts said CMC’s CO2 reduction goal for 2024 is 350 million pounds.
“As the industry shifts to more electrification efforts in the programs we support, I believe we can help our utility partners eliminate even more CO2,” Stotts said. “We all can see the impact that global climate change is having and every pound of CO2 we can eliminate contributes to curbing that change.”