Sony corporation, an electronics and entertainment company, has announced to join RE 100 ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) in San Francisco, United States.

RE 100 is a global initiative by companies committed to use 100 percent renewable energy. The initiative has brought around 140 multinational companies together to fight climate change.

Some of the other multinationals that have joined the RE 100 and committed to source 100 percent renewable electricity are the likes of McKinsey and Company and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

Recently, Facebook had also announced that it will power all its facilities, including office and data centers, with 100 percent clean and renewable energy by 2020.

According to an estimate, RE 100 members are creating demand for 182.4 TWh of renewable energy per year, which is more than enough to power a medium-sized country such as Thailand or Poland.

More companies are expected to join RE 100 as leaders from business, states, regions, and cities are meeting together for the GCAS this week in San Francisco.

“By stepping up and joining RE 100 these leading companies are saying loud and clear that 100 percent renewables are the solution — they reduce business risk and drive down greenhouse gas emissions,” the Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson said in a statement.

Indian multinationals like Infosys have also joined the initiative. Earlier, the company announced that it has developed a total capacity of 46.1 MW of rooftop and ground-mounted solar projects across the country.

Mercom has often reported about how various multinationals in India are gradually turning to solar power to meet their increasing energy requirements in a self-sustaining manner.

In July 2018, Walmart India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart Inc, said it is planning to incorporate sustainable sources such as solar energy, water harvesting, and recycling to run its stores in the country.

In March 2018, Microsoft announced the completion of its first renewable energy deal in India. Under the agreement, the company will purchase 3 MW of solar-power from Atria Power for its new office building in Karnataka’s capital city, Bengaluru. It will meet 80 percent of the projected electricity needs through this energy purchase.

India plans to achieve 40 GW of rooftop solar as part of its broader goal of achieving 100 GW of solar capacity across the country by 2022.

Nitin is a staff reporter at Mercomindia.com and writes on renewable energy and related sectors. Prior to Mercom, Nitin has worked for CNN IBN, India News, Agricultural Spectrum and Bureaucracy Today. He received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication at Manipal University and Master’s degree in International Relations from Jindal School of International Affairs. More articles from Nitin Kabeer