Corporate Accountability

We must hold major corporate producers and users of climate pollutants accountable for reducing emissions and adopting alternatives. 

Super pollutant greenhouse gasses and toxic chemicals pose a serious threat which cannot be remedied without action from the private sector. We work with industry stakeholders to advocate for climate policies that benefit both businesses and the planet. Through our Climate-Friendly Supermarkets platform we engage with food retailers and equipment manufacturers to shed light on the impact of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) leaking from grocer refrigeration. We utilize the market knowledge of leading manufacturers to encourage corporations to take action on this urgent yet feasible opportunity to dramatically reduce emissions. 

In parallel, our investigative reports place pressure on corporations whose practices or policies are standing in the way of meeting our climate targets for a habitable planet. This work is essential to advocate for ambitious industry action to reduce emissions from the cooling sector.

Related Resources

Report

Climate Polluter Alert for Community Ice Rinks

Has your community ice rink been told synthetic coolants like Opteon are “environmentally friendly?” Community ice rinks throughout North America are the targets of climate misinformation and greenwashing by companies seeking to profit by encouraging a switch to synthetic coolants which dramatically warm the planet [and contain “forever chemicals”]. Synthetic coolants, known as HFCs or […]

Press Release

Dangerous Climate Pollutant Leaks Uncovered in NYC Supermarket Chain

New York City, NY – A new report from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in partnership with the climate group 350NYC.org uncovers what appear to be significant emissions of super-pollutant greenhouse gases from the local NYC supermarket chain Gristedes. Invisible leaks of refrigerants from supermarket cooling systems are a major source of climate pollution. According […]

Report

Chemical Nightmare – Ending emissions of fluorochemical greenhouse gases

In 2018, scientists revealed alarming, unexpected emissions of CFC-11, a potent ozone-depleting substance (ODS) which had been banned for nearly a decade. EIA investigations traced the source of CFC-11 to illegal production and use in the polyurethane foam sector in China, which had gone undetected for years by the Montreal Protocol’s existing monitoring and compliance […]

Report

2022 Climate-friendly Supermarket Scorecard

In 2020, EIA released its first report scoring the biggest U.S. supermarket chains on their actions to reduce emissions of climate super pollutant hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Despite some improvement since then, our new 2022 report reveals that US supermarket retailers have made insufficient progress in phasing out HFCs and improving refrigerant management practices. Of the sixteen companies […]

Press Release

EIA SCORECARD: U.S. Supermarkets Still Clinging to Climate Super Pollutants

WASHINGTON DC – Today, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) released its second Climate-Friendly Supermarket Scorecard assessing the largest U.S. supermarket chains on actions to reduce hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – potent greenhouse gases used in cooling with climate impacts thousands of times higher than CO2. Overall, despite the widespread availability of climate-friendly technology, of the sixteen companies evaluated, […]

Press Release

AS THOUSANDS PETITION KROGER TO TAKE ACTION ON “SUPER POLLUTANT” REFRIGERANTS, 35% OF VOTING SHAREHOLDERS VOICE AGREEMENT

In Less Than 2 Weeks, 12,000+ Customers Sign Letter to Kroger CEO on Eliminating the Use of Hydrofluorocarbons that Fuel the Climate Crisis; Consumer Pressure Will Continue Until Kroger Successfully Addresses HFCs. WASHINGTON DC – JUNE 24, 2022 – Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the United States, is facing growing pressure from customers over […]