Big Tech Versus Climate Change

How tech companies and all of us can help slow global warming.

A growing share of Americans are concerned about the environment, and the big U.S. tech companies would seem to be in a position to lead the way on fighting climate change.

They’re rich and staffed with smart people, and they have generally pledged to do more to reduce the carbon emissions that warm the planet.

My colleague Somini Sengupta, who writes about climate change and used to cover the tech industry, walked me through confusing climate change terms and how tech companies and all of us can help slow global warming.

Shira: What does it mean when a company pledges to go “carbon neutral” or “carbon negative?”

Somini: A company will still produce carbon emissions, but it will offset that by doing things that absorb emissions from the atmosphere — like planting forests. Trees are great! They absorb carbon dioxide. At least some portion of Amazon’s and Apple’s climate action plans involve reforestation.