Google, Apple, Microsoft pledge to fight climate change

Major businesses, including several tech companies, have taken up the White House's pledge to help combat climate change. In a statement today, the Obama administration detailed the threat climate change poses to the world as a whole, pointing out that 19 of the 20 hottest recorded years have happened in the last two decades, and that we're already collectively experiencing things like bigger storms, longer droughts, and more frequent wildfires. That's why the White House has launched its Climate Action Plan to cut pollution, and many companies have signed the American Business Act on Climate pledge to do their part.

According to the White House, the Climate Action Plan will cut almost 6 billion tons of carbon pollution up through the year 2030, something said to be so massive it would be equaled by removing all cars from US roads for more than four years. In addition, Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed that China will curb its emissions by about 2030.

In addition, hundreds of private companies have made a pledge to help fight climate change, and among them are some big tech companies: Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Other well known businesses that have pledged include Coca Cola, GM, UPS, Walmart, Bank of America, and Pepsi, among others.

They have all signed the American Business Act on Climate pledge, which represents their support for a "strong outcome in the Paris climate negotiations", a commitment to action against climate change, a desire to set a positive example for other companies, and more.

You can read each company's pledge in full on the White House's website.