Six Businesses Launch Corporate Coalition for Innovation & Technology Toward Net Zero

A coalition of six global companies announced the public launch of the Corporate Coalition for Innovation & Technology toward Net Zero (CCITNZ), a cross-sector business alliance dedicated to helping countries meet decarbonization and climate change goals through innovation and technology. CCITNZ has been working behind the scenes since its creation in late 2021.

CCITNZ intends to serve as an accelerator for industries across sectors and geographies to innovate and develop breakthrough technologies to help achieve these goals. Founding members include Bechtel, GE, GM, Honeywell, Invenergy and Johnson Controls.

The objectives of CCITNZ include:

• Innovation and Technology: Promote concrete, practical and cost-effective technology solutions to tackle emissions and decarbonization challenges;
• Partnership: Promote strong partnerships with stakeholders in the private, public and social sectors across international venues and forums to enable solutions beyond what any one stakeholder can realize;
• Energy Security: Partner with governments and other stakeholders to advance energy security, decarbonization and sustainable development needs;
• Policy: Support sound public policies that are consistent with improving environmental effectiveness and foster innovation; and
• Resource: Provide expertise and thought leadership to governments and other stakeholders on technology and innovation as they seek to achieve their decarbonization and climate change goals.

“CCITNZ provides a forum and network to help to develop solutions that help governments and other customers to reduce emissions and achieve their climate goals,” said Stu Jones, Bechtel’s president of regions and corporate relations. “We have a successful test case here in Egypt. The collective commitment we bring can be a resource, especially to emerging economies.”

“The ‘Implementation COP’ is the perfect venue to launch CCITNZ as Egypt is showcasing how countries are putting promises into action and delivering on the commitments made at COP26,” said Roger Martella, GE’s chief sustainability officer. “CCITNZ will play a pivotal role in advancing the technology and innovation needed to reach net zero.”

“GM is proud to join CCITNZ as we work to drive from commitment to action,” said Kristen Siemen, GM’s chief sustainability officer. “We look forward to strengthening our relationships with this coalition of diverse stakeholders as we help build the infrastructure the world needs to meet our collective climate goals.”

“We are proud to be a part of the CCITNZ coalition and help industries and nations around the world achieve their near- and long-term decarbonization goals,” said Ben Driggs, Honeywell’s president of global high growth regions. “This initiative reflects the aim of COP27 to drive meaningful action against sustainability pledges being made around the world and highlights the clear benefit of cross-industry partnership in support of these goals.”

“We are living in an exceptional time defined by unprecedented levels of focus on and investment in the global transition to clean energy,” said Jim Murphy, Invenergy’s president and corporate business leader. “Our collective impact and efforts are the key to reaching global net zero goals, and Invenergy is proud to join our CCITNZ partners and share its expertise as a leading clean and renewable energy developer with global leaders who share our common vision for a sustainable world.”

“We are at an inflection point when it comes to our planet’s health. Buildings account for 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, so it is clear that we have to act now.  The good news is technology exists now to check climate change while growing economies and bringing prosperity, health and well-being for all,” said Katie McGinty, Johnson Controls’ vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer.  “At Johnson Controls we are committed to working across industries and governments to deliver progress on climate change in a way that lifts everyone up and works for people all around the world. We are pleased to amplify our effort as a member of the CCITNZ coalition and support its mission to advance the innovation and partnerships needed to reach net zero.”

CCITNZ members are already working together to help governments advance their decarbonization journeys. For example:

• Bechtel: A coalition of energy transition leaders – Baker Hughes, Bechtel, Enppi, GE Digital, HSBC, the National Bank of Egypt and Petrojet – is providing construction, technology and financing expertise to support decarbonization of select downstream facilities in Egypt, aligning plans with the country’s leadership of COP27.
• GE: GE is partnering with the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company to explore the application of carbon capture and storage, hydrogen blended fuels, upgrade solutions and the conversion of simple cycle power plants to combined cycle. GE also recently signed an agreement to run a GE LM6000 gas turbine at the Sharm el-Sheikh Power Plant on a hydrogen-natural gas fuel blend. These initiatives build upon the strong legacy of over 45 years of GE’s contributions to strengthening critical infrastructure across Egypt.  
• Honeywell: Honeywell has a 60-year legacy in Egypt, supporting both public and private sector development by helping position the country at the leading edge of innovation and technology in key areas from energy to smart city development. Honeywell UOP is working with ENPPI to develop carbon reduction opportunities at a number of Egypt’s refineries. Honeywell is also the technology provider for the City Operations Center of the Egyptian Government’s New Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD), to optimize the efficiency, safety and security of the new city.
• Invenergy: Invenergy works around the globe, bringing clean energy innovations to life to help countries meet decarbonization and climate change goals. Most recently, Invenergy began commercial operations of a $1 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) and electric infrastructure project in El Salvador. This project shifts a significant amount of the country’s power supply to natural gas, providing up to 30% of El Salvador’s power needs with clean, reliable electricity and offsetting 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Invenergy commissioned a first of its kind hybrid solar and energy storage project in Mexico that is providing clean and reliable power to the nation. Building upon this track record Invenergy will continue to work with governments and other stakeholders to deliver affordable, clean energy, and sustainable economic development.
• Johnson Controls: Johnson Controls is the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings and was among the earliest industrial companies to report emissions and pledge emission reductions. Since 2000, Johnson Controls has helped save customers more than 35 million metric tons of CO2e and $7.2 billion through guaranteed energy and operational savings The company has reduced carbon emissions intensity by more than 70% since 2002 and pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions before 2040 and announced science-based targets for 2030.  Locally, Johnson Controls provided more than 130 high-efficiency indoor packaged units to the COP27 venue in Sharm el-Sheikh, which are 35% more energy-efficient than competing units in the region.