Consumer goods companies preparing for climate change impact

Companies behind some of the best-known consumer products — from soaps to sodas — are beginning to factor climate change into their business equation, according to a report published Monday.

The survey of 16 major corporations by nonprofit group CDP found that many are working to lower their carbon emissions, prepare for the effects of global warming on their supply chain and respond to growing environmental consciousness among customers.

Examples include brewer AB InBev's efforts to develop a variety of barley that needs less water and Unilever adjusting its detergent formulas so they work at the lower "eco" temperature settings on modern washing machines, the London-based group said.

FILE - In this Thursday, March 15, 2018 file photo, the logo for Unilever appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. A report published Monday by the non-governmental group CDP found consumer goods giants are working to lower their carbon emissions, prepare for the effects of global warming and respond to growing environmental consciousness among customers. (AP PhotoRichard Drew, File)

"We were surprised how much these companies were aligning themselves with changes in consumer preferences," said Carole Ferguson, the report's lead author.

This includes chasing trends such as veganism, a small but growing factor in the market that's driven by people who shun animal products for ethical or health reasons, but also because they have larger carbon footprints. PepsiCo's recent acquisition of Health Warrior, a maker of plant-based nutrition bars, is a typical example where a large company has snapped up a small brand to fill a niche it didn't yet cover.

Such purchases help companies bolster their green credentials at a time when they're beginning to feel the heat of climate activism. Consumer goods account for about a third of greenhouse gas emissions, meaning companies that make them play a key role in efforts to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) by the end of the century.

FILE - In this June 23, 2016 file photo, a worker delivers Coca Cola products in Nashville, Tenn. A report published Monday by the non-governmental group CDP found consumer goods giants are working to lower their carbon emissions, prepare for the effects of global warming and respond to growing environmental consciousness among customers. (AP PhotoMark Humphrey, File)

But manufacturers like Nestle, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble also face growing scrutiny from investors who want to know what business risks they face from climate change before deciding whether to buy their stock, Ferguson said.

CDP ranked the companies surveyed according to how strongly their business is threatened by climate change, what they are doing to prepare for it and how much information they disclose to the market.

"Climate change is going to be disruptive to revenues and costs," Ferguson told The Associated Press. "What I would want to know as an investor is what kind of strategy they have going forward."

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2011 file photo, Estee Lauder products are displayed at a department store in S. Portland, Maine. A report published Monday by the non-governmental group CDP found consumer goods giants are working to lower their carbon emissions, prepare for the effects of global warming and respond to growing environmental consciousness among customers. (AP PhotoPat Wellenbach, File)

In general, CDP found that European makers of fast-moving consumer goods are ahead of U.S. rivals in preparing for climate change — a disparity also seen in other sectors, such as automotive or oil and gas. France's Danone came first in the food and drinks sector, while Kraft Heinz came last out of nine; similarly Paris-based cosmetics company L'Oreal ranked second in the household and personal care sector, against New York-based rival Estee Lauder, which came last out of seven.

Possible reasons for this disparity include stricter regulation from the European Union, Ferguson said.

Consumer concern over plastic waste recently spurred strict new EU rules on packaging, the report noted.

FILE - In this Monday, July 13, 2009, file photo, a farmer harvests barley at a field near Nossen, Germany. A report published Monday by the non-governmental group CDP found consumer goods giants are working to lower their carbon emissions, prepare for the effects of global warming and respond to growing environmental consciousness among customers. (AP PhotoMatthias Rietschel, File)

"Product labelling and carbon footprinting is on the horizon," the authors added.

CDP, which was once described as "the most powerful green NGO you've never heard of" by Harvard Business Review, isn't alone in suggesting it's time for companies to publish data on climate risks.

Influential business weekly The Economist recently proposed that voluntary climate-related guidelines for listed companies drawn up by the Financial Stability Board, an international body that monitors global financial system, should be made mandatory.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, the U.S. military said, as the Trump administration targets sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela as part of a broader effort to take control of the South American country's oil.

The predawn raid was carried out by Marines and Navy sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, part of the extensive force the U.S. has built up in the Caribbean in recent months, according to U.S. Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the tanker called the Olina. The Coast Guard then took control of the vessel, officials said.

Southern Command and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem both posted unclassified footage on social media Friday morning of a U.S. helicopter landing on the vessel and U.S. personnel conducting a search of the deck and tossing what appeared to be an explosive device in front of a door leading to inside the ship.

In her post, Noem said the ship was “another ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil” and it had departed Venezuela “attempting to evade U.S. forces."

The Olina is the fifth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products, and the third since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.

In a post on his social media network later in the day, Trump said the seizure was conducted “in coordination with the Interim Authorities of Venezuela” but offered no elaboration.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for more details.

Venezuela’s government acknowledged in a statement that it was working with U.S. authorities to return the tanker, “which set sail without payment or authorization from the Venezuelan authorities,” to the South American nation.

“Thanks to this first successful joint operation, the ship is sailing back to Venezuelan waters for its protection and relevant actions,” according to the statement.

Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document that at least 16 tankers left the Venezuelan coast in contravention of the quarantine U.S. forces have set up to block sanctioned ships from conducting trade. The Olina was among that flotilla.

U.S. government records show that the Olina was sanctioned for moving Russian oil under its prior name, Minerva M, and flagged in Panama.

While records show the Olina is now flying the flag of Timor-Leste, it is listed in the international shipping registry as having a false flag, meaning the registration it is claiming is not valid. In July, the owner and manager of the ship on its registration was changed to a company in Hong Kong.

According to ship tracking databases, the Olina last transmitted its location in November in the Caribbean, north of the Venezuelan coast. Since then, however, the ship has been running dark with its location beacon turned off.

While Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law, other officials in the Trump administration have made clear they see it as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela's battered oil industry and restore its economy.

In an early morning social media post, Trump said the U.S. and Venezuela “are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.”

The administration said it expects to sell 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil, with the proceeds to go to both the U.S. and Venezuelan people. But the president expects the arrangement to continue indefinitely. He met Friday with executives from oil companies to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution.

Vice President JD Vance told Fox News this week that the U.S. can “control” Venezuela’s “purse strings” by dictating where its oil can be sold.

Madani estimated that the Olina is loaded with 707,000 barrels of oil, which at the current market price of about $60 a barrel would be worth more than $42 million.

Associated Press writers Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Josh Boak in Washington, and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

This story has been corrected to reflect that the United States has seized three tankers, not five, since Nicolás Maduro was ousted as Venezuela’s president.

FILE - Evana, an oil tanker, is docked at El Palito Port in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, Dec. 21, 2025. The U.S. military says U.S. forces have boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The Olina is the fifth tanker seized by U.S. forces. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)