Burberry, Carlsberg and AXA are just three of the latest big companies to join a number of leading British firms that are committed to achieving 100pc clean energy status.

Burberry has stated that it plans to source its entire electricity needs from clean sources by 2022. Carlsberg has also said that it intends to begin using 100pc green energy across its brewery network by next year.

AXA is working towards 100pc renewables usage status by 2025. The insurance giant, which is based in Paris, is planning to purchase green energy through a PPA arrangement, buying directly to compensate for any non-renewable sources. 

Akzo Nobel, the coatings and paints firm based in Amsterdam, is also working towards total carbon neutrality and 100pc clean energy usage by 2050.

The figures were gathered by global non-profit The Climate Group and show how the trend for big corporates to push their own sustainability agenda is growing. Google is one of the leading forces in the global drive to combat climate change, and it is expected to power its entire operation through clean energy by the end of this year.

Organisations are finding that solar and wind are now competitive with fossil fuels, even when gas-fired generation is taken into account.

American companies committed to purchasing almost 3.7GW of clean energy in 2015 and an additional 2.5GW in 2016 - most of which came from solar and wind sources.

The Climate Group has now managed to achieve its goal of persuading 100 big firms to make a public commitment to 100pc renewables usage for their electricity needs three years ahead of its 2020 target. Amongst the list of 100 members there are 30 global brands listed on the Fortune 500, demonstrating the positive role that big business can play.