A NUMBER of major companies — from PepsiCo to Walmart to U.P.S. — have recognized that corporations have a responsibility to address the causes of climate change before it is too late.

We do not have to wait for an international treaty or new regulations to act. At Siemens, the global industrial manufacturing company I lead that makes everything from wind and gas turbines and automation systems to high-speed trains and M.R.I. machines, we understand that taking action is not just prudent — it’s profitable.

That’s why, today, we are committing to cut our global carbon footprint in half by 2020 and to make our global operations carbon neutral by 2030. We will accomplish this by eliminating a vast majority of our carbon emissions, while also supporting projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions outside of Siemens, known as carbon offsets. Our net CO2 emissions will be zero.

Worldwide, Siemens employs more than 340,000 people, does business in more than 200 countries, and operates nearly 300 major production sites. Last year, we were responsible for 2.2 million metric tons of carbon emissions. That means our global carbon footprint is about three-quarters that of Washington, D.C., where our United States headquarters is located.