After years of inaction, a growing number of leading U.S. companies are confronting the business challenges from global warming, recognizing that greenhouse gas limits are inevitable and that they cannot risk falling behind their international competitors in developing climate-friendly technologies. Some U.S. companies, such as General Electric, are catching up and joining DuPont and Alcoa in leading their industries. But many others are still largely ignoring the climate issue with 'business as usual' strategies that may be putting their companies and shareholders at risk... Foreign companies such as BP, Toyota, Alcan, Unilever and Rio Tinto had the highest scores in five of the nine sectors that included both U.S. and non-U.S. firms. American companies - DuPont, General Electric, International Paper and United Parcel Service [UPS] - led in the other four sectors. [also refers to positive steps by General Electric, Ford, Chevron, American Electric Power; sectoral "laggards": ExxonMobil, PPG, Newmont, Sempra Energy, Nissan]