Press Release
February 29, 2012
Contact:
C2ES: Tom Steinfeldt, steinfeldtt@c2es.org, 703.516.0638
The Climate Registry: Alex Carr, alex@theclimateregistry.org, 778.340.8837
ACCO: Dan Kreeger, dkreeger@ACCOonline.org, 202.496.7390
One Individual and 20 Organizations Receive Inaugural Climate Leadership Awards
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) (formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change), The Climate Registry (TCR), and the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), named the winners of the inaugural Climate Leadership Awards. The awards recognize corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in addressing climate change and reducing carbon pollution. From setting and exceeding aggressive emissions reduction goals to reducing the emissions associated with shipping goods, these organizations are improving efficiency, identifying energy and cost saving opportunities, and reducing pollution.
“The Climate Leadership Award winners are breaking new ground in cutting carbon pollution that harms our climate and threatens our health,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “We applaud our winners for their inspiring leadership, and hope they will serve as examples to catalyze the efforts of other organizations.”
“Corporate leadership is essential to meeting our climate and energy challenges,” said C2ES President Eileen Claussen. “We join EPA in applauding the first winners of the Climate Leadership Award. These companies demonstrate every day that it’s possible to shrink your carbon footprint without compromising your bottom line. Their accomplishments will inspire other companies to act, and will contribute to strong, sensible policies benefiting both our economy and our climate.”
“The Climate Registry congratulates the inaugural Climate Leadership Award winners on their impressive achievements,” said David Rosenheim, the executive director of TCR. “As we transition in the next few years to a low carbon economy, these organizations will undoubtedly reap the benefits of taking aggressive action to reduce their carbon risk.”
“The inaugural winners of the Climate Leadership Award have demonstrated aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) management actions and climate-related strategies,” said Daniel Kreeger, ACCO’s Executive Director. “The exemplary climate response exhibited by these organizations is a testament to the visionary leadership and innovation within their executive suite and workforce. The thought and action leadership of these award winners is a model for all companies, government entities, academic institutions and individuals for which to strive to achieve.”
The Climate Leadership Award recipients are as follows:
Organizational Leadership: Recognizes organizations for exemplary leadership both in their internal response to climate change and through engagement of their peers, competitors, partners, and value chain:
- IBM
- San Diego Gas & Electric
Individual Leadership: Recognizes an individual for outstanding efforts in leading an organization’s response to climate change:
- Gene Rodrigues, Director of Customer Energy Efficiency and Solar at Southern California Edison
Supply Chain Leadership: Recognizes organizations for actively addressing emissions outside their operations:
- Port of Los Angeles
- SAP
- UPS
Excellence in GHG Management (Goal Achievement): Recognizes organizations for aggressively managing and reducing their GHG emissions:
- Campbell Soup Company
- Casella Waste Systems
- Conservation Services Group
- Cummins Inc.
- Fairchild Semiconductor
- Genzyme
- Hasbro
- Intel Corporation
- International Paper
- SC Johnson
Excellence in GHG Management (Goal Setting): Recognizes organizations for establishing aggressive GHG reduction goals:
- Avaya
- Bentley Prince Street
- Campbell Soup Company
- Ford Motor Company
- Gap Inc.
- Ingersoll Rand
The awards will be presented tonight at the inaugural Climate Leadership Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The conference will bring together leaders from business, government and academic institutions who are interested in exchanging best practices on how to address climate change while simultaneously running more competitive and sustainable operations.
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About C2ES
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent non-profit, non-partisan organization promoting strong policy and action to address the twin challenges of energy and climate change. Launched in November 2011, C2ES is the successor to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, long recognized in the United States and abroad as an influential and pragmatic voice on climate issues. C2ES is led by Eileen Claussen, who previously led the Pew Center and is the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.