First Five 'Climate Leader' Companies Achieve Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals
Source: GreenBiz.com
 

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2006 - Baxter International Inc., General Motors Corporation, IBM Corporation, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and SC Johnson are the first corporations to achieve voluntary greenhouse gas reduction goals set through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Leaders program. These companies will be recognized today along with 11 other corporations that are announcing greenhouse gas reduction goals and 13 corporations that are joining the program at a meeting in California.

"By achieving their greenhouse gas reduction goals, these leading companies are proving that doing what is good for the environment, is also good for business," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "EPA is working hand-in-hand with business to voluntarily reduce their climate footprints in cost-effective ways. Together, the United States is making great progress toward President Bush's goal of reducing the nation's greenhouse gas intensity by 18% over ten years."

Through Climate Leaders, EPA now partners with 79 corporations whose U.S. emissions represent an estimated 8% of total U.S. GHG emissions. With these announcements, 46 companies have set GHG reduction goals; the rest are in the process of setting goals. EPA estimates that meeting the goals will prevent more than 8 million metric tons of carbon emissions equivalents per year. This is equal to the emissions of 5 million cars annually.

The following partners have met their Climate Leaders greenhouse gas reduction goals in 2005:
 

  • Baxter International Inc. met its goal to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 16% per unit of production value.

     
  • General Motors Corporation met its goal to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 10% for all North American facilities.

     
  • IBM Corporation met its goal to reduce average annual CO2 emissions associated with global energy use by 4% per year through 2005. In addition, IBM Corporation also met its goal to reduce total perfluorocompound (PFC) emissions from semiconductor manufacturing processes by 10%.

     
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory met its goal to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 10% per square foot.

     
  • SC Johnson met its goal to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 23% per pound of product.
In addition, the following 11 corporations have announced new greenhouse gas reduction goals:
 
  • Baltimore Aircoil Company has pledged to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 15% per ton of steel processed from 2004 to 2009.

     
  • EMC has pledged to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 8% per square foot from 2005 to 2012.

     
  • General Electric Company has pledged to reduce total global GHG emissions by 1% from 2004 to 2012.

     
  • Haworth, Inc. has pledged to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 20% per dollar sales from 2004 to 2009.

     
  • Lockheed Martin has pledged to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 30% per dollar revenue from 2001 to 2010.

     
  • Mack Trucks, Inc. has pledged to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 20% per unit produced from 2003 to 2010.

     
  • Marriott International Inc. has pledged to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 6% per available room from 2004 to 2010.

     
  • Oracle Corporation has pledged to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 6% per square foot from 2003 to 2010 for all non-data center space and to purchase 5% green power for data centers.

     
  • STMicroelectronics has pledged to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 50% per manufacturing unit from 2000 to 2010.

     
  • Sun Microsystems Inc. has pledged to reduce total U.S. GHG emissions by 20% from 2002 to 2012.

     
  • Volvo Trucks North America, Inc. has pledged to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 20% per truck produced from 2003 to 2010.
Further, 13 new companies have joined Climate Leaders as Partners: Agilent Technologies of Palo Alto, Calif.; American Water of Voorhees, N.J.; Boise Cascade of Boise, ID; California Portland Cement Co. of Glendora, Calif.; Citigroup Inc. of New York, N.Y.; Ecolab Inc. of St. Paul. Minn.; Fairchild Semiconductor of South Portland, Maine; General Electric Company of Fairfield, Conn.; Haworth Inc. of Holland, Mich.; HSBC North America of Prospect Heights, Ill..; Kimberly Clark Corporation of Neenah, Wis.; Lucent Technologies of Murray Hill, N.J.; and Steelcase Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich.

More information about EPA's Climate Leaders program is available online.