Eighteen U.S. Businesses and Cities Honored at the Climate Leadership Awards

DENVER – The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry (TCR), in partnership with Headline Sponsor, Bloomberg Philanthropies, today announced the recipients of the 2018 Climate Leadership Awards. The Awards, which take place during the annual Climate Leadership Conference, showcase and recognize voluntary action to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) and address climate change.

This year’s awardees represent a wide array of sectors, including manufacturing, technology, local government, financial services, and consumer goods.

“Leaders of businesses and communities across the country are leading the way to a more sustainable future in the absence of leadership in Washington. The winners of this year’s awards have each shown a deep commitment to addressing both the risks created by climate change impacts and the opportunities of a clean energy economy,” said C2ES President Bob Perciasepe. “We’re also grateful to Bloomberg Philanthropies and all of our sponsors for their support that allowed us to continue to recognize the work of these climate leaders.”

“Congratulations to this year’s Climate Leadership Award winners, who we hope will inspire and galvanize others to take up the mantle of climate action,” said Ann McCabe, Interim Executive Director of The Climate Registry. “When it comes to climate change and the transition to a clean economy, these winning individuals and organizations prove many U.S. leaders have the will to do it – and the ideas and solutions to succeed.”

“The Climate Leadership Award winners show that fighting climate change and growing the economy go hand in hand,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “Their efforts are creating jobs around the country, saving lives by cleaning the air people breathe, and sending a strong message to the rest of the world: America will continue to lead the way on climate change, no matter what happens in Washington.”

The 2018 Climate Leadership Award recipients are:

Organizational Leadership Award

Citigroup: Committed $100 billion over 10 years to lend, invest in, and facilitate activities to reduce climate change impacts; offering outspoken support for the Paris Agreement and other efforts to advance a sustainable, low carbon economy, and through the Citi Foundation is funding the Financing Sustainable Cities Initiative to help cities develop business models for sustainability.
Baxter Healthcare Corp (Honorable Mention): Engaging internal and external experts and stakeholders to implement energy conservation measures to meet a voluntary 2020 goal to reduce GHG emissions by 10% and energy use by 15% indexed to revenue, and pursuing greater sustainability throughout its supply and value chain.
Allergan (Honorable Mention): Developed a data- and employee-driven global energy program to lead site-specific energy efficiency efforts and meet goals of reducing corporate GHG emissions and energy consumption by 20% by 2020.

Individual Leadership Award

Gerard M Anderson, CEO, DTE Energy: Led the development of DTE Energy’s goal to reduce GHG emissions 80% by 2050, based on a decarbonization pathway for DTE Energy’s generation, and implemented DTE Energy’s Force for Growth sustainability strategy.

Innovative Partnership Certificate

Goldman Sachs: Invested in the Living Lab partnership to educate and implement new technology solutions for energy efficient buildings. This work was done in partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Building Energy Exchange.
National Grid: Spearheaded Methane Leak Detection and Quantification Technology Collaboration to evaluate several methane emission technologies and develop methodology to enable utilities to design pipeline replacement projects that are efficient, both environmentally and economically.
Utah Climate Action Network: Created a partnership between government, research institutions, non-profits/foundations, faith-based organizations, the private sector, and individuals; providing a hyperlocal program and platform for organizations to connect on climate-related activities.

Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management/Goal Achievement Award

California Department of Water Resources: Met a goal for absolute reduction in GHG emissions, achieving a 69% reduction during the goal period.
California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS): Exceeded a goal of reducing absolute GHG emissions reductions of 10% by 2015, actually achieved a 76% reduction during the goal period.
Comerica Inc.: Set an absolute GHG reduction goal of 20% from 2012 to 2020, achieving the goal four years early in 2016 helped by improvements in data center and building management systems and energy efficiency of existing construction.
IBM: Exceeded 2% per year absolute GHG emissions reduction, achieved an absolute reduction goal of 35% from 2005 to 2020, and contracted to purchase 783,000 MWh of renewable electricity.
The Hartford: Exceeded an absolute GHG reduction goal of 20% from 2013 through 2018 by achieving it in 2016

Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management/Goal Setting Certificate

Biogen: Set an absolute GHG reduction goal of 35% by 2030 and signed onto the RE100 initiative committing to source 100% of its electricity globally from renewable resources.
CA Technologies: Already having met a goal to reduce GHG emissions 35%, CA Technologies has set an absolute GHG reduction goal of 40% from 2015 to 2030.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation: Set an absolute GHG reduction goal of 20% from 2005 to 2022 after already meeting and exceeding a 5% reduction goal in 2015.
Raytheon Corporation: After already achieving three GHG reduction goals, Raytheon set an absolute GHG reduction goal of 12% from 2015 to 2020 as well as commitments to reduce certain GHG chemicals in manufacturing.
SC Johnson: Having previously met GHG reduction goals for factories and manufacturing sites through strategies that include wind power investments, SC Johnson has set an absolute reduction goal of 15% from 2015 to 2020.
United Technologies: Set an absolute GHG reduction goal of 15% from 2015 to 2020 after having previously met a 12% reduction goal in 2010 and continuing a 3% annual reduction goal from 2011-2015.
The Hartford: Set a new goal to reduce absolute emissions by a minimum of 2.1% annually from 2015 to 2027, resulting in at least a 25.7% reduction over that time period.

Since the inception of the Climate Leadership Awards and Conference in 2012, more than 115 recipients have been recognized for leadership in addressing climate change.

About The Climate Registry: The Climate Registry (TCR) is a non-profit organization governed by U.S. states and Canadian provinces and territories. TCR designs and operates voluntary and compliance greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting programs globally, and assists organizations in measuring, reporting and verifying the carbon in their operations in order to manage and reduce it. TCR also builds GHG MRV capacity in sub-national and national governments, and is spearheading innovative new projects such as the National Energy Efficiency Registry and water-energy GHG guidance. Find out more at www.theclimateregistry.org and follow on Twitter.

About C2ES: The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to forge practical solutions to climate change. Our mission is to advance strong policy and action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and strengthen resilience to climate impacts. Learn more at www.c2es.org.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies: Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2017, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $702 million. For more information, please visit www.bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

Contact: Marty Niland, 410-963-8974, press@climateleadershipconference.org