Corporate Actions Profitably Slow Global Warming

The World Resources Institute highlighted corporate actions to slow global warming at a recent meeting of Consolidated Edison's Environmental Excellence Forum. Nine diverse northeast-based U.S. corporations teamed up with WRI in 2003 to form the Climate Northeast initiative (www.climatenortheast.org), which focuses on climate change management strategies for energy use, emissions tracking and innovations such as green power purchasing. Their findings were released in a report, A Climate of Innovation: Northeast Business Action to Reduce Greenhouse Gases. ?EUR??,,????'??Forward thinking companies can be proactive on climate change in a manner consistent with growing their bottom lines,?EUR??,,????'?? said Jonathan lash, WRI president. ?EUR??,,????'??These business leaders recognize that taking action on environmental issues is more than being a good corporate citizen; it's also good business.?EUR??,,????'??

Among the businesses showing efficiency as well as financial returns were Citigroup, Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company, Consolidated Edison of New York, Eastman Kodak, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Northeast Utilities Service Company, Pfizer and Staples. Each year, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses continue to rise, and energy use in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions represents 25 percent of the United States greenhouse gas emissions. Policy makers are moving ahead to develop a greenhouse gas registry and emissions-trading program in the northeast region.

For more information, go to: www.wri.org