Top Companies in the 2012 Climate Leadership Awards

A total of twenty companies were named the winners of the inaugural Climate Leadership Awards by the EPA, the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) (formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change), and The Climate Registry (TCR). The awards were presented at the Climate Leadership Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. These awards recognize corporate, organizational, and individual leaders for their efforts to address climate change and reduce carbon pollution.

As reported by Environmental Leader, the winner of the Organizational Leadership award, IBM set a second-generation goal to reduce the GHG emissions associated with its energy use by 12 percent between 2005 and 2012. By 2010, IBM had achieved a reduction of 16.7 percent, as well as an energy conservation rate of 5.7 percent – surpassing its goal of 3.5 percent.

IBM reduced or avoided GHG emissions by an amount equivalent to 40 percent of its 1990 emissions between 1990 and 2005. In 2010, IBM established environmental management requirements for 27,000 first-tier suppliers in over 90 countries.

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) also won the Organizational Leadership award in recognition of 20 years’ worth of rebates and incentives to encourage consumers and businesses to implement clean energy programs, saving customers more than $900 million, the EPA said.

SDG&E has exceeded the 25 percent by 2016 renewable energy requirement established by the California Renewables Portfolio Standard, which also requires one-third of SDG&E’s electricity sales to be renewable energy by 2020. SDG&E added 14 renewable contracts and 1,250 MW of capacity to its portfolio to lead California in acquisitions of renewable energy, the EPA said.

Recognized for actively addressing emissions outside their operations, Supply Chain Leadership award winners are the Port of Los Angeles, SAP and UPS.

The Port of Los Angeles prepares annual GHG inventories for its own emissions, and also conducts annual “expanded” reports on Scope 3 sources, including emissions for ships, trucks, and trains bound to and from the port’s terminals.

Since 2006, the Port has required all new and renewed leases to incorporate air emission controls and to conduct energy audits on terminal buildings to identify energy savings. Internationally, the Port played a role in the development of the World Ports Climate Initiative and the resulting free online resources: the Greenhouse Gas Toolbox, Carbon Footprinting Guide for Ports and Carbon Calculator.

Business software provider SAP earned its Supply Chain Leadership award for technology solutions that have helped more than 2,000 customers manage sustainability activities across the supply chain. In 2010, SAP energy management solutions for manufacturers helped customers avoid about 2.5 million tons of CO2 emissions while saving $470 million in energy costs, the EPA said.

Supply chain award winner UPS has focused on maintaining an efficient aircraft fleet and using low-carbon alternative fuels and vehicles, and participating in the development of scope 3 standards. In 2010, UPS avoided nearly three million metric tons of GHG emissions, the EPA said.

UPS became the first major logistics provider in the U.S. to offer customers the opportunity to purchase carbon offsets to reduce the impact of their shipping. In 2010 and 2011, UPS matched $1 million in offsets purchased by customers, the EPA said.

Other Climate Leadership Awards were given to:

Excellence in GHG Management (Goal Achievement): Campbell Soup Company, Casella Waste Systems, Conservation Services Group, Cummins Inc., Fairchild Semiconductor, Genzyme, Hasbro, Intel Corporation, International Paper, and SC Johnson.

Excellence in GHG Management (Goal Setting): Avaya, Bentley Prince Street, Campbell Soup Company, Ford Motor Company, Gap Inc. and Ingersoll Rand.