Complete list of press releases

“While voters await the results of tomorrow’s election, something just as important has already happened here in Colorado. A campaign aimed at young people has gathered 125,105 pledges to vote for action to solve climate change.

“In an election filled with negative messages and personal attacks, young voters in Colorado have responded in huge numbers to this non-partisan effort. The pledgers come from different backgrounds and support different candidates, but they are united in their determination to send a message to our leaders — defend our future from the impacts of climate change. 

“Polling demonstrates two key characteristics of the Millennial generation: they reject partisanship; and they overwhelmingly want action on climate change. A recent survey by Harvard’s Institute of Politics showed that millennials reject partisan labels more than any other age group — almost 40 percent of voters under age 34 identify as independent. Polling also consistently shows that 80 percent or more of young people support action on climate. That explains the huge response to this non-partisan pledge.

“Our volunteers have been out in force during Colorado’s early voting period, and will be again tomorrow to encourage all young people to take control of their future. Whoever wins the races for governor, U.S. senator, and other offices in Colorado will need to answer this call from young voters. And elected officials across the country should take note as well, as we work to expand our efforts nationally in 2016.” 

• Dr. Alicia Kolar Prevost, Defend Our Future

WHAT:
Environmental Defence Fund Europe/UK introduces Investor Confidence Project, an initiative that will increase financial market investment in energy efficiency renovations, to the European market.

This event will convene financial, engineering, and government sectors to address some of the most significant barriers to large-scale renovation project finance in the European building sector.

Investor Confidence Project Europe will be advised by some of the top organizations and companies in these sectors, including:

• ING Bank
• Green Investment Bank
• Plus Ultra Asset Management
• ARUP
• European Association of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EuroACE)
• RdA Climate Solutions
• E.oN
• Building Performance Institute of Europe
• United Kingdom Department of Energy and Climate Change

The goal of Investor Confidence Project Europe is to transform the energy efficiency market by streamlining transactions and increasing the reliability of projected energy savings. Akin to audited financials, the Investor Confidence Project system standardizes how energy efficiency projects are developed and measured.

The potential for renovating existing buildings in Europe to mitigate climate change, generate financial savings, and create jobs is considerable – and largely untapped. Estimates say that energy efficiency on a large scale in Europe could reduce carbon emissions by 740 million tons, equivalent to taking 150 million cars off the road, and create between 1.1 million and 2 million new jobs in the building industry by 2050.

WHEN:  
Wednesday, November 5^th at 11:00AM Central European Time

WHO:             
Panama Bartholomy, Director, Investor Confidence Project Europe
Steve Fawkes, Senior Advisor, Investor Confidence Project Europe
Andy Darrell, Chief of Strategy, Environmental Defence Fund Europe/UK’s Climate and Energy Program

WHERE:        
Thon Hotel EU (Room Amsterdam III), Rue de la Loi/Welstraat 75, Brussels, Belgium

Those planning to attend should RSVP here. 

(SACRAMENTO—October 28, 2014) The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today released draft standards and opened a 45-day comment period on its proposal to allow U.S. rice farmers to generate offsets to sell in the state’s cap-and-trade market. The Rice Cultivation Projects Compliance Offsets Protocol will provide financial benefits for growers while advancing the state’s goal of achieving its emissions reduction targets by 2020. Rice production is particularly important to California’s clean air efforts because it is a major contributor of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

“As the state’s first crop-based protocol, the rice program is a model for a whole new generation of offsets from the agricultural sector, a major driver of our economy, especially in California,” said Robert Parkhurst, Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Markets Director for the Environmental Defense Fund. “The rice industry is once again setting the stage for programs that give other growers the opportunity to reap financial benefits while helping the environment.”

The voluntary program offers rice farmers three different options to implement environmentally friendly practices on their fields; dry seeding, the practice of sowing dry seed on the ground rather than applying pre-germinated seeds aerially; early drainage, in which farmers drain their fields seven to 10 days earlier than usual; or alternate wetting and drying, the practice of periodically flooding and then drying down a field throughout the growing season.

“The rice industry has long been at the forefront of innovative farming practices that promote stewardship and sustainability,” said Paul Buttner, Environmental Affairs Manager for the California Rice Commission. “By including a voluntary rice protocol in California’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction program, the state is taking an important next step in preserving the industry’s legacy of commitment to protecting our environment, including enabling us to identify where we can achieve reductions while avoiding other unintended impacts to the millions of water birds now so dependent upon California rice lands for habitat.

The rice program is unique from other protocols in the cap-and-trade system in that the emissions reductions come from changes to farming practices and are dependent on weather and the grower’s management decisions. And, unlike some other sectors, emissions reductions from rice are permanent and will never again be re-released into the atmosphere.

Read more about the rice protocol and its practices at EDF’s webpage.

(Washington, D.C. – October 28, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking the public comment on additional information and ideas about the Clean Power Plan, a move that Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) says will strengthen efforts to reduce climate pollution.

EPA announced a Notice of Data Availability this afternoon to make the public aware of feedback the agency has been receiving from stakeholders on the Clean Power Plan. 

“EPA’s request today for the public to review and comment on additional information builds on the agency’s rigorous public outreach and extensive science-based analysis,” said Megan Ceronsky, EDF’s Director of Regulatory Policy and Senior Attorney. “America’s fossil fuel power plants are the single largest source of the carbon pollution that threatens our public health and prosperity. We urgently need protective limits on this dangerous pollution under our nation’s clean air laws.”

The Administration proposed America’s first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants in the Clean Power Plan, which was unveiled in June, 2014. The Clean Power Plan is designed to fight climate change, protect public health and the environment, and move the country toward a clean energy future. 

“We are in a race against time to finally establish strong limits on dangerous climate pollution, and to protect our communities and families from the clear and present danger of warming gases,” said Ceronsky.

You can read more about the Clean Power Plan here.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today lifted a stay on the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, allowing the measure’s life-saving health protections to be put into effect.

“Today’s court decision is great news for public health,” said Vickie Patton, General Counsel for Environmental Defense Fund, which was a party to the case. “Dangerous air pollution puts millions of Americans at risk for asthma attacks and other serious lung diseases. The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule will allow us to reduce that pollution, and protect our families and communities.”

Today’s court decision to lift the stay follows a Supreme Court decision in April that upheld the rule.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was designed to protect downwind states from the harmful air pollution that is emitted by distant power plants and then blows across state borders. The rule will safeguard the health of 240 million Americans across 28 Eastern states who are in danger from power plant smokestack pollution.

The D.C. Circuit Court issued a stay of the rule and then overturned the rule in EME Homer City Generation v. EPA, but the Supreme Court overruled the D.C. Circuit Court’s invalidation and sent the case back to the D.C. Circuit to consider any remaining issues.

While the D.C. Circuit was considering those remaining issues, EPA asked the court to lift the stay, and to implement the first phase of the rule in 2015 and the second, final phase in 2017.

Health and environmental advocates, including EDF, also asked the D.C. Circuit to lift the stay.

Today the court lifted the stay, clearing the way for implementation of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and its life saving protections for human health.  

You can read all the legal briefs in the case and read more about the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule on EDF’s website.

(NEW YORK – October 22, 2014) Governor Cuomo today announced the New York Green Bank’s first tranche of deals, totaling an impressive $800 million in clean energy investments across the state. Rather than providing grants to stimulate clean energy investment, green banks use attractive interest rates and other incentives to leverage money from the private sector. The NY Green Bank’s initial investment of $200 million galvanized $600 million in investment from prominent financial institutions. The first seven transactions, which will close over the next few months, finance a wide range of low-carbon, clean energy projects, including solar, energy equipment, and energy efficiency.

“New York’s commitment to clean energy finance, coupled with its pioneering utility reform effort, cement the state’s reputation as one of the country’s clean energy leaders. Attracting such significant private sector investment in clean energy in New York State sets the stage for an active market in financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency. The variety of financing deals shows clear appetite for clean energy investment from Wall Street and other private investors, which will only continue to grow in coming months.”

• Rory Christian, Director, New York Clean Energy

(Denver – October 21, 2014) One hundred thousand voters have now pledged to go to the polls this November 4^th and vote for climate action.

The pledge drive was launched in Colorado less than two months ago by Defend Our Future, a campaign of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), to empower Millennials to vote on climate issues this election. The original goal was to get 100,000 pledges by Election Day. The effort has succeeded more than two weeks early, and is on track to surge well past its original goal by November 4^th. 

“This overwhelming response shows how strongly people, and especially Millennials, feel about climate change,” said Dr. Alicia Kolar Prevost, who is running the non-partisan effort for EDF. “Millennials will have to live with the damages from climate change, so they are the people who most want our country to take action now. They are also promising to vote – in droves. Politicians of all parties should get that message loud and clear.”

Defend Our Future will continue to accept pledges until Election Day, but their effort will now shift to encompass a get-out-the-vote effort in Colorado for those who have already signed the pledge. 

Defend Our Future focuses on empowerment for voters under 35. Younger voters represent the leading edge of a growing demographic wave that is far more supportive of climate action than older cohorts of voters.

“Climate change is really important to me. I’m 20 years old, so it’s going to have a huge impact on my life,” said Bianca Buium, a student at the University of Colorado, Boulder and the 100,000^th person to sign the pledge. “I haven’t been involved in politics before, but we can’t just ignore this problem or politicians will too. Now I’m getting involved and trying to do my part.” 

Defend Our Future is employing a mix of groundbreaking digital, social and data targeting technologies, along with traditional boots-on-the-ground organizing, to collect the pledges from potential voters. The non-partisan campaign began in Colorado, with organizers on the ground at Colorado State University and University of Colorado, Boulder. It will expand to a larger, national effort in future election cycles.

Defend Our Future also just formed partnerships with five national groups — OurTime.org, Protect Our Winters, Reverb, Rock the Vote and Voto Latino – to encourage Millennials to vote this November for action on climate change. The group’s planned events include the 14^th Campus Consciousness Tour, a concert series to support campus environmental groups and bring attention to national environmental campaigns. This year’s tour will be headlined by Icona Pop and play on college campuses in seven states.

(Chicago, IL – October 21, 2014) – Today, Environmental Defense Fund announced the findings from EDF Climate Corps in Chicago, a program surfacing scalable energy solutions for multi-tenant commercial buildings in the city. In collaboration with the Energy Center of Wisconsin, EDF trained and placed ten EDF Climate Corps fellows at 26 iconic buildings totaling more than 13 million square feet of commercial space. Within the last 16 months, these fellows have helped building owners and operators identify 6.6 million kilowatt hours in energy savings, worth a total of $1.6 million to participating organizations.

EDF Climate Corps found the greatest energy-saving potential through mapping energy data, analyzing demand response participation, installing sub-meters and deploying tenant engagement programs.

77 West Wacker Drive, a prominent Class A building, had already reduced energy consumption by 32 percent by participating in demand response and other energy efficiency efforts. EDF Climate Corps worked with JLL, the building’s managing agent, to develop a 26.5 percent energy reduction goal by 2018, allowing the building to join Mayor Emanuel’s Retrofit Chicago initiative.

“EDF Climate Corps provided us with the education and resources to make smarter decisions. It is priceless,” Myrna Coronado-Brookover, Senior Vice President and General Manager at JLL said.

Shorenstein Properties, a national commercial real estate company, worked with EDF Climate Corps to gain deeper insight into energy use at its River North Point building. By mapping energy use and analyzing data from over 140 electric meters throughout the building, the EDF Climate Corps fellow uncovered efficiency opportunities from cooling, heating and lighting. The fellow also coordinated a tenant education program that has led to the building’s participation in the Chicago Green Office Challenge.

“Shorenstein is committed to continuously evaluating and improving building performance. Participation in the EDF Climate Corps is a key part of our sustainability strategy,” Jaxon Love, Sustainability Program Manager at Shorenstein Properties, said. “Our EDF Climate Corps fellow at River North Point helped us unlock deeper efficiency opportunities in the building, and we anticipate a great return on investment from our involvement in EDF’s Chicago initiative.”

EDF Climate Corps also found that Class B commercial buildings could save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually by scaling energy efficiency practices across their entire portfolios. However, many need help developing turnkey processes and automating their energy management systems to surface energy-saving opportunities.

Local property investment company, Urban Innovations, tasked its EDF Climate Corps fellow with developing an automated, capital budgeting tool that allowed it to refine its budgeting process and drive significant energy and cost savings efforts. In analyzing Urban Innovation’s budgeted projects for the coming year, the tool has already identified more than $72,000 in immediate rebates and driven capital equipment decisions that will yield $70,000 in annual energy cost-savings.  

“EDF Climate Corps helped us to find the best ways to manage our impact on the environment,” Mike Scilingo, President of Urban Innovations said. “As Urban Innovations continues its efforts to re-use existing buildings, we hope this new tool will serve as a financial planning prototype for similar buildings.”

EDF’s work to advance energy management in Chicago’s commercial buildings joins the efforts of Mayor Emanuel’s Retrofit Chicago, the Natural Resources Defense Council and C40 to reduce building energy use by 20 percent over the next five years.

“EDF Climate Corps provides the hands-on help organizations need to dig into the complexities of energy efficiency, project financing, data management and demand response,” Ellen Bell, Senior Specialist at EDF said. “Our goal is to cut energy use in a critical mass of downtown buildings – creating a tipping point that drives large-scale reductions in energy costs and emissions for buildings across the city.” 

The ten organizations participating in EDF Climate Corps in Chicago are CBRE for 100 N Riverside Plaza, GlenStar Asset Management, Institute of Cultural Affairs, JLL for 77 W Wacker Drive, MacArthur Foundation, Merchandise Mart, River North Point, select Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed buildings, South Street Capital and Urban Innovations. Since its launch in 2008, EDF Climate Corps has identified $1.4 billion in total energy-savings for more than 300 leading companies, cities and universities across the U.S. and China.  

See the full list of organizations that have participated in EDF Climate Corps at edfclimatecorps.org.

(Saratoga Springs, NY – October 17, 2014) More than 50 of the country’s leading scientists, policymakers, environmentalists, and other acid rain experts met in Saratoga Springs yesterday for an all-day session about the future of Adirondack Park.

“We had some fascinating and productive discussions yesterday,” said William C. Janeway, Executive Director of the Adirondack Council. “We had a chance to celebrate all the progress we’ve made in fight against acid rain, and also to look in-depth at what we need to finish the job and really restore the health of Adirondack Park.” 

Environmental Defense Fund and the Adirondack Council, along with the Kirby Foundation, hosted the forum, called “Acid Rain in the Adirondacks: A Roadmap to Recovery.” They invited experts from around the country to discuss the current state of acid rain impacts in Adirondack Park, what the future holds for the economic and ecological state of the region, and what additional measures will be necessary to secure the vital ecosystem’s protection.

The six million acre Adirondack Park suffered the worst damage in America from acid rain. Scientists estimated that 700 of the park’s 2,800 major lakes and ponds were polluted to the point where native aquatic life could no longer survive. Recent reductions in air pollution have helped many areas of the park start to recover, but some areas are still in bad shape — and some damage was irreversible, such as the loss of several strains of native brook trout that were wiped out entirely. 

Yesterday’s conference explored solutions to continue the progress in protecting the park from acid deposition, making it possible for surviving native plants and animals to repopulate their former homes. It also looked at several opportunities on the horizon for further pollution reductions.

“We need additional pollution cuts to ensure the health of the Adirondacks and other ecological systems in the nation,” said Steven Hamburg, Chief Scientist of Environmental Defense Fund. “EPA’s Clean Power Plan is a key step in protecting both human health and the environment from power plant emissions. It will set the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants, and will also reduce the emissions that contribute to acid deposition and harm our natural treasures like Adirondack Park.” 

Experts on acid rain gave presentations at the conference on the current state of acid deposition impacts, on how Adirondack ecosystems have responded to decreases in acid deposition, and on ways that state and federal regulatory policy can help curb impacts in the future.

Participants also explored the establishment of science-based benchmarks for the Adirondacks — called “critical loads” — which would indicate whether ecological protections are being achieved, and they discussed other options for accelerating recovery in the area.

(SAN FRANCISCO – October 16, 2014) – The American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit that oversees the creation of rigorous carbon offset protocols as well as the independent registration of carbon offset projects, approved standards today that are designed to enlist ranchers in the fight against climate change. The standards reward ranchers for land management practices that put more carbon in the soil, thereby improving soil health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The new protocol, Compost Additions to Grazed Grasslands, provides a clear process for calculating the GHG reductions from applying compost to rangeland. By strategically applying compost to grasslands, ranchers have the opportunity to generate revenue from environmental stewardship through the sale of emission reductions on voluntary carbon markets. 

“This project rewards ranchers for stewardship activities that help store carbon in their soils, while improving soil health and the productivity of their land,” said Robert Bonnie, USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment. “The American Carbon Registry’s approval of this protocol supports the ability of innovative efforts like the Marin Carbon Project to identify conservation practices that increase productivity and create new sources of revenue for ranchers.”

In addition to providing a sink for carbon, rangelands provide a wide variety of other natural benefits to society, including food, fiber, habitat, watershed health, open space, and cultural value. Rangelands in the West are currently under pressure of conversion to other land uses, like urban development and croplands. Therefore, finding new revenue streams for ranchers helps keep them on the ranch and enhances these valuable natural areas.

“This offset protocol is a new tool farmers and ranchers can use to mitigate and adapt to climate change and in a way that benefits their bottom line” said Robert Parkhurst, Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Markets Director for the Environmental Defense Fund. “It also demonstrates the essential role working lands play in the fight against climate change.” 

The new offset protocol is supported by research conducted over the past seven years by the Marin Carbon Project and the University of California, Berkeley on two locations in California.  The research has demonstrated that a one-time application of compost can sequester almost 1,000 pounds of carbon per acre per year. 

“The adoption of this protocol takes the research conducted in Marin and provides an incentive for others to model and implement it on lands throughout California and the western United States,” said John Wick, co-founder of the Marin Carbon Project. 

The protocol was developed by Terra Global Capital under a Conservation Innovation Grant to EDF from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.  It has the potential to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 28 million metric tons per year if compost can be applied to just 5 percent of CA’s rangelands. That’s equivalent to removing nearly 6 million cars from the road.

“The approval of this protocol by ACR is the first step in providing ranchers the opportunity to generate incremental income for the environmental assets they create through sustainable land-use management,” said Leslie Durschinger, Founder and Managing Director of Terra Global.

The protocol approved by ACR today allows ranchers to model the increase in carbon sequestration on their land, have it independently verified, and generate tradable offset credits. 

“American Carbon Registry is pleased to add this protocol to our growing list of agriculture, forest, and land use protocols available to U.S. farmers and ranchers,” said John Kadyszewski, director of ACR. “Our approval of this protocol allows these working landowners to be paid for delivering environmental benefits from actions on their land.”

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Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading national nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook, and our Growing Returns blog, which covers agriculture and the environment.

American Carbon Registry (www.americancarbonregistry.org),an enterprise of Winrock International, is an Offset Project Registry for the California cap-and-trade program as well as a leading voluntary carbon market offset program recognized for its high standards for environmental integrity.

Marin Carbon Project (marincarbonproject.org) seeks to enhance carbon sequestration in rangeland, agricultural, and forest soils and for landowners and land managers of these landscapes to serve as stewards of soil health and undertake carbon farming in a manner that can improve on-farm productivity, enhance ecosystems, and address climate change.

Terra Global (www.terraglobalcapital.com) is the leader in forest and agriculture greenhouse gas emissions analytics, advice and finance, providing technical expertise and investment capital to their global client base in a collaborative and innovative manner.

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org 

(Washington, DC – October 15, 2014) Defend Our Future (DOF) today announced partnerships with five national groups that will dramatically increase the organization’s ability to encourage Millennials to vote this November for action on climate change.

The new partnerships are with non-profit organizations OurTime.org, Protect Our Winters, Reverb, Rock the Vote and Voto Latino. Together with DOF, the groups will launch a variety of efforts to gain pledges from Millennials to vote in November, including a national concert tour.

“Climate change is already affecting Millennials’ everyday lives. Through this joint effort, they’ll have a chance to take action on climate change, and take charge of their future, through their everyday lives. They can get information and sign our pledge through the activities they enjoy, like music or sports,” said Dr. Alicia Kolar Prevost, who is running the non-partisan effort for the Environmental Defense Fund. 

Planned events include launching the 14^th Campus Consciousness Tour, a concert series to support campus environmental groups and bring attention to national environmental campaigns. The tour’s primary host is Reverb, an environmental organization dedicated to educating and engaging musicians and their fans to take action toward a more sustainable future. Defend our Future and Rock the Vote are co-sponsoring the concert series.

This year’s Campus Consciousness Tour will be headlined by pop duo Icona Pop. Concertgoers at all tour stops will have the opportunity to both register to vote and to pledge their support to vote on climate change issues this election.

Younger voters represent the leading edge of a growing demographic wave that is far more supportive of climate action than older cohorts of voters.

“If meaningful action on climate change is to take place, young people need to get organized and show elected officials they want action now,” said Chris Steinkamp, Executive Director of Protect Our Winters.

The non-partisan Defend Our Future campaign is a project of Environmental Defense Fund. DOF started its get-out-the-vote effort in Colorado this August, and plans a larger national effort going forward. DOF aims to collect 100,000 pledges to vote in Colorado this election. Organizers are on the ground at Colorado State University and University of Colorado, Boulder.

About OurTime.org:

OurTime.org is a nationwide non-profit organization that empowers and speaks for the interests of young Americans. We’ve built a membership of more than 1,000,000 people by organizing campaigns that register and educate voters, advocate for economic opportunity, and convert political news into relevant language, short explanation videos, and shareable memes.  

About Protect Our Winters:

Founded in 2007 by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones, Protect Our Winters is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to mobilize the winter sports community to lead the fight against climate change through advocacy, youth education, and community-based activism.  Find out more about Protect Our Winters, please visit us at www.protectourwinters.org.

About REVERB:

Deeply rooted within the music and environmental communities, REVERB is a 501(c)(3) environmental organization dedicated to educating and engaging musicians and their fans to take action toward a more sustainable future.  Founded in 2004 by environmentalist Lauren Sullivan and her musician husband, Guster guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner, REVERB has greened more than 150 major tours including Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, Sheryl Crow, Linkin Park and Jason Mraz.

About Rock the Vote:

Rock the Vote is the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States driving the youth vote to the polls. Fusing pop culture, politics, and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting bloc and the youth vote, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral process and voting system that works for the 21st century electorate. Since 1990, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the use of pop culture, music, art and technology to inspire political activity.

About Voto Latino:

Voto Latino is a nonpartisan organization that empowers Latino Millennials to claim a better future for themselves and their community. United by the belief that Latino issues are American issues and American issues are Latino issues, Voto Latino is dedicated to bringing new and diverse voices to develop leaders by engaging youth, media, technology and celebrities to promote positive change.

About Defend Our Future:

Defend Our Future is focused on persuading politicians to be serious about acting on climate change. We know climate change is happening – and is a serious threat to our generation. Not just scientists, but economists, doctors and military leaders are all warning of the costs and consequences. If we want to change the path we’re on, we can’t sit on the sidelines. We’re mobilizing people like you to persuade candidates this fall to be real leaders on the issue of climate change. 

(New York, NY – October 9, 2014) - Today, EDF Climate Corps announced the findings of 117 fellows working to improve energy management at 102 leading organizations. Altogether, this year’s EDF Climate Corps fellows uncovered $130 million in potential energy savings, enough to avoid the annual emissions of 115,000 cars.

Since the program’s inception in 2008, more than 300 organizations have hired EDF Climate Corps fellows to uncover energy savings in their own operations. This year, a growing number of companies turned to EDF Climate Corps to find ways to cut energy costs and emissions across their value chains.

“Bending the curve on carbon emissions requires a comprehensive approach to energy management, and the companies in EDF Climate Corps are leading this trend,” said Victoria Mills, Managing Director. “EDF Climate Corps provides the hands-on help organizations need to dig into the complex task of improving energy efficiency throughout their value chain.”

For example, in China, EDF Climate Corps fellows worked with Apple, Walmart, McDonald’s, Cummins and Legrand to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency in the companies’ facilities, suppliers and retail outlets. These fellows found tens of millions of dollars in savings, demonstrating how organizations can scale energy savings through their global suppliers.

In the U.S., EDF Climate Corps fellows branched out beyond company-owned facilities to look for energy savings within distribution and franchise networks. For example, Dunkin’ Brands brought on two fellows to help reduce carbon emissions associated with its franchisee-owned baking facilities and franchise restaurants. 

“As one of the world’s leading franchisors of quick service restaurants, Dunkin’ Brands recognizes the importance of taking action to reduce carbon emissions that we control directly and those that we influence,” Christine Riley Miller,  Sr. Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, at Dunkin’ Brands said. “We value the support and expertise EDF Climate Corps provides as we work to empower our franchisees with the tools they need to save energy, related costs and emissions.”

Ocean Spray tasked its EDF Climate Corps fellow with understanding the environmental impacts of transporting goods between facilities and customers. The EDF Climate Corps fellow identified potential reductions in Ocean Spray’s transportation emissions by shipping a portion of their product by train instead of freight trucks.

“Freight movement accounts for 16 percent of all corporate greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and companies have the power and financial incentive to reduce their environmental impact in this area,” Jason Mathers, Senior Manager at EDF said. “To help companies take advantage of these significant cost-saving opportunities, EDF Climate Corps fellows are armed with the tools and training they need to deliver smart strategies for goods movement.”

In addition to reducing energy use through the value chain, companies in manufacturing, real estate, telecommunications, technology and retail are increasingly hiring EDF Climate Corps fellows to focus on energy data analysis, organizational benchmarking, goal setting, renewables and energy technologies.

Since its launch in 2008, EDF Climate Corps has uncovered $1.4 billion in total energy savings for participating organizations, enough to avoid the annual emissions of 400,000 cars.

See the full list of organizations that have participated in EDF Climate Corps at edfclimatecorps.org.

(Washington, D.C. – October 8, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted a draft of its proposal for an updated national health-based standard for ground-level ozone pollution, commonly known as smog, to the Office of Management and Budget.

EPA, which is under a court-ordered deadline to propose an updated ground-level ozone standard by December 1^st, submitted its draft this evening. 

“Smog is linked to asthma attacks, other serious heart and lung diseases, and premature death. It is EPA’s bedrock responsibility to issue a protective ozone air quality standard that will safeguard public health, including protecting the children afflicted by smog across our nation,” said Dr. Elena Craft, EDF Health Scientist. 

EPA finalized the current national ground-level ozone standards in 2008 at 75 parts per billion – which contradicted unanimous advice from the statutorily-established Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and from the nation’s leading medical societies.  

A new technical analysis released last month by EPA staff recommended tightening the national standard for ground-level ozone to a health protective standard that ranges between 60 to 70 parts per billion. An independent panel of scientists made a similar recommendation to EPA earlier this year.

According to a 2010 analysis by EPA, a standard of 60 parts per billion would, when met:

• Prevent up to 12,000 premature deaths

• Prevent up to 21,000 hospitalizations

• Provide $100 billion in associated economic benefits

EPA is under a court deadline of December 1^st to propose an updated national ozone standard that protects the health of America’s communities and families and to issue a final standard by October 2015.  EDF, together with public health and environmental associations such as Earthjustice, has taken legal action to compel EPA to carry out these responsibilities under our nation’s clean air laws. 

(NEW YORK – October 8, 2014) The International Energy Agency (IEA) today is spotlighting a signature energy efficiency initiative of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) as a program that will “facilitate a global market for financings by institutional investors that look to rely on standardized products” in the commercial building sector. IEA, a global organization for 29 member countries, highlighted EDF’s Investor Confidence Project in its annual Energy Efficiency Market Report 2014, noting its ability to standardize project development and estimate energy savings.

“By standardizing how projects are developed and savings estimates are calculated, EDF’s Investor Confidence Project can increase investor and building owner confidence in energy savings,” said Andy Darrell, Chief of Strategy for EDF’s US Climate and Energy Program. “We are encouraged that the IEA report not only acknowledges growing interest by the financial community in the solid returns of the energy efficiency market, but also profiles an exciting EDF initiative aimed at breaking down one of the sector’s most significant barriers.”

Representing nearly 40 percent of all energy consumption in the United States and Europe, the building sector arguably offers the greatest untapped opportunity to save money on electricity bills and reduce harmful pollution that accelerates the pace of climate change. Improving the commercial building sector’s energy efficiency by modernizing the way building energy is managed presents an enormous opportunity to cut costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Investor Confidence Project is enabling a market for Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ projects by reducing transaction costs and engineering overhead while increasing the reliability and consistency of savings. ICP takes the variability out of the process by leveraging best practices for each phase of an energy retrofit and credentialing projects through third-party review. The result is a commercial building sector with lower operating costs, higher market value, and a significantly lower carbon footprint.

ICP has been gaining traction in the United States, where it has partnered with hundreds of private sector allies, including energy service providers, building owners, and finance companies, and is currently in use by Connecticut’s Green Bank and Texas’ Commercial property-assessed clean energy (PACE) programs. Next month, EDF will launch ICP in Europe, capitalizing on the size and maturity of the European energy efficiency sector. For more information on ICP, visit www.EEperformance.org.

(October 8, 2014) – Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has launched a new, collaborative initiative to eliminate fertilizer pollution as a major environmental concern in the United States. The effort will engage farmers and businesses throughout the supply chain to transform the way fertilizer-dependent grain crops are grown and sourced.

“If we’re going to meet food demands for a growing population, we’ve got to decouple production from pollution as soon as possible,” said EDF vice president David Festa. “The most promising way to accomplish this essential task is by collaborating with decision makers at every point in the U.S. grain supply chain – from retailers and food companies to agribusiness and farmers.”

Fertilizer is the engine of agriculture, but its inefficient use is one of the biggest threats to a stable climate and clean water. Nitrogen not soaked up by crops emits a heat-trapping gas 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Phosphorus and nitrogen run-off from fertilizer causes toxic algal blooms that contaminate drinking water supplies and create dead zones.

Grains, especially corn, are the most fertilizer-intensive of all U.S. crops, using nearly 100 million tons a year.

“Our long-term goal is to make the entire U.S. grain supply sustainable – good for farmers, good for the climate and good for our waterways,” said Suzy Friedman, director of EDF’s Sustainable Sourcing Initiative.

“To do that, we need to engage the private sector. We need to generate demand for sustainable grains and build up the supply,” said Jenny Ahlen, EDF supply chain manager. “It will make our food system more resilient.”

The initiative is already gaining traction with key players throughout the supply chain:

Retailers

Last year, Walmart – the nation’s largest grocer, commanding a third of the market – asked many of its top suppliers to submit fertilizer optimization plans. This new fertilizer program is part of Walmart’s commitment to reduce 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from its supply chain by 2015, a commitment EDF helped the company to develop. Walmart analyzed its greenhouse gas footprint and found that for half of its top 100 products, fertilizer use was the biggest GHG hotspot.

Suppliers

EDF is working with several Walmart suppliers – including General Mills, Smithfield and The Coca-Cola Company (in partnership with World Wildlife Fund) — to develop and implement fertilizer efficiency programs. So far, 15 companies representing 30 percent of food and beverage sales in North America have developed plans to source more sustainable grains to meet Walmart’s demand.

Agribusiness

EDF is collaborating with Iowa-based United Suppliers to develop and implement a fertilizer efficiency program to meet the supply chain demand. United Suppliers is a member-owned wholesaler that provides agricultural products and services to about 700 grower cooperatives and retailers covering 45 million acres of farmland in the United States. The company has committed to optimizing fertilizer use on 10 million acres, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 5 million metric tons and contribute to cleaner water.

“We believe we’ve got to be on the forefront of this sustainability issue and keep crop nutrients in the fields where they’re applied,’’ said United Suppliers Vice President Matt Carstens. “With EDF’s help, we’ve put together a program that can help growers sort through practices that improve fertilizer efficiency so they can meet food companies’ new standards.”

Farmers

EDF is also working with farmer networks that have helped to reduce fertilizer loss by an average of 25 percent on half a million acres while maintaining or increasing crop yields.

“Fertilizer is the most expensive input for farmers, so it makes good business sense for us to maximize its efficiency,” said Brent Bible, co-owner and operator of a 2,500-acre grain production farm in Indiana.  “But it’s hard to predict the weather, which is a huge factor in fertilizer application. My hope is that as demand for nutrient-efficient grains increases, it will spur development of new tools and applications that can better assist us in managing all the factors that go in to making decisions about fertilizer.”

The near-term goal of EDF’s Sustainable Sourcing Initiative is to maximize fertilizer efficiency on half of U.S. corn crops by 2020 (approximately 45 million acres), which will cut 25 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and improve water quality.