About Us » Accomplishments

A few of our historic results

For four decades, we have built a track record of wins that have made a difference.

1967: A small group of scientists forms our organization to win a U.S. ban on DDT, which harmed wildlife and tainted mother's milk.

1975: Our economic model leads California regulators to call for energy efficiency rather than new coal and nuclear plants.

1985: Our scientists help convince federal regulators to phase lead out of gasoline, leading to a dramatic decline in childhood lead poisoning.

1987: We play a key role in the treaty to phase out CFCs, chemicals that damage the Earth’s ozone layer.

1989: A plan we designed with two Western water districts provides conserved irrigation water to city residents.

1990: The Clean Air Act uses our market-based design. Acid rain is reduced faster than expected, at a fraction of the predicted cost.

1991: McDonald’s accepts the recommendations of our joint task force, eliminating more than 300 million pounds of packaging waste.

1997: Our research finds that endangered species tend to be concentrated in “hot spots” where conservation efforts can be focused.

1997: Our cap-and-trade architecture becomes the basis of the U.S. global warming proposal adopted at Kyoto.

2000: Seven of the world’s largest corporations join us in a partnership, setting firm targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

2002: We assemble the science showing that marine protected areas boost fish populations dramatically.

2002: We aid in passing California’s first-in-the-nation law to reduce global warming emissions from vehicles.

2003: Our advocacy helps end Congress’s moratorium on market-based “catch share” methods to protect fisheries.

2003: Deep cuts in unhealthful diesel pollution from farm and construction equipment are spurred by our national and local work.

2004: The first FedEx hybrid-electric trucks hit the road. The new vehicles reduce soot by 96% and go 57% farther on a gallon of fuel.

2005: We help spur the Clean Air Interstate Rule, a cap-and-trade regulation to reduce sulfur and nitrogen oxide pollution.

2006: California passes the nation's first statewide cap on greenhouse gas emissions, a measure we conceived of and helped draft.

2006: A biological jewel in Hawaii is safeguarded, becoming the world's largest marine reserve, thanks to our key role.

2007: Supreme Court rules favorably in two historic suits we're party to: one, a win for clean air; the other, a win for curbing global warming pollution.

2007: Our hard-hitting campaign against the Texas utility TXU leads to a landmark buyout deal that blocked a new wave of dirty coal plants.

2008: To revive the West Coast’s largest fishery, we helped institute “catch shares” – a system that assigns each trawler a portion of the scientifically allowable catch – and launched a loan program to help fishermen switch to sustainable methods.

2008: We played a pivotal role in persuading the United States to join an international agreement to cut diesel pollution from new oceangoing vessels by 80% or more. Our multi-year efforts also paid off in new EPA rules to curb diesel pollution from barges, ferries and trains.

2008: We partnered with private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts to improve environmental performance in its portfolio of companies and joined retail leader Wal-Mart to accelerate the development of better, more affordable solar power.