PARTNERSHIP FOR CLIMATE ACTION RELEASES REPORT ON CORPORATE GREENHOUSE GAS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

(2 April, 2002 — New York)  The Partnership for Climate Action (PCA), consisting of eight leading corporations and the advocacy group Environmental Defense, today issued its first report, Common Elements Among Advanced Greenhouse Gas Management Programs.  The report, available online at www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/1885_PCAbooklet.pdf, illustrates the basic building blocks of a corporate greenhouse gas management program and describes some experiences in implementing these programs. 

PCA members are Environmental Defense, Alcan, BP, DuPont, Entergy, Ontario Power Generation, Pechiney, Shell International, and Suncor Energy. 

“The companies of the Partnership for Climate Action are on the vanguard of the new field of greenhouse gas management,” said Environmental Defense executive director Fred Krupp.  “The Partnership for Climate Action is not only achieving real reductions in global warming emissions, but also providing a body of practical experience, demonstrating how to reduce pollution while continuing to profit.  This experience is particularly important now as the international debate on the Kyoto Protocol evolves from development of the rules to implementation by countries.”

Each PCA corporate member has committed to a firm greenhouse gas reduction target and has designed its own greenhouse gas management program.  Based on their practical experience, the partners identified four key issues in managing greenhouse gases: target setting, measuring emissions, rules governing reduction activities, and accountability.  The report concludes that a comprehensive program that is strong in all four elements is most likely to deliver both environmental and economic performance. 

The report also describes some of the PCA companies’ specific practices in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as whether decision-making is highly centralized or relatively autonomous.  The elements and practices identified in the report are not meant to be comprehensive nor a recommendation of best practices.  Rather, the report is meant to demonstrate how greenhouse gas management programs might be structured and how specific challenges have been overcome.  With time and experience, some of these techniques will endure and eventually gain wide support to be deemed best practice.