Pew Center Launches Online Resource on Corporate Energy Efficiency

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change on September 29, 2009 launched a new Corporate Energy Efficiency Web Portal that features a myriad of resources designed to help businesses develop new and stronger energy efficiency strategies.

Credit: Jürgen from Sandesneben, Germany from Wikipedia

The Web portal is part of a larger Pew Center project to document and communicate best practices in corporate energy efficiency strategies in internal operations, supply chains, products and services, and cross-cutting issues.

The Web portal will continue to be built out over time, and currently features preliminary research findings and other resources, including:

• A comprehensive, searchable database of energy efficiency initiatives undertaken by the 45 companies in the Pew Center’s Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC)
• Key results from a survey designed to gather key quantitative data, identify trends, and gauge current activities in corporate energy efficiency
• Presentations delivered at a series of workshops held by the Pew Center to support the project
• Notable external resources on corporate energy efficiency strategies and news articles.

The Sun with some sunspots is visible. The two small spots in the middle have about the same diameter as our planet Earth. At the equator, the Sun provides approximately 1000 watts per square meter on Earth's surface. Credit: NASA http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/surface.shtml

“Well executed energy efficiency strategies should form the basis of any corporate response to the volatility of energy prices and impending mandatory climate policy,” said Pew Center President Eileen Claussen. “Our new energy efficiency initiative will provide tools and resources to help companies design and implement a successful energy efficiency strategy.”

As part of the research, a 65-question survey was completed by 48 companies, ranging in size from $8 billion to $99 billion in revenues. Key results, highlighted in detail on the portal, include:

• Companies reported an average energy efficiency target of 20 percent, or 2.2 percent on an annualized basis
• The three leading motivations for corporations to undertake energy efficiency strategies were: reducing their carbon footprint, responding to rising energy prices, and demonstrating their commitment to corporate social responsibility
• 81 percent of companies reported that they had modified their products and services to enhance or offer new levels of energy efficiency performance. The motives listed were to: “take advantage of new market trends brought on by consumer concerns about energy prices”; and “respond to competitive pressures”
• The CEO and senior management team were most frequently identified as the key champions of corporate efficiency programs, ranking higher than facility managers, and environmental health and safety teams.

In April 2010, the Pew Center will release a comprehensive report that tells the story of how leading corporations achieved significant gains in energy efficiency, and will describe best practices that other companies can emulate. Upon release of the report, the Pew Center will host a major conference in Chicago, April 6-7, 2010.

The broader project is being funded by a three-year, $1.4 million grant from Toyota.

This news is from the Pew Climate Center.

For more information about global climate change and the activities of the Pew Center, visit www.pewclimate.org.