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2007 Climate Award Winners
CORPORATE AWARD WINNERSEntergy Corporation
HSBC Holdings, plc
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation & Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Red Dot Corporation
Staples, Inc.
The Yalumba Wine Company
TEAM & NGO AWARD WINNERS
Arkema Climate Protection Team
Climate Protection Campaign
Improved Mobile Air Conditioning Servicing Emissions Reduction Team
Joint Strike Fighter Emissions Test Development Team
Natural Resources Council of Maine
INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS
Reverend Sally Bingham
Robert Parkhurst
Robert Redford
Auden Schendler
Ron Sims
Dadi Zhou
Entergy Corporation
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States.
Entergy was the first utility in the nation to commit publicly to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and has led the utility sector since. For example, Entergy established an internal Environmental Initiatives Fund, in which to date it has invested nearly $15 million to complete 61 internal reduction projects that will achieve 6.2 million tons of CO2 emission reductions by 2010. Entergy joined the U.S. EPA Climate Leaders program in 2004. At that time, Entergy had already been working with the NGO Environmental Defense on its climate strategy and had committed to stabilize its greenhouse gas emissions at 2000 levels through 2005. Entergy has also purchased over 500,000 tons of carbon emission reduction credits generated from landfill methane and coal mine methane recovery projects.
Entergy has actively promoted its efforts on climate change through reporting to the Carbon Disclosure Project and involvement in the Clean Energy Group, Environmental Defense, and the Pew Center Business Environment Leadership Council. In 2006, Entergy was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the fifth consecutive year. Entergy was the only company in the U.S. electricity sector in 2006 to be named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index—World.
By 2005, Entergy had reduced its GHG emissions by approximately 20% from 2000 levels and in 2006 the company set a new goal of stabilizing its GHG emissions at 20% below 2000 levels through 2010. The company is accomplishing this goal by implementing projects to reduce electric transmission line losses, manage and or replace SF6 equipment, modernize its fossil fleet with a greater share of Combined Cycle Gas Turbines, and new offset projects.
| "I'm proud that our employees are making Entergy a leader in the national conversation about climate change, one of the defining issues of our time. This EPA award highlights the importance of preparation and planning so we are not faced with either/or decisions because we have allowed the time to run out, not because we lack the means or creativity to accomplish both. Great companies find a way to reach their financial goals without borrowing against the future. Nowhere is that more important than the sustainability of our climate and the rights of future generations who cannot speak for themselves today."
J. Wayne Leonard |
HSBC Holdings, plc
HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world, and has become the first major bank to go "carbon neutral," achieving this goal for its global operations in late 2005. HSBC achieved carbon neutrality by managing and reducing direct emissions, buying green electricity where feasible, and offsetting the remaining emissions. Offset projects were located in New Zealand, Australia, India and Germany to offset a total of 170,000 tons of carbon.
HSBC also sponsors climate research and encourages its customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. In Great Britain, HSBC offers £30 discount on British customers' first household bill when they switch to100 percent renewable electricity.
HSBC is a member of the EPA's ENERGY STAR and Green Power Partnership programs, the Business Roundtable Climate Resolve, UNEP, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the Carbon Disclosure Project. Additionally, HSBC is a signatory and leading adopter of the Equator Principles and a founding member of the Bank Working Group of The Climate Group.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation & Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is a founding member of the Mobile Air Conditioning Climate Protection Partnership that was organized by the U.S. EPA, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Mobile Air Conditioning Society, Worldwide. This global partnership launched the Improved Mobile Air Conditioning challenge. One of the goals of this challenge is to reduce air conditioning-related fuel consumption by 30% or more. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation have developed a high-efficiency air conditioning system with a new scroll compressor and sophisticated compressor cycling controls that monitor thermal load to manage discharge air temperature. The superior environmental performance of the system has been validated by both system bench and vehicle chassis dynamometer tests.
The new system reduces power consumption of the original system by 39%. Furthermore, the new system improves cooling performance by 7%.
Red Dot Corporation
Red Dot Corporation is an employee-owned company that designs and manufacturers heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and replacement parts for heavy duty mobile vehicle applications. It is a pioneer in researching and commercializing low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants to replace HFC-134a in heavy duty on-highway vehicles and off-road mining, construction, and agricultural equipment. On January 22, 2004, Red Dot Corporation introduced the first off-road air conditioning systems to utilize HFC-152a as a refrigerant. With a GWP of only 120, HFC-152a has ten times less impact on the climate than HFC-134a (GWP=1300). Furthermore, 30% less refrigerant is needed to achieve the same amount of cooling, and HFC-152a can be contained in a hermetically sealed system with near-zero refrigerant emissions. These advantages translate into a 93% to 98% reduction in refrigerant greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, HFC-152a has an inherently higher energy efficiency. This can translate into large fuel savings, particularly for equipment operating in very hot environments. Red Dot's HFC-152a air conditioning system is a significant innovation that will lead to large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions as more and more off-highway and on-highway vehicles switch to HFC-152 refrigerant.
Staples, Inc.
Staples is actively pursuing energy conservation opportunities and increasing its purchases and on-site use of green power to reduce its impacts on climate change. Staples' Climate Leaders goal is to reduce total U.S. GHG emissions 7% by 2010, starting from a 2001 base year.
Since 2001, Staples' energy conservation efforts have helped reduce energy use per square foot, including cutting electricity consumption per square foot by approximately 14%. But due to the strong growth Staples has enjoyed, total U.S. energy consumption has continued to increase since 2001. Green power is necessary to help offset the growth.
In 2006, Staples purchased more than 121 million kilowatt-hours of green power from certified sources including wind, biomass and landfill gas. These green power purchases account for 20 percent of Staples total U.S. electricity requirements. As of December 2006, Staples was ranked 3rd out of the top 10 corporate retail purchasers of green power and 12th overall by U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership. Staples also continues to increase its use of solar power. Solar power will provide an estimated 2.8 million kWh of clean energy for Staples facilities in 2007-namely at four distribution centers, four retail stores and a sales office.
Staples estimates that the company's 2006 green power investments resulted in a 19% reduction in total U.S. GHG emissions from 2001 to 2006.
The Yalumba Wine Company
The Yalumba Wine Company spans six generations, making it the oldest family-owned winery in Australia. Yalumba ranks ninth in output of branded wine and has built its reputation on handcrafting fine wines that showcase regional character, distinctive varietal flavor and individual personality. Yalumba's mission is to produce the finest wine and to be the most respected independent winery in Australia. This vision includes a commitment to protect the environment through responsible environmental citizenship. In May 1999, The Yalumba Wine Company joined Australia's Greenhouse Challenge program and worked closely with the Australian Greenhouse Office to develop an integrated emissions management program for every activity from the vineyard to the consumer's table
The aim of Yalumba's Greenhouse Challenge strategy is to minimize the emissions of greenhouse gases throughout the life cycle of wine and to encourage the conservation of greenhouse gas sinks. To achieve this goal, Yalumba is implementing a whole-of-company action plan, which may be summarized as follows:
- Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions through
- Energy conservation practices;
- Identification of cleaner technology;
- Product Stewardship;
- Supply Chain Management.
- Greenhouse Sinks and Sustainable Land Management, including
- Land set aside for conservation;
- Best practice environmental management in vineyards.
- Household Greenhouse Action
- Encouraging employees to take action within their own individual households
- Strategic Alliances with Stakeholders, including:
- The South Australian Wine Industry Association;
- Membership of the South Australian Greenhouse Strategy Industry Working Group 16; and recently
- The Industry-Government Greenhouse Partnership Committee of the Australian Greenhouse Office
Yalumba's Greenhouse Challenge action plan involves every aspect of production, packaging, procurement and market distribution throughout the life cycle of wine. The life cycle methodology and analysis is reviewed on an annual basis and forms the basis of Yalumba's environmental management program.
Arkema Climate Protection Team
Tom Werkema and the Arkema Climate Protection Team are helping to protect the environment by reducing energy use, by advocating responsible use of HFC greenhouse gases, and by responsibly managing the HFCs used in its own manufacturing processes.
As a major energy consumer, Arkema is continuously improving the energy efficiency of its installations. Since 1990, the baseline year for the Kyoto Protocol, Arkema cut greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds. Arkema also advocates that HFCs be used only where they offer environmental and technical advantages and that emissions be minimized. HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases that have hundreds to thousands of times the warming impact of carbon dioxide. Arkema has proposed that manufacturing associations worldwide use strict codes of practice to limit HFC emissions during manufacturing, and has already implemented these actions in its own facilities. In addition, Arkema is helping its customers reduce greenhouse gas emissions with patented Transcend© additive technology that improves foam performance while reducing the amount of HFC-245fa used in foam by up to 25%.
Arkema's emissions reductions have been verified by independent, third party auditors, and detailed GHG emissions information is reported annually in their corporate sustainability report.
Climate Protection Campaign
The Climate Protection Campaign (CPC) was founded in 2001 to bring together Sonoma County government, businesses and communities to achieve larger greenhouse gas emissions reductions than each of these sectors would accomplish by acting alone. CPC succeeded in enlisting all nine cities, as well as Sonoma County itself, in the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives 'Cities for Climate Protection' effort, making Sonoma County the first U.S. community to have 100 percent municipal commitment to climate protection. CPC was instrumental in enabling all the locales to complete inventories of greenhouse gas emissions from internal municipal operations to establish baseline emissions. This allowed them to set bold emissions reduction targets: The greenhouse gas emission reduction target for Sonoma County is 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2015, the boldest target of any U.S. community to date. All city councils and the County voted on the initiative, and support was nearly unanimous.
CPC also succeeded in persuading all nine of Sonoma County's mayors to sign on to the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement led by Seattle's mayor Greg Nickels. All of the mayors also sent support letters for California bill AB32, a proposal that required a 25 percent cut in carbon dioxide pollution produced within the state's borders by 2020 in order to bring the total down to 1990 levels. CPC was able to round up several prominent businesses and about 1000 citizen signatures in support of the bill as well. The bill passed California's congress and was signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger in September 2006.
In business initiatives, CPC helped Sonoma Wine Company reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent while nearly doubling their production. Sonoma Wine is the organization's first partner in their Cool Business Alliance, a unique program partnership with state-funded energy efficiency programs. This partnership allows the CPC to engage local business partners with California's aggressive energy efficiency improvement goals. CPC also recruited Sonoma Wine Company and North Bay Construction to the EPA Climate Leaders program. CPC also helps local schools reduce their emissions. In a high school pilot program initiative, CPC worked with the student body to reduce their GHG emissions from commutes by 21 percent in only three weeks.
Improved Mobile Air Conditioning Servicing Emissions Reduction Team
This award recognizes Dave Bateman, Bill Jamo, Gary Murray, Frank Rogers, and Paul Weissler for extraordinary contributions to the Improved Mobile Air Conditioning Service Emissions Reduction Team. This team was formed with the goal of reducing refrigerant emissions from vehicle air conditioning servicing by 50%. Mobile Air Conditioners use a refrigerant called HFC-134a, which is a greenhouse gas 1,300 times stronger than carbon dioxide. This refrigerant gas can escape to the atmosphere and contributes to climate change if not carefully contained. Vehicle air conditioning servicing and repair contributes significantly to emissions of HFC-134a.
Over the last two years, this servicing team has achieved extraordinary success. Central to their achievements is the new standard (SAE J-2788) published by the Society of Automotive Engineers for refrigerant recovery/recharge equipment. This new standard guarantees refrigerant recovery rates of 90% or better, and will result in a huge reduction in emissions over the coming years. Frank Rogers of GM, made a significant contribution to the standard by doing all of the "service lab" work to determine what could be achieved through more efficient recovery. Gary Murray of Robinair provided the sophisticated measuring scales for the investigative work and alternative equipment approaches to achieve the best results. Paul Weissler, an independent automotive technical writer with over 40 years of experience, promoted and encouraged the team's work, and translated the technical findings into a written test procedure.
The Mobile Air Conditioning Service Emissions Reduction Team also developed new test standards that improve electronic leak detectors in two ways. First, the new test certifies detectors to identify chemicals in the refrigerant that would otherwise damage recovery/recycle equipment or contaminate already recovered refrigerant. Second, the new test certifies that leak detectors can pinpoint much smaller leaks, reducing emissions and increasing the reliability of repair. Bill Jamo chaired this segment' efforts, fought vigorously for a much more demanding standard with real-world testing and performance criteria, conducted testing of detectors, and helped write the final standard.
Joint Strike Fighter Emissions Test Development Team
The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Test and Data Quality Assurance Team developed a test that will, for the first time, allow scientist to accurately gauge the contribution of jet aircraft particulate emissions to global climate change.
The JSF Test and Data Quality Assurance Team includes Steven Hartle (Naval Air Systems Command), Robert Howard (Arnold Engineering Development Center), Curtis Kimbel (Naval Air Systems Command), John Kinsey (US Environmental Protection Agency), Richard Miake-Lye (Aerodyne Research), Wayne Miller (University of California-Riverside), Chowen Wey (NASA), and Phillip Whitefield (University of Missouri at Rolla). The Test Development Team combined their resources, skills and expertise to develop a new test methodology to quickly, accurately and economically measure particulate matter (PM) emissions from aircraft gas turbine engines.
Aircraft engines emit aerosol particles and gaseous aerosol precursors into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during cruise operations. Altitude emissions may affect atmospheric chemistry and climate, and particle emissions at altitude are of especial concern because they create surfaces where ice can more easily form in aircraft condensation trails (contrails).
EPA will accept the experimental test results as satisfying Joint Strike Fighter emission validation requirements if EPA confirms the scientific validity of the test and data. The new test protocol will characterize Joint Strike Fighter emissions using state-of-the-science particulate emissions testing instrumentation and will serve as a test bed to advance the scientific basis of environmental decision-making. It replaces "EPA Test Method 5" which does not measure the critical environmental criteria including particulate size, distribution, and chemical species. The new test methodology is a result of several years of testing of both commercial and military gas turbine engines and enables the DOD and commercial aircraft engine manufactures to gather much more accurate data than was previously possible. It also significantly reduces engine run times, lowering greenhouse gas and criteria air pollutant emissions and cutting the overall cost of engine testing by over $1,000,000 per aircraft engine tested.
Natural Resources Council of Maine
The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), an independent, nonprofit membership organization, is a demonstrated leader on climate protection at the state level and beyond. NRCM developed two initiatives specifically aimed at educating the public about the potential impacts of global warming on their lives and engaging them in real solutions for climate protection.
With some 3,500 miles of coastline, Maine is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise as a consequence of climate change. NRCM, working with Colby College and the University of Maine Climate Institute, developed maps of Maine's 20 most at-risk coastal communities based on scientific estimates of sea-level rise if global warming goes unabated. NRCM found that much of downtown Portland--Maine's largest city--could be wiped out and that Bath Iron Works--the state's largest employer--would be ruined. Most of Kennebunkport, a vital contributor to Maine's $3.5 billion tourist economy, could be completely submerged, including President George H. Bush's family home. Costly infrastructure such as roads and bridges would be destroyed, as would hundreds of Maine's treasured natural areas. To educate officials and the public about the potential impacts of sea-level rise on Maine's economy and quality of life, NRCM held a press event that included a walk-through with Portland's mayor through the city's most at-risk commercial district. The state and national media coverage helped reach millions of people.
Since NRCM's goal for this project is not only to educate but, ultimately, climate protection, they combined their message with their Maine Global Warming Challenge. The Challenge asks people to save at least 1,500 pollution pounds and help NRCM reach a goal to reduce 600,000 pounds of global warming pollution by Earth Day 2007. The project was launched on Earth Day 2006. By November 2006, they were already 82 percent toward reaching their goal, and decided to increase the reduction target. The success of their project demonstrates that reducing global warming pollution can be easy and also good for the family budget. Their sea-level rise report and their Maine Global Warming Challenge are excellent models that can be easily reproduced in other states. NRCM also worked on initiatives including Cleaner Car Sales Goals and global warming tailpipe emissions standards. NRCM was in favor of the Mars Hill wind farm that is now in operation, producing 42 megawatts of clean, renewable energy and providing economic benefit to the local community. NRCM's publication, Global Warming in Maine: Warning Signs, Winning Solutions, has already been reproduced in three other states.
NRCM has also played a leadership role in developing RGGI to help reduce global warming pollution, save families and businesses money on electric bills, and generate an "energy fund" to encourage investment in energy efficiency.
Reverend Sally Bingham
Reverend Sally Bingham, founder of Interfaith Power and Light, has energized a constituency virtually untouched by environmental organizations, and is "changing the debate" in a unique way. She was one of the very first religious leaders to flatly proclaim that global warming is a moral and religious issue that the faith community must take up as an urgent matter. To this end Reverend Bingham produced the video "Lighten Up!: A Religious Response to Global Warming," which illustrates what individuals can do about global warming. In October, the national Interfaith Power and Light organization hosted some 4,000 showing of "An Inconvenient Truth" in churches and synagogues in partnership with Paramount Studies. Their Web site summarizes: "Spotlight on Global Warming project succeeds in showing An Inconvenient Truth to over half a million people of faith. All 20 state Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) affiliates were heavily involved with organizing this project. Our initial outreach goal was 1,500 congregations in 20 states, yet it was quickly exceeded and 4,000 congregations (over 500,000 people viewing) signed up by the September sign-up deadline. In addition, Interfaith Power and Light was able to coordinate screenings in all 50 states. Due to strong demand, many of the congregations held multiple screenings and hosted other global warming education events to supplement the film screenings." Reverend Bingham's organization also developed an online shopping cart (www.miipl.org ) which facilitates individual and group purchases of energy efficient products, including those that are ENERGY STAR qualified, by the faith community.
Robert Parkhurst
Robert Parkhurst is recognized within Hewlett Packard (HP), Silicon Valley, and the state of California as a passionate business leader on climate change who gets real results. Robert created the climate change program at HP. Under Robert's leadership, HP reduced their on-site GHG emissions by 31% in 2006 and implemented more than 127 million kWh worth of energy efficiency projects at its locations around the world over the last three years. As a result of Robert's leadership, HP announced a goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from HP-owned and HP-leased facilities worldwide to 15% below 2006 levels by 2010.
Robert was responsible for HP joining the World Economic Forum's Global Greenhouse Gas Registry, the California Climate Action Registry, and Sustainable Silicon Valley. Sustainable Silicon Valley is a collaboration of businesses, governments, and non-governmental organizations that work cooperatively to resolve environmental and resource pressures. As a founding member, Robert helped set the goal to reduce regional carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 20% below 1990 levels by 2010 and he developed the protocols to measure progress.
Robert has represented the Silicon Valley in numerous state and national forums. He has routinely spoken before the California Energy Commission, CalEPA, and Air Resources Board on what Silicon Valley companies are doing to reduce their climate impact. He was on the California Energy Commission's Climate Change Advisory Committee where he led the Industrial and Agricultural Committee. Most recently on the Board of Directors of the California Climate Action Registry, Robert has worked with the Board on strategies to leverage the experience of the Registry with other states and regions and work towards becoming a national-based registry.
Robert is a leader in engaging California businesses in what they can do to respond to climate change. Through his efforts, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group was one of the only business groups to support AB32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Robert's leadership within HP, Silicon Valley, and the state of California has demonstrated that businesses can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions while growing their business.
Robert Redford
Robert Redford has been a leading voice for the environment since the 1960s. He is an activist who has used his worldwide reputation, his talent, his passion and his finances to cast an ever-widening net of influence to promote the preservation, restoration, and improvement of the natural environment.
Robert Redford's efforts span the globe, as evidenced by his 1989 Greenhouse Glasnost summit on climate change which he co-hosted at Sundance with the Soviet Academy of Sciences, More recently, he has focused attention on recruiting local government to take the fight against global warming to their cities through the Sundance Summits. He was among the first to surmise that citizens working at the community level will can take significant steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2005 and 2006, Redford worked with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and Salt Lake City Utah Mayor Rocky Anderson to bring mayors from around the country together at the 'Sundance Summit: A Mayors Gathering on Climate Protection.' Mayors at the summit talked directly about the devastating effects of global climate change and investigated actions they and their communities can take to make a difference
The inaugural event in 2005 reminded the 45 participating mayors (representing 28 states and 10 million U.S. citizens) of their power and their responsibility to protect the planet. They left Sundance with the knowledge and the tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their cities. With the Sundance Summit, Redford successfully introduced local leaders to tools and expertise on climate protection to help mitigate global warming, one of the greatest threats to the health and prosperity of communities today. At the Summit's conclusion, the mayors of cities representing more than 10 million U.S. citizens agreed to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and endorsed the Summit as an annual event to support their climate protection efforts.
Auden Schendler
Auden Schendler is Executive Director of Community and Environmental Responsibility at Aspen Skiing Company, where he is responsible for improving environmental performance at the company's four resorts - Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk,- two hotels and fifteen restaurants. Aspen Skiing Company has won more than 35 US and international awards for its environmental work and is internationally considered to be an environmental leader in the business world.
Auden was previously research associate in corporate sustainability and newsletter editor at Amory Lovins' Rocky Mountain Institute, where he managed an environmental audit of World Bank headquarters and helped research the book Natural Capitalism (Hawkins/Lovins/Lovins).
Named a "Climate Crusader" in TIME magazine's 2006 special issue on Climate Change, Auden has been profiled in Outside, Fast Company, and Travel and Leisure magazine, and Aspen Skiing Company's environmental work has been featured on Nightline, the Discovery Channel, and in Newsweek, among other media outlets. Auden has spoken internationally on green business, and his writing on sustainable business, life in the West, kayaking and mountaineering have been published in journals ranging from Harvard Business Review to the L.A. Times.
Aspen Skiing Company (ASC), has been recognized by the state of Colorado's Environmental Leadership Program as a "Gold Leader" and by the EPA as a National Performance Track member. ASC is ISO 14001 certified as a "green" company, the first of only two ski resorts in the country to achieve this recognition. ASC was the first ski resort to purchase any amount of wind power, and in 2006, ASC made a landmark purchase of renewable energy certificates from wind farms to account for 100 percent of its electricity use, the first major ski resort to do this. More than 50 resorts now buy some amount of wind power. Under Schendler's guidance, ASC implemented guidelines that call for all new construction to meet strict green standards. In fact, ASC built one of the first 10 U.S. Green Building Council LEED certified buildings in the US and certified the Snowmass Golf Clubhouse at the LEED Silver Level. That building is heated and cooled using the pond on the 18th hole. Aspen has an on-slope microhydroelectric plant, which uses spring snowmelt to generate clean power, and an employee foundation that in nine years has donated over $1 million to environmental projects. The snowcats at all four ASC mountains run on biodiesel, another industry first.
Ron Sims
Ron Sims, Executive of King County, Washington, has built his career in public service around the progressive principles of social justice, good government and environmental stewardship. In 2002, King County joined the Cities for Climate Protection and Ron Sims created an action plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and targeted air pollutants from its operations. King County pursues aggressive strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through 'greener' public transportation, land use planning to build healthier communities and discourage sprawl, clean energy programs that stimulate climate-friendly fuel and technology markets, and innovative environmental management that turns waste into energy. Under the leadership of Ron Sims, the King County Department of Transportation has become one of the greenest transportation agencies in the nation. Vehicles throughout the department run on a mix of the cleanest diesel fuel available and 20-percent biodiesel. In addition, King County Metro Transit now has more than 215 hybrid buses serving its transit passengers. These measures have worked in tandem with establishment and protection of the Urban Growth Area Boundary, as well as high-density development based around easy transit access. The transportation sector is the largest source of emissions in King County, so these measures have a substantial effect. King County has demonstrated its own corporate responsibility by compiling the Inventory of King County Air Emissions ("Inventory") for the years 2000 and 2003 and managing governmental sources of greenhouse gas emissions by best practice standards. In 2006, King County became the first county and the first major bus transit agency in the United States to join the Chicago Climate Exchange.
Dadi Zhou
Dadi Zhou is the former Director General of China's Energy Research Institute, which is a premier research institution that informs the Chinese government on energy and climate change policy options. Zhou has been an extremely valuable ally to global energy/climate change communities over the course of his career. Zhou is the one of the most important leaders for energy efficiency in the world's most populous country. He paved the way for China's participation in international climate programs, arguing to top Chinese leaders that China both had much to lose from climate change and much to gain from cooperation on technology transfer for clean energy development. Throughout his career, Zhou regularly met with the Prime Minister and President of China to explain the importance of energy efficiency policy. Since 1979, Zhou has been effective in applying incentives, standards, pricing, and information policies to promote energy efficiency in China. He was the focal point for international energy efficiency cooperation and technology transfer in China, leading programs which revolutionized China's energy use. Notably, Zhou introduced the target of reducing Chinese energy intensity by 20 percent by 2010. Zhou frequently speaks to the press-from the China Daily to the New York Times-and appears on Chinese national radio and television.