A Climate of Innovation: Northeast business action to reduce greenhouse gases

This report reviews corporate greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions management based on the experiences of nine large corporations from various economic sectors. In 2003 WRI began convening this group of companies, all of which are based in the northeastern U.S. (the project is known as “Climate Northeast” and the corporate partners are Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Citigroup, Con Edison, Eastman Kodak Company, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Northeast Utilities, Pfizer, and Staples). Over a period of 18 months, the group of partners assessed drivers for corporate action, GHG accounting systems and practices, and energy-related projects that reduce GHG emissions.

Based on this, WRI synthesized a report that is intended to identify innovation and best practices, to help other companies to learn to reduce GHG emissions, to signal the feasibility of emissions reductions, and to identify cutting edge issues and next steps with corporate GHG emissions management. The report Foreword, endorsed by all of the project partners, discusses the role that businesses can play in mitigating climate change.