It apparently also takes a village to reduce global warming... even though the jury is still out on the anthropogenic nature of the phenomenon.
Schneider Electric announced today that they were joining the "Clinton Climate Initiative"...whatever that is.
Here's the text, which is guaranteed to inflame anybody who isn't dyed resolutely Green:
Schneider Electric's Building Automation Business Unit joins Clinton Climate Initiative
Global effort to help address Climate Change by improving Energy Efficiency
Rueil-Malmaison, France, August 6, 2007 - Schneider Electric, a world leader in power and automation solutions for buildings and industry and TAC, its Building Automation Business Unit, today announced that they have joined the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) in a global effort to help cities around the world improve the energy efficiency of buildings and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.Through its TAC subsidiary, Schneider Electric's Building Automation Business Unit is a recognized innovator in building management systems and has an unparalleled track record of providing building automation solutions, energy saving retrofits and extended services to thousands of cities around the world. It has helped cities from Anchorage to Zurich save hundreds of millions of dollars in energy savings through guaranteed performance contracts. The U. S. Green Building's Council estimates that commercial office buildings use 20% more energy on average than necessary."Climate change is a global problem that requires local action," said President Clinton. "The business, banks and cities partnering with my foundation are addressing the issue of global warming because it's the right thing to do, but also because it's good for their bottom line. They're going to save money, make money, create jobs and have a tremendous positive impact on climate change."
Schneider Electric becomes the sixth world class company selected for this global Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, the first project of CCI's C40 Large Cities Climate Summit. The project brings together five of the world's largest banks, and sixteen of the world's largest cities, in a landmark program designed to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings.
"We will audit buildings, engineer efficiency measures, implement retrofits, provide performance guarantees of energy savings, work on an ongoing basis with CCI to lower total system costs. We will help gain back the wasted resources while at the same time ushering in a new era in social responsibility," commented Arne Frank, Executive Vice President Schneider Electric's Building Automation Business Unit.
Jean-Pascal Tricoire, President and CEO of Schneider Electric: "Schneider Electric has rolled out an action plan to consume better and consume less. Our commitment is to help our customers to make significant improvements in their energy efficiency, whether in their buildings, factories, infrastructures or homes. By joining Clinton Climate Initiative, we affirm our engagement and we participate in the convergence of society's players towards more sustainable development."
Some key achievements of 2007:
Schneider Electric signed the Nicolas Hulot's Ecological Pact and pledges to include most of the 10 proposed objectives in its corporate policy.
Schneider Electric China joins the Energy Management Company Association (EMCA) and the China Building Electricity Efficiency Committee (CBEEC) in order to respond to the country's energy-saving strategy, allowing customers to save, optimize and renew energy sources, while demonstrating its commitment to China.
About the Clinton Climate Initiative
Building on his long-term commitment to preserving the environment, President Clinton launched the Clinton Foundation's Climate Initiative in August 2006 with the mission of applying the Foundation's business-oriented approach to the fight against climate change in practical, measurable, and significant ways. In its first phase, CCI is working with the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group to accelerate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CCI team members have visited nearly all of these cities and are working with them to define projects and take action.
The C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group is comprised of the following cities: Addis Ababa,Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Caracas, Chicago, Delhi, Dhaka, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Houston, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Karachi, Lagos, Lima, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Manila, Melbourne, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo, and Warsaw. For more information contact the Clinton Foundation Press.
