Helping “The Heartbeat” with an Environmental GPS

By Bob Sheppard, CFO and Vice President, Corporate Program

One of the things that first attracted me to Clean Air-Cool Planet a decade ago when there were but two employees on the payroll, was the opportunity to work collaboratively with corporate leaders, helping CEOs manage risk. This was an organization whose sole focus is climate change, catalyzing climate leadership, by helping CEOs with carbon management; selectmen save tax dollars on energy costs; and college and university presidents manage their emissions, curriculum, and reputation. 

When a non-profit colleague called this summer seeking recommendations on a new project, there was no way to predict the call would lead to standing beside the CEO of one of America’s largest corporations as he announced a significant initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions. In case you missed it, Dan Akerson, the CEO of General Motors, today unveiled a campaign by Chevrolet to invest $40 million in community-based efficiency and renewable-energy projects across America. That is a significant amount of money for any firm, let alone one that was facing bankruptcy and then federal support that led to this week’s IPO.

But this is not the old GM!  While cynical and skeptical readers are rolling their eyes and conjuring up ulterior motives, we see something different: signs of a possible cultural change from deep inside one of America’s largest corporations; a willingness to invest in game-changing or transformational projects that save money, create new jobs, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. 

Clean Air- Cool Planet was part of the team that helped develop the framework for the Chevy Clean Energy Initiative, which sets an ambitious stretch goal of reducing eight million metric tons of carbon emissions in cities and towns across the US. It’s not the first time a business has demonstrated climate leadership, and it’s certainly not the last, but it is significant.

Having reduced its manufacturing emissions 60 percent since 1990, the time has come for GM to raise the bar in the race towards a cleaner, more secure energy future.  This is the latest signal that corporations who are committed to becoming sector leaders in sustainability can get there faster and in a more direct path when they engage with third-party non-profits and other experts to help the process.

In a way this collobration functions much like a GPS in your car, providing GM with environmental intelligence and expertise as it travels over unfamiliar terrain, warning the auto giant about obstacles to achieving success. At a time when many are still mourning the failure of climate policy in Washington and wondering what the outcome of the mid-term elections may mean, we continue to be bullish about the eventual transition to a low-carbon economy.

Explore posts in the same categories: Carbon Management, Climate Change, Community Action, Corporate Sustainability, Energy Efficiency, Fossil Fuels, Green Jobs, Policy, Renewable energy, Solutions, Tranportation

Tags: carbon footprint, Carbon Management, clean air-cool planet, Climate action, Climate Change, climate change solutions, climate policy, CO2, corporate carbon emissions, Energy Efficiency, environmentalism, Fuel Efficiency, global warming, green business, Green Jobs, sustainability, Tranportation

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