Leading corporations cut greenhouse gases

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has commended more than 150 businesses for working to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the EPA's Climate Leaders conference.

GHG reductions pledged through the EPA's Climate Leaders programme are estimated to prevent the emissions equivalent to more than eight million cars annually.

"EPA's Climate Leaders partners are proving that businesses don't need to break the bank to do what's good for the environment," said EPA Administrator Stephen L Johnson.

"From Main Street to Wall Street, companies are reducing their climate footprints in cost effective ways – keeping America on track to meet President Bush's greenhouse gas reduction goal."

The EPA's Climate Leaders programme is currently the largest goal-setting programme in the US. Among those corporate partners who already achieved their reduction goals, a number have pledged to go further.

These include:

• Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) - to reduce its global GHG emissions by 33 per cent per manufacturing index (unit of production) from 2006 to 2010. AMD achieved its initial goal by reducing its emissions by 53 per cent per manufacturing index from 2002 to 2006.
• Roche Group US Affiliates - to reduce its total U.S. GHG emissions by 15 per cent from 2001 to 2010. Roche achieved its initial goal by reducing their emissions by 11 per cent from 2001 to 2006.
• Xerox - to reduce its total global GHG emissions by 25 per cent from 2002 to 2012. Xerox achieved its initial goal by reducing emissions by 18 per cent from 2002 to 2006.