News Releases from Region 04

Brown-Forman Corporation Among 16 Organizations Across the U.S. Recognized for Climate Action

02/24/15 - ATLANTA - From an innovative partnership enabling colleges to sell carbon credits to fund clean energy projects on campuses to some of the country's leading corporations setting and exceeding aggressive emission reduction goals, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leadership Award winners announced today are demonstrating that innovative actions to combat climate change are smart business decisions. Brown-Forman together with sixteen organizations and one individual representing a wide array of industries from finance and manufacturing to retail and technology show exemplary corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in response to climate change.

"I am proud to recognize our Climate Leadership Award winners for their actions to reduce the harmful carbon pollution that's fueling climate change," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Our winners are demonstrating that a healthy environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. These organizations are providing the leadership, commitment, and solutions needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet head on the challenge of a changing climate."

EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership, in partnership with the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), and The Climate Registry (TCR), announced the fourth annual Climate Leadership Award winners.

Brown-Forman is being recognized for Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management for setting an absolute GHG reduction goal of 15 percent between 2012 and 2022 for global operations. The company also plans to achieve its reduction goal by switching from fossil fuel to biomass in its steam boilers at distillation operations; changing the processing of byproducts from grain distillation operations to reduce energy consumption; and switching steam boiler fuel to a less GHG-intensive fossil fuel at one production operation. Previously, the company's first generation goal was intensity based-30 percent metric tons CO2e per unit ton of production from 2009 by 2020. This was realized early in 2012 with a 46 percent reduction.

"Climate change presents immense challenges across an incredible array of sectors, geographic regions and job functions," said Daniel Kreeger, executive director of the Association of Climate Change Officers. "The 2015 Climate Leadership Award winners have shown that incorporating climate into decision making is critical to their organizational success and are raising the bar on climate action."

"After the hottest year globally on record, action on climate change is more urgent than ever," said Elliot Diringer, executive vice president of C2ES. "We applaud the CLA winners for demonstrating the many paths forward to a low-carbon future, and hope others follow their example."

"The Climate Registry is honored to recognize an impressive group of climate champions for their dedication to and leadership in addressing climate change in their operations," said David Rosenheim, executive director of TCR. "This year's deserving award winners are leading the way in reducing carbon pollution through greater transparency and consistent data, demonstrating the path to a more sustainable future."

The awards were presented at the 2015 Climate Leadership Conference in Arlington, Va.

EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership establishes norms of climate leadership by encouraging organizations with emerging climate objectives to identify and achieve cost-effective GHG emission reductions, while helping more advanced organizations drive innovations in reducing their greenhouse gas impacts in their supply chains and beyond. The Center provides technical tools, guidance, educational resources, and opportunities for information sharing and peer exchange among organizations interested in reducing the environmental impacts associated with climate change.

More information about the 2015 Climate Leadership Award winners: www.epa.gov/climateleadership/awards/2015winners.html

More information about EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership