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Romney or Obama ---- Does It Really Matter When It Comes to Climate Change?
As the 2012 presidential campaign nears the finish line, it is important to understand how the candidates measure up when it comes to climate change and energy.
Unfortunately, neither Obama nor Romney gives me much reason to get excited, but there are some similarities and differences that warrant mention.
Starting with the similarities, there are two that jump out at me. First, neither candidate has made climate change a front and center issue of his campaign. Second, both favor an "all-of-the-above" approach to energy independence and domestic energy production. Using those similarities as a springboard, the differences quickly become apparent.
Climate change is simply not a priority
issue for either candidate in the 2012 presidential election.
Although Obama characterizes climate change as "one of the biggest issues of this generation," he has not made carbon footprint reduction a priority in his 2012 campaign. In his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Obama was silent about climate change, apart from his affirmation that it is not a "hoax" and his promise to approach energy policy in a way that would "continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet."
Romney has been more straightforward in his dismissal of climate change as a campaign issue. Indeed, during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Romney's one reference to climate change was not about climate change at all, but a jab at Obama: "President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet. MY promise is to help you and your family."
The candidates' relative silence on climate change is where the similarity ends. While Obama's failure to go out on a limb to fight for federal policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a national basis is admittedly disappointing, he is generally supportive of both mandates and incentives designed to reduce emissions. Romney on the other hand, questions the scientific validity of climate change as a man-made issue, wants to eliminate all federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and believes it is a mistake for the government to spend "trillions and trillions of dollars" to reduce emissions.
Both candidates favor an "all-of-the-above" approach to energy including oil, natural gas, nuclear and renewables such as solar, wind and geothermal.
Although both candidates have embraced an energy future in the U.S. that includes both fossil fuels and clean energy, when we delved deeper, once again we found meaningful differences. As is often the case, the devil's in the details. read more
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Corporations at a Tipping Point Toward a Lower-Carbon Future
According to a recent report issued by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the nation's largest organizations are at a tipping point when it comes to climate change.
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This Johnson & Johnson solar project is one of New Jersey's largest. Image: Courtesy of Johnson & Johnson.
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The CPD S&P 500 Climate Change Report 2012 (the "Report") notes that "...against a backdrop of government inaction [see our article above], corporations are stepping into the leadership vacuum, fostering a new era in which sustainability and growth are not at odds, but rather, very much in sync."
The Report, issued on behalf of 655 investors with assets of over $78 trillion, revealed that 343 companies listed in the S&P 500 participated in CDP's carbon survey this year. 92% of those companies reported board or executive level oversight on climate change strategies and 74% identified climate change opportunities that had the potential to generate a substantive change in business operations, revenues and expenditures.
Companies cited for the quality of their disclosure and performance on actions taken to mitigate climate change include Microsoft and UPS (each with a score of 99 out of 100) as well as Johnson & Johnson, Hess, Best Buy, Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Google, Goldman Sachs, HP, DuPont, Simon Property Group and Bank of America. Companies called out for not participating at all include Apple, Amazon, Priceline, Time Warner Cable, Coach, Berkshire Hathaway, General Dynamics and Tyco International. Let us help your company with its development and implementation of climate change strategies, as we have for some of the CDP leaders. And, of course, we'd be happy to forward a copy of the report. |
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We Look Forward to Hearing from You
If you have questions or comments about anything you've read in this newsletter or if you're wondering how to meet your own green challenges, let us know!
greenedgellc.com 212 317 1131 
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 Hi Everyone!
It's great to be back with another issue of our Green Edge Newsletter.
This month we inaugurate a new column, Green Edge Client Success Stories. Our first story highlights Trademark Property Company and its success in greening La Palmera Mall in Corpus Christie, Texas.
In addition to this month's Client Success Story, we focus our sustainability lens on the 2012 presidential race and significant improvements in corporate sustainability.
Our goal is to bring you information that will make a difference for you and the success of your organizations. As always, I welcome your input and look forward to working with you to make our world a greener place.
Wishing you a vibrant fall season!
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CLIENT SUCCESS STORY
Trademark Property
Company and the Greening
of La Palmera Mall
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Green Edge client Trademark Property Company is a Ft. Worth, Texas based real estate developer that made a commitment to sustainability in 2007 and never wavered.
True to its word, when Trademark purchased La Palmera Mall, a 1960s era property in serious disrepair, it set its sights on renovating the property to reduce energy and water consumption, divert waste from landfill and improve the indoor environment.
Trademark's efforts were rewarded with the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for an enclosed mall, which was awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2011. Some of Trademark's accomplishments at La Palmera include: |
- Use of high-efficiency irrigation systems and low-flow toilets, urinals and faucets, which save 3,000 gallons of water daily
- Installation of high-efficiency HVAC and lighting systems, new windows and solar tubes that have reduced the mall's energy use by 35%
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According to Trademark, pursuing these green strategies did not result in higher renovation costs, and the cost of pursuing LEED certification was quickly recouped as a result of lower operating costs.
Kudos to Trademark. Keep up the great work ----- we are proud of your green accomplishments!
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Green Edge Opportunity:
Greening Your Real Estate
Don't miss out on the greatest business opportunity of our time ----- sustainability. Let Green Edge help you identify and leverage green building opportunities to transform your bottom line, strengthen brand reputation, attract positive media coverage, increase market share, reduce operating expenses and mitigate risk. Our services include:
- Energy Efficiency Retrofits & Financing
- Portfolio Enhancement Plans
- Benchmarking & Data Collection
- LEED Advisory Services
- Green Leases
- Regulatory Compliance
- Roadmaps for Improved Green Company Rankings
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Green Edge Newsletter
If you'd like your company to be featured in one of the next issues of the Green Edge Newsletter, we'd love to hear from you. We are always looking for great green stories to share with our community of clients, colleagues and friends. If you missed our previous issues, link to our archives home page or our blog at greenedgellc.com 
The Green Edge Newsletter is published monthly by Green Edge, LLC. EDITOR: Ellen Sinreich DESIGN DIRECTOR: Sara Mears Copyright � 2012 Green Edge, LLC |
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