Newsletter September/October 2014

In This Issue
Letter from the Executive Director LetterfromtheED

I was lucky to represent TCR at the UN Climate Summit in New York last month. It may be true that these events have become most known for what they don't accomplish, versus what they do, but New York felt different.

 

There were over 300,000 people who took to the streets to support action on climate change. There was plenty of evidence that countries, sub-nationals and leading businesses are working separately and together to move the dial. Finally, the U.S. is back at the table with renewed ambition.

 

In his UN Climate Change summit address, President Obama called for innovative and imaginative action. "We cannot condemn our children, and their children, to a future that is beyond their capacity to repair.  Not when we have the means -- the technological innovation and the scientific imagination -- to begin the work of repairing it right now."

 

Obama not only pledged that the U.S. will meet its 2020 greenhouse gas reduction target, but that it will reveal its next target prior to the UN Conference in Paris in 2015. He also referred to a number of initiatives that the U.S. Government has undertaken to reduce carbon, one of them being the Clean Power Plan (CPP).

 

The CPP sets GHG reduction targets for American power plants, and outlines four primary "building blocks" that states can tap into to achieve these reductions. Energy efficiency is one of those options.

 

As an NGO that's governed by the majority of U.S. states and holds expertise in GHGs and energy efficiency, we want to help states meet their emissions targets. The solution we've proposed is an energy efficiency registry, which would consolidate various energy efficiency efforts and enable states to demonstrate real reductions through legitimate comparisons. In our recent white paper, we go into detail on how this registry would work and how it could be implemented. You can read the paper here.

 

Our goal is for EPA to recognize the energy efficiency registry as a tool for compliance under the CPP, and we're encouraging people and organizations to voice their support for the concept in their comments to EPA. These comments on the CPP are due by December 1st and information on how to submit them is available on EPA's website.

 

All told, we feel increasingly optimistic about the possibility that the U.S. - together with Heads of State and CEOs from around the world - will summon the best in human ingenuity to address the greatest challenge of our time. As President Obama said in his speech at the Summit, "This challenge demands our ambition.  Our children deserve such ambition."

 

 

My very best,

 
  
David Rosenheim
Executive Director
Save These DatesCoffeewithCP

2015 Climate Leadership Conference

February 23-25, 2015 in Washington D.C.


The Climate Leadership Conference is dedicated to professionals addressing global climate change through policy, innovation and business solutions. This event gathers forward-thinking leaders from business, government, academia and the non-profit community to explore energy and climate related solutions, introduce new opportunities and provide support to leaders taking action against climate change. 

The Climate Leadership Conference convenes around the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's prestigious Climate Leadership Awards and is hosted by The Climate Registry, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and the Association of Climate Change Officers, with U.S. EPA as the event's headline sponsor.

Learn more HERE

UN Climate Change Conference: LIMA COP20
December 7-11 in Lima, Peru

Set on a global stage, the annual UN Climate Change Conference is the largest forum for businesses, governments and non-profits to convene around the issue of climate change. In past years, TCR delegates have had the pleasure of engaging with high level U.S. Federal Government and U.S. state and Canadian provincial government officials, as well as senior business executives and non-profit issue experts. Participating in these events allows for consultation with these issue experts, exchange of lessons learned between organizations and governments, relationship building with U.S. Federal Government and other state/provincial or national governments and coordination on key climate programs.


We are actively seeking a title sponsor for this year's COP delegation to Lima, Peru, happening December 7-11. Please contact Laura Zahn, Senior Manager of Member Services, for more information. 

 

Learn more HERE.

Nineteen California Organizations Receive Cool Planet Awards for Leadership in Energy Efficiency & Carbon ManagementCPA
Congratulations to all of our 2014 Cool Planet Award recipients:

#CoolPlanetAward recipients City of Beaumont, City of Santa Barbara & City of Santa Monica with their SCE account managers

  • Amgen Incorporated
  • California State University,
    San Bernardino
  • CBS Corporation
  • City of Beaumont, CA
  • City of Santa Barbara, CA
  • City of Santa Monica, CA
  • City of Simi Valley, CA
  • Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
    Los Angeles - Downey Facility
  • Forest City Enterprises
  • Houweling Nurseries Oxnard, Inc.
  • Irvine Ranch Water District
  • Kilroy Realty Corporation
  • Niagara Bottling, LLC
  • Safeway Inc.
  • Shaw Diversified Services, Inc. (Shaw Industries, Inc. Tuftex Division)
  • Torrance Memorial Medical Center
  • University of California, Irvine
  • University of California, Santa Barbara
  • VACCO Industries
Sponsored by Southern California Edison (SCE) and TCR, the Cool Planet Award recognizes SCE business customers for demonstrating exemplary leadership in energy and carbon management across commercial, industrial and government sectors. The 2014 Cool Planet Award ceremony featured speakers like Santa Monica Mayor Pam O'Connor and Mark Wallenrod, Director of Programs and Operations at SCE. Cool Planet Award recipients are recognized for participation in a variety of SCE integrated demand side management strategies, including energy management and demand response programs, as well as conducting energy audits. Additional consideration is given to each applicant's carbon management strategies. 

"One of the ways we can help to achieve our energy goals in California in the future is with demand side management," said Wallenrod. "We also need to accurately measure our energy use, and I want to thank The Climate Registry for providing the measurement tools and resources to our customers to help them achieve their goals."

Together, the 2014 Cool Planet Award recipients have saved over 100 million kilowatt-hours since the start of 2010 through the implementation of various SCE energy efficiency projects. The Award recipients actively participate in SCE's integrated demand side energy management programs, which provide both environmental and economic benefits.

"We commend all of these SCE business customers who, as a result of their leadership, so powerfully demonstrate the benefits of energy efficiency - reducing both costs and carbon emissions," said Mayor O'Connor.

About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.
Last month, TCR released its newest white paper, An Energy Efficiency Registry; a Flexible and Transparent way to Track and Report Energy Efficiency under the Clean Power Plan. The paper proposes a framework for tracking, managing and reporting the impacts of energy efficiency, which U.S. EPA identified as one of the building blocks that states can utilize to achieve their GHG reduction targets under the Clean Power Plan (CPP).

While many states are already implementing innovative energy efficiency strategies and programs, energy savings that result from these measures are projected, estimated, reported and audited using a wide range of approaches. This presents a challenge for federal regulatory compliance. Establishing an energy efficiency registry could act as an important measurement and harmonization tool for state compliance under the CPP.  

A flexible, nation-wide energy efficiency registry would:
  • enable and expand programs that could be used for compliance with the CPP by increasing transparency and using a consistent framework to track and report projected and realized energy savings,
  • enable broad analysis of the impacts of existing energy efficiency programs,
  • identify new opportunities for energy savings,
  • reduce risks that limit available project financing of energy efficiency projects,
  • potentially serve as the foundation for an energy efficiency crediting platform.
We encourage states, utilities and other organizations to support the implementation of an energy efficiency registry, and to reference TCR's white paper in their comments to EPA on the CPP Rule, which must be received by December 1, 2014.

Read the full paper HERE.
"You can't be a first-world economy in the 21st century if you're not on the path to a clean energy future." 
-Wayne Swan, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
Helping California Stay GoldenEUC
Last month, TCR was named one of a select number of community-based organizations across California that were awarded grants to develop and implement energy management outreach, awareness and educational programs for our local community in Los Angeles. These grants are part of Energy Upgrade California's� efforts to educate Californians about the simple steps they can take to better manage energy, save money and make their homes more comfortable.

Since the start of October, TCR has helped bring Energy Upgrade California's message to two Los Angeles cultural events and we'll be participating in many more throughout the next year. If you live in Los Angeles, be sure to check out our events calendar and save the date for upcoming events so that you can join in on the fun, try your hand at our water wise trivia and learn more about reducing your energy use.
Senator Fran Pavley visits the Energy Upgrade CA booth at the Taste of Encino Festival

Energy Upgrade California� is a state initiative to educate residents and small business consumers about energy management. The initiative helps Californians take action to save energy and conserve natural resources, help reduce demand on the electricity grid and make informed energy management choices at home and at work. It is supported by an alliance of the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, utilities, regional energy networks, local governments, businesses and non-profits to help communities meet state and local energy and climate action goals. Funding comes from investor-owned utility customers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. �2014 California Public Utilities and the California Energy Commission. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Water-Energy GHG ProtocolweGHG
In addition to our local efforts to encourage energy and water management, TCR continues to seek support for research into the development of a GHG accounting protocol surrounding the water-energy nexus. An enormous amount of energy is spent in maintaining our fresh water supply. Reciprocally, an enormous amount of our water supply is dedicated to our energy production as well. Although some water agencies and large-scale consumers track what they can in terms of GHG emissions, there is no consensus-based guidance for measuring emissions across the complete water cycle. 

In an effort to change this, TCR has begun initial research on a water-energy GHG protocol, thanks in part to a grant from the Clif Bar Family Foundation. Please contact Director of Programs Amy Holm with questions on how your organization can get involved. 

Learn more HERE.
Making Corporate Climate Change Reporting MainstreamCDSB

Last month, in conjunction with the UN Climate Summit, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) released a Climate Change Reporting Framework to elicit the inclusion of climate change-related information in mainstream financial reports. The framework seeks to filter out and present the information necessary to assess how climate change is affecting a company's financial performance. 

 
Alongside the framework's release, group of leading corporations and investors voiced the importance of standardized climate data and proclaimed a fiduciary duty to climate change disclosure. The statement's signatories argue that "shareholders and plan beneficiaries have an inherent interest in the completeness and comparability of climate-related information, because the economic effects of climate change are tangible and have implications for the relative prospects of firms, industries and investment portfolios." These global leaders made a commitment to report and make use of climate change information on a common basis in mainstream corporate reports to ensure "that financial markets take sufficient  account of climate-related corporate performance, risks and opportunities relevant to future shareholder value." 


 
Learn more HERE

Member Spotlightmemspot
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is dedicated to optimizing the health and well-being of the people of California. Their core activities include promoting healthy lifestyles, preventing disease and protecting the public from unhealthy and unsafe environments. As part of their quest to optimize health, CDPH has reported four years of annual emissions data to The Climate Registry. 

CDPH is taking the next step on its measurable path to sustainability with efforts to reduce its reported greenhouse gas emissions through participation in clean energy programs and electric vehicle purchases. At its Richmond campus, CDPH's Building P achieved an Energy Star rating of 98 with energy savings realized through operational changes during commissioning, a program that puts computers into sleep mode and a demand response program. Last year, CDPH was recognized with the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award for its sustainable practices. 

 

Learn more HERE.

 

New Cool Planet Members

Welcome & congratulations! 


The following Cool Planet Members receive full or partially funded membership with The Climate Registry: 
  • Cisco Systems, Inc. 
  • County of Ventura, CA
  • Kaiser Permanente
Learn more about the Cool Planet Program HERE.

The Cool Planet program provides utility business customers with education and technical training to measure and manage their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The Cool Planet program is funded by California utility rate payers and administered under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission, through a contract awarded to The Climate Registry. California customers who chose to participate in this program are not obligated to purchase any additional services offered by the contractor. This program is offered on a first-come, first-served basis from 1/1/2013-12/31/2014 or until funds are depleted. Terms and conditions apply. The trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

 

Climate Registered Members

Have you started verification? 


The deadline to complete verification of your 2013 emissions inventory is Monday, December 15th, which is just under two months away. If your organization will be undergoing verification for the first time, head to the verification page of our website to find out how to get started. If you're already familiar with the process, please submit your Conflict of Interest paperwork as soon as possible in order to complete verification by the December 15th deadline. Don't hesitate to contact the Member Services helpline at (866) 523-0764 ext. 3 or [email protected] with any questions you have along the way. We're happy to help! 
Upcoming Events from Our PartnersEvents
International Institute for Energy Conservation's 30th Anniversary Celebration
November 13-14 in Washington D.C.

This November, we're celebrating 30 years of progress towards a low-carbon and energy efficient future with the International Institute for Energy Conservation. The symposium will feature speakers who are leading clean energy efforts, like TCR's own Executive Director, David Rosenheim, for substantial discussion of key challenges and accomplishments in global energy efficiency and renewable energy implementation. 

Learn more HERE

Renewable Energy Markets (REM) Conference 2014
December 2-4 in Sacramento, CA

Since 1996, REM has been the leading forum for the clean energy marketplace attended by leaders from federal and state governments, large corporate purchases, the nation's leading utilities and electricity generators, and marketers from around the world. REM is organized by the non-profit Center for Resources Solutions and the U.S. EPA. Join the conversation on renewable energy by registering below.
 
Learn more HERE
Congratulations Climate Registered™ Members!CRmembers
The following Climate Registered Members have completed reporting and verification of their carbon footprint since August of 2014. The high-quality data that our Members generate enable them to operate more efficiently, sustainably and competitively. Emissions inventory reports for Climate Registered™ Members are available to the public free of charge and can be viewed here after registering as new user. 

Is your organization interested in becoming a Climate Registered Member? Get in touch with the Member Services team by calling (866) 523-0764 ext 3. or emailing [email protected]. We'd be happy to help get you started. 
New Seven-Year Climate Registered Members
  • Shaw Industries, Inc. 
New Six-Year Climate Registered Members
  • Nuclear Energy Institute
  • Blue Source, LLC
  • Ecotek
  • The Cadmus Group
  • Climate Action Reserve
New Five-Year Climate Registered Members
  • VeeV Spirits, LLC
  • The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
  • Cameron-Cole, LLC
  • California Department of Finance
  • PMC
  • DAK Americas, LLC
New Four-Year Climate Registered Members
  • Exelon
  • Driftwood Dairy
  • Xcel Energy
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
  • California State Coastal Conservancy
  • 3Degrees
  • The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

New Three-Year Climate Registered™ Members

  • Zone 7 Water Agency
  • Dignity Health
New Two-Year Climate Registered™ Members
  • South Bay Recycling
  • Conservation Services Group
  • University of California, San Francisco
Congratulations Recently Accredited Verification BodiesVBs

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recently accredited Perry Johnson Registrars Carbon Emissions Services, Inc. (PJRCES) and Det Norske Veritas (U.S.A), Inc. (DNV GL) to conduct GHG inventory verification services for Members of The Climate Registry. In order to attain accreditation, PJRCES and DNV GL completed a thorough assessment process in which they demonstrated their independence, impartiality and competence to successfully verify GHG emissions inventories. 

The Climate Registry congratulates PJRCES and DNV GL on this significant achievement. We've added the two companies to the list of ANSI-accredited, Registry-recognized Verification Bodies. Members must use ANSI-accredited Verification Bodies to meet the verification requirements of The Climate Registry's voluntary reporting program. 


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