Market Leaders Join Energy Savings Movement

EDF Announces First 20 Climate Corps Companies for 2010  

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) kicked off the third year of its Climate Corps program today, with commitments so far from more than 20 corporations to host fellows this summer.  Matching of fellows to host companies is underway, so companies interested in saving money through energy efficiency should apply now at www.edf.org/climatecorps.

Climate Corps places top MBA students in companies to develop practical, actionable energy efficiency plans that cut costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Last summer, 26 Climate Corps fellows helped their host companies identify net operating savings of more than $54 million.  These projects could also reduce energy use by more than 160 million kWh a year -- enough to power 14,000 homes -- and avoid more than 100,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

"The rapid growth of Climate Corps speaks volumes about the value it delivers to companies, and the real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions it achieves," said Gwen Ruta, vice president, corporate partnerships, EDF.  To date, projects that account for 97 percent of the energy savings identified by 2008 interns have either been achieved or are underway.

Host companies enrolled thus far include some returning members such as eBay, Genzyme, Savvis, SunGard and Yahoo! -- as well as first-time participants such as Bloomberg, Carnival Cruise Lines, McDonald's, PG&E, Staples, Target and Verizon.  

"eBay is eager to participate once again in EDF's Climate Corps program," said Bence Oliver, eBay's senior manager for operational sustainability. "Our 2009 fellow Cindy Chen was crucial to eBay's effort to articulate our carbon emissions reduction target and chart a course to meet it. Cindy provided 10 months of value to eBay in 10 weeks."

"At McDonald's we recognize value when we see it, and saving energy and reducing costs for the benefit of our customers and the environment is a win-win proposition," said Jerry Sus, senior director, development & strategic technology, McDonald's Corp. "We're pleased to be a part of this worthwhile program, and have the student see our commitment to the environment in action."

This year's cohort of Climate Corps fellows will represent top-tier MBA programs at universities such as Columbia; Duke; Georgetown; MIT; Stanford; University of California, Berkeley; The University of Chicago; University of Michigan; The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Yale. EDF has continued its partnership with Net Impact -- a global network of leaders who are changing the world through business -- to develop a pool of more than 200 qualified applicants.

Through more than 150 MBA school chapters worldwide, Net Impact educates and equips thousands of MBA students to use their business skills to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.

The list of 2010 Climate Corps host companies thus far include: Akamai (AKAM), Bloomberg, Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL), Eaton (ETN), eBay (EBAY), Genzyme (GENZ), Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), JBG Properties Inc., JohnsonDiversey (JNJ), McDonald's (MCD), PG&E (PCG), PHH Arval (PHH), Savvis (SVVS), ServiceMaster, Staples (SPLS), SunGard (SDS), Target (TGT), Verizon (VZ), VivaKi and Yahoo! (YHOO).

For more information on Climate Corps and details on how to host a fellow in 2010, visit www.edf.org/climatecorps.

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Environmental Defense Fund has a 20-year track record of success in partnering with business. To maintain its independence and credibility, EDF accepts no money from corporate partners; generous individuals and foundations fund its work. For more information, visit EDF.org.  Follow our blog at blogs.edf.org/innovation. We're also on Twitter: twitter.com/EDFix.

Net Impact is a global organization of students and professionals using business to improve the world. We offer a portfolio of programs and initiatives to educate, equip and inspire more than 15,000 members to make a tangible difference through business. Spanning six continents, our membership is one of the most influential networks of students and professionals in existence today and includes current and emerging leaders in corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development and environmental sustainability. For more information, please visit netimpact.org.  

All trademarks, including company names, are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT:  Melanie Janin, Environmental Defense Fund, [email protected], +1-202-572-3240; or Brenda Kiefer, Net Impact, [email protected], +1-415-495-4230

SOURCE Environmental Defense Fund