Green Rankings Released

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP; affiliated with the S&P 500 Report) and  Newsweek's 2009 Green Rankings were released this week.  The reports both highlight leaders in climate change and other sustainability endeavors. 

According to a PRNewswire summary, Cisco Systems, Boeing, and Pepco Holdings along with Consolidated Edison, EMC, E.I. du Pont de Nemours, Hewlett Packard, PPG Industries, and Transocean are among the US corporations at the top of CDP's list.

Other key findings noted are that respondents see more climate change business opportunities than risks, though regulatory risks loom large in the fast-moving legislative environment.  Also, corporate greenhouse gas reduction targets almost doubled: the number of respondents disclosing targets expanded from 102 (32%) to 169 (52%).

At the top of Newsweek's list are Hewlett Packard, Dell, Johnson & Johnson, Intel, and IBM.  Newsweek's goal was to assess each company's actual resource use and emissions and its policies and strategies, along with its reputation among its peers.

Climate Week NY˚C

Hundreds of government and business leaders from around the world are converging upon New York City September 20-26, 2009 for a series of high-level meetings and events focused on climate change.

Taking place just seventy days before the UN Climate Change Conference, Climate Week NY°C will provide a platform for business, government, and citizens to demonstrate their support for world leaders to secure a global deal in Copenhagen.

Example public events include:

• Team Earth Event to Showcase Urgency of Protecting Tropical Forests with Harrison Ford and President Jagdeo (Monday)
  
• New York Pre-launch of the Carbon Offsetting Trends Report 2009 (Tuesday)
• Head of UN Climate Change Efforts, Dr. Yvo de Boer, speaks at City Bar (Wednesday)
• Economics and Climate Adaptation: Index Insurance and Climate Risk Management Example in Ethiopia (Thursday)
• Managing Carbon Risk in the Coming Regulatory Environment (Friday)

Climate Week NY°C is a partnership between The Climate Group, the United Nations, the UN Foundation, the City of New York, the Government of Denmark, Tck Tck Tck Campaign and Carbon Disclosure Project.

For more information on climate change, the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the UN framework and the negotiation process, please visit the COP 15 website.

AFCEE Technology Transfer Email Newsletter

The latest AFCEE Technology Transfer newsletter is now available.

Topics covered in this issue:

• Forensic Chemistry Application - Stable Isotope Analysis
• AFCEE - New Journal Articles in the Works
• Air Force Environmental Restoration Program-Optimization (ERP-O) Streamlining
• ERP-O Metrics Design and Deployment
• AFCEE Chemistry Support Launches New Web Site
• AFCEE Investigates Secondary Water Quality Issues
• 2010 Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health (ESOH) Training Symposium
• ITRC Announces Its Fall 2009 Meeting
• ITRC Trains 3,100 on Vapor Intrusion
• ESTCP Releases Technical Guide for Monitored Natural Recovery (MNR)
• ESTCP Develops Design Tools for Aqueous Amendment Injection Systems
• Short Courses Offered at the Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop

To subscribe, contact SURF member Erica Becvar at erica.becvar[at]brooks[dot]af[dot]mil.

West Coast Green - October 1-3, 2009

West Coast Green, known as the largest green building conference, is expanding its focus this year to include the "intersection of the built environment and technology", with sessions on Business & the New Economy and Social Innovation.

This year's event will be held October 1-3 at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, California. Over 14,000 attendees are expected. There will be 300 exhibits showcasing the latest in resource efficiency, 80 education and networking sessions to learn and discuss innovations and opportunities with thought leaders fact-to-face, and 125 inspirational and dynamic speakers, including:

• Ray Anderson - Chairman and Founder, Interface, Inc.; Author, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist
• Dan Kammen - Director, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, UC Berkeley
• Panama Bartholomy - Advisor to Commissioner, California Energy Commission

Register in advance for a reduced price.

Triple Pundit readers can get additional discounts.

Superfund Green Remediation Strategy - Request for Comments

Memorandum from James E. Woolford, Director, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation

The Superfund Remedial Program has developed a strategy that sets out its current plans to reduce energy use and enhance the environmental performance of remedial and non-time critical removal actions undertaken to address hazardous waste sites.  The development of the Strategy reflects EPA’s recognition that at many sites, more can be done to limit the environmental footprint of Superfund activities, while at the same time protecting human health and the environment.  I am writing to ask for your comments on the Strategy.

Developed by a workgroup of Headquarters and regional staff, the Superfund Green Remediation Strategy is an initial effort to outline key actions and related activities that can be undertaken to promote green remediation.  These action items fall into three major categories: policy and guidance development, resource development and program implementation, and program evaluation.  The Strategy also contains a number of recommendations including calling for EPA to implement a series of near-term program initiatives and establish a baseline of Superfund energy usage.

The Strategy is available at http://www.epa.gov/superfund/greenremediation.  EPA will accept comments until November 10, 2009.  

Comments should be sent to:
Superfund Green Remediation Strategy, Office of Superfund Remediation
and Technology Innovation, U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Mail
Code 5204P, Washington, DC 20460 or may be e-mailed to Superfund_Green_Remediation@epa.gov.