Facebook, Microsoft, Dunkin' and More Join EDF's Climate Corps
<p>The Environmental Defense Fund's 2011 Climate Corps program adds new companies to the roster of major firms that will welcome MBA candidates to their facilities this summer to search for potential energy savings.<br /> </p>
Five new companies -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Dunkin’ Brands, Facebook, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Microsoft -- are among the first round of firms to enlist in the Environmental Defense Fund's Climate Corps program for 2011.
So far, 31 companies have signed up to participate in the 4-year-old program that sends MBA candidates to mainstream firms to help the businesses identify energy saving opportunities and devise plans to achieve the reductions.
Last summer, 51 Climate Corps fellows went to 47 Fortune 1000 companies, where the MBA candidates discovered energy efficiency opportunities that can amount to $350 million in net operating savings over project lifetimes, 400,000 metric tons of avoided annual greenhouse gas emissions, and more than 650 million kilowatt hours of electricity.
Since the program's inception, EDF says, Climate Corps fellows have identified potential savings of:
- $439 million in net operational costs over project lifetimes.
- 958 million kilowatt hours of energy use per year, roughly the amount needed to power 85,000 homes.
- 557,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, which would be equivalent to taking more than 86,000 SUVs off the road.
According to EDF, companies have taken steps to achieve 84 percent of the energy savings recommended thus far by fellows, and in a post today the organization details the benefits to firms that participate in the program. EDF is accepting applications from companies until March 18.
The roster of 2011 Climate Corps firms currently includes: adidas, AT&T, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, CA Technologies, Carnival, CSX, Diversey, Dow Jones (News Corporation), Dunkin' Brands, Eaton, Facebook, Firmenich, Gaylord Entertainment, Genzyme, HCA Healthcare, Humana, Ingersoll Rand, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Kettle Cuisine, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, RBS/Citizens Bank, REI, Shorenstein, SunGard, VivaKi (Publicis Groupe), Washington Gas, Yahoo! and Quality Technology Services.
More information about the program is available at edfclimatecorps.org
Image -- 2010 EDF Climate Corps fellows in training. Photo by Mathew Grimm via EDF.