WRI was involved in a series of events with General Electric during which GE, the world's largest corporation, unveiled a major initiative on energy efficiency and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

Jonathan Lash, President, World Resources Institute (WRI) provided remarks with Jeffery Immelt, Chairman and CEO, General Electric (GE) at the launch of GE’s new Ecomagination initiative in Washington DC. The event highlighted GE’s commitment to creating new energy efficient technologies and setting strong internal goals to reduce emissions.

"Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to address challenges such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions and abundant sources of clean water. And we plan to make money doing it,” Immelt noted.

The goals announced will double the company’s investment in the research and development of clean technologies, bring new environmentally friendly products to market, reduce internal greenhouse gas emissions on an absolute basis by 1 percent by 2012 and publicly report progress in these areas. During the same period, GE’s greenhouse gas emissions would have risen 40 percent without further action.

Lash commented, “By delivering on the commitment that they have announced today, GE will demonstrate that we can decouple economic growth from growth in greenhouse gas emissions. Not just in their own plants, not just in the electrical utility sector, but in all of the sectors in which they compete.”

In an effort to reach these goals, GE has worked closely with WRI. Using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, an internationally accepted accounting and reporting standard developed jointly by WRI and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), GE has tracked and reported its internal emissions.

In addition, GE is a member of WRI’s Climate Northeast, a partnership of 10 large companies headquartered in the northeast U.S. that develop and implement climate change strategies. Together with WRI and the team of corporate partners, GE has worked on energy efficiency practices, emissions targets and opportunities for internal financing of renewable energy projects. These corporate actions help to shape multi-sectoral policy approaches in the Northeast, where states are at the forefront of climate policy development in the U.S.

Lash was quoted by the major news outlets covering the launch including, The Wall Street Journal, "GE is a potent symbol and sends a powerful message to the private sector and the public-policy sector," and The Washington Post, "Corporate leaders recognize that it's not just the economy that's globalized -- information and civil society are globalized, too. Companies need to protect their brands, and their global right to operate." Other news sources such as The New York Times, Grist Magazine, CNN, NPR, BBC, MSNBC, and the Houston Chronicle also covered the story and WRI’s engagement.

• "The Courage to Develop Clean Energy": Mr. Lash and Mr. Immelt team up on a major op-ed piece in the Washington Post, May 21, 2005

• For more information about remarks made by Jeffery Immelt, please visit GE’s Ecomagination Press Room.

• View a webcast of the event.

• Download text of Jonathan Lash’s remarks.

For information about how WRI works with business, please visit the following websites:

• Sustainable Enterprise Program has harnessed the power of business to create profitable solutions to environment and development challenges. WRI is the only organization that brings together corporations, entrepreneurs, investors, and business schools to accelerate change in business practice. The program improves people's lives and the environment by helping business leaders and new markets thrive.

• Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative is a broad international coalition of businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government and inter-governmental organizations. It brings together leading experts on greenhouse gas emissions to develop internationally accepted accounting and reporting standards and provides practical guidelines to help companies manage their GHG emissions.

• Climate Northeast builds strategies for companies to thrive in a carbon-constrained economy. Partners develop greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, share energy management practices and purchase green power. These corporate actions shape multi-sectoral policy approaches for a safe climate and sound business future in the Northeast.

• Green Power Market Development Group is a unique commercial and industrial partnership dedicated to building corporate markets for green power. The Group is transforming energy markets to enable corporate buyers to diversify their energy portfolios with green power and reduce their impact on climate change. The Group seeks to develop 1,000 megawatts of new, cost-competitive green power by 2010—enough energy to power 750,000 homes.