Although we do not have smokestacks or large industrial machinery, our office electrical use, travel, commuting, paper use, and other activities, all lead to emissions of CO2, the primary agent of human-induced climate change.

By going to zero net emissions, we hope to demonstrate that significant and early action on climate change is technically and economically feasible. To help ourselves and others track our progress, we will annually measure and publicly report our emissions, starting in October 2000.

This brochure outlines steps WRI is taking to reduce emissions and answers questions like:

• What about natural gas consumption in your building? Does your building use natural gas or oil? Is your office space individually metered so that you can track your own energy usage?

• How about transportation to work? Does WRI offer free parking? How many people drive gasoline-powered cars to work? How many carpool? Are you going to have a “Bicycle or AFV only” policy for your parking spaces?

• Are you counting employee use of energy in their homes for this effort?

• Are you going to lobby the District of Columbia government to establish electric competition? Maryland and Virginia have already taken steps to allow choice.

• Are you going to stop making paper publications? Will you allow readers to download or print off your web site, or have a "read only" policy to save paper?

• Are you only going to buy from suppliers that are involved in Energy Star programs?

• Will WRI engage in carbon sequestration activities like planting trees?