Earth Day Network's Billion Acts of Green® Cities Campaign Commitment with Clinton Global Initiative

In the absence of a comprehensive international plan to secure a sustainable future, individuals, organizations, and businesses must embrace environmentally sustainable lifestyles and together secure a sustainable future for all. Actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and greater efficiency must be embraced by all of society if the worst of climate change is to be avoided. As national governments are currently unwilling to lead the way, it falls upon individuals, businesses, and local governments to take up the renewable energy standard. 

"Earth Day Network’s 'Billion Acts of Green® - Renewable Energy for All' campaign will work with these stakeholder groups to facilitate their adoption of renewable energy thereby reducing carbon emissions. Through this platform, EDN will work with individuals, governments, and businesses to reduce their carbon emissions collectively by one million pounds through renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.

 

EDN will engage with each stakeholder group in the following ways:

For Governments:  Working with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and Applied Solutions, Earth Day Network will provide participating governments with information on alternative energy and help develop policies on renewable energy and energy efficiency that will reduce the government’s carbon footprint.

Participating Communities: Fayetteville, Arkansas; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Bozeman, Montana; Santa Fe County, New Mexico; and Babylon, New York.

For Individuals: Earth Day Network will identify participants from the pool of Billion Acts of Green® activists and encourage them to purchase renewable energy credits, install renewable energy technology, and embrace energy efficient appliances in their homes.

 

For Corporations: Earth Day Network will work with each participating corporation to develop an energy efficiency and renewable energy program that sets targets for carbon emission reductions through the purchase of energy credits, carbon offsets, and the installation of renewable energy technology.

 

With every participant, Earth Day Network will work with Native Energy to provide the tools to calculate the reduction of carbon output and, through A Billion Acts of Green® campaign, provide a platform to share these efforts with the world’s leaders at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Rio+20). 

Earth Day Network is in the process of identifying governments and corporations that are outside of the environmental movement and who are interested in improving their sustainability to participate in this initiative. Relevant CGI members are encouraged to become involved as either a participant or a partner.  Once the candidates are selected, EDN will work with them to identify opportunities to switch to renewable energy, and will help calculate the amount of carbon saved by their actions.

  • As a byproduct of these stakeholders’ transition to renewable energy sources, the initiative will reduce the world’s carbon emissions by 1 million pounds.

Building off of the amazing success of A Billion Acts of Green®, EDN’s Billion Acts of Green® – Campaign for Communities campaign was developed to support the UN International Year of Sustainability for All (which calls for 30% renewable energy targets by 2030) and help communities focus on transitioning from conventional fuel sources to renewable energy.  The commitment was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative Conference in September 2011. Every pound of carbon saved from this new campaign will count towards A Billion Acts of Green®.

    

Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers at the annoucement of the Clinton Global Initiative Commitment with Earth Day Network

 

To take participate in the Commitment, communities will be asked to do the following:

  • Encourage building retrofits throughout the community and lead by example where possible
  • Encourage the adoption of lower impact vehicles such as electric, hybrid and biodiesel and incorporate these in fleet replacement;
  • Promote integration of renewable energy technologies on government buildings and throughout the community;
  • Participate or host an Earth Day event(s) on or around April 22, 2012.

 

If you are a local leader or work with your local government and want your community to take part in this initiative for Earth Day 2012, please contact Christina Cernansky, Director of Advocacy, at Cernansky@earthday.org or +1-(202)-518-0044.