oMore than 850 mayors representing 80 million citizens have signed the U.S. Conference
of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement committing them to strive to meet or beat the
Kyoto Protocol targets in their own communities.
oMore than 500 higher education presidents have signed the American College and
University Presidents Climate Commitment. Their goal is to reduce carbon emissions on
campuses to zero.
oThe schools agreed to complete an emissions inventory, set milestones and target
dates, integrate sustainability into the curriculum, and share their action plans and
inventory and progress reports with the public.
INDIVIDUAL STATE AND REGIONAL EFFORTS
oIn 2006, California passed the “Global Warming Solutions Act,” which commits the state
to achieve a 25 percent reduction in emissions by 2020 to be in compliance with Kyoto
Protocol provisions.
oTen northeastern states participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a
Cap and Trade program designed to reduce power plant greenhouse gas emissions 10
percent by 2019.
oSix midwestern governors and the premier of the Canadian Province of Manitoba have
signed the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Accord. An advisory group has recommended
that the participants target 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and 80 percent below
2005 levels by 2050.
oWisconsin’s innovative Green Tier program, initiated in 2006, provides regulatory
flexibility, permit streamlining, and other incentives for businesses that implement an
Environmental Management System (EMS).
WALL STREET INVESTORS
oThe Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) was created in 1999 as a way to track the
financial performance of leading sustainability-driven companies.
oCompanies are assessed according to triple bottom line criteria: economic,
environmental, and social performance.
oIn 2010, the DJSI World index consisted of the leading 318 sustainable
development companies, among a population of 2,500 companies, in 57
industries.
oAnother market response is the increased availability of funding through venture
capitalists, grants, and prizes.
oSome venture capital funds specifically target environmental markets, such as
solar energy. In the first half of 2008, venture capitalists invested more than $2
billion in 139 green technology start-ups.
oThe federal government offers grants, loans, and tax incentives for companies to
redevelop environmentally contaminated brownfield sites, improve water quality,
upgrade energy efficiency, and develop green technology.
oRichard Branson, the CEO of Virgin Airlines, has offered a $25 million prize for
new technology that can remove CO2 from the earth’s atmosphere.