Climate Group

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The Climate Group is an independent, non-profit organization with 50 (as of November 2007) full-time staff and a network of associates based in the US, Europe, Australia, China and India. Its aim is to act as a catalyst to amplify the work of pioneering companies and governments who are leading the way on addressing global warming.

Research carried out by The Climate Group shows that many Fortune 500 companies and city governments have achieved significant reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions. In some cases the reductions are in excess of 60%, the generally accepted target for the industrialized world to avert the worst impacts of climate change. Contrary to commonly held belief, reports from these organizations indicate that their actions, which include energy efficiency, fuel switching and process reengineering, have in fact been beneficial to the bottom line. The Climate Group’s mission is to use these examples to build a leadership coalition and to boost confidence for wider action. They employ targeted research, strategic advice, the facilitation of best practice development, and communications. Their positive approach centers on the encouragement of solutions based on sound business and economic analysis.

The Climate Group was launched in April 2004 with support from former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and a group of 20 VIPs/CEOs. Since then, the organization has grown quickly to include a wide a coalition of companies, sub-national governments, and NGOs. Collectively this coalition is responsible for some 8% of world emissions of greenhouse gases.

The Climate Group's corporate members include: ABN Amro, AIG, Alcan Inc, Arup, Baker & McKenzie, Barclays PLC, Bloomberg, BP, BSkyB, BT, Catalyst, Cheyne Capital Management, Dell, Dow Chemical Company, Duke Energy, FPL Group, Goldman Sachs, Google, HDR, HSBC Holdings, Interface, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Man Group, Marks & Spencer, Munich Re Group, MWH, News Corporation, Pratt Industries, Standard Chartered, Starbucks, Swire, Swiss Re, Tesco, Timberland, Virgin. Its government members include: The State of California, Government of Ontario, Greater London Authority, New York State, the City of Miami, Province of Manitoba, State of Connecticut, State of Maine and The State Government of Victoria.

In 2007 The Climate Group launched a massive consumer engagement campaign in the UK called Together, which brought together companies and government agencies to help people drive down their carbon footprints. In its first year, Together saved British consumers over $200,000,000 and more than half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Together launches on June 5, 2008 in the US.

In November of 2007 the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) launched on the London Stock Exchange. The objective of the VCS is to boost confidence in the voluntary carbon market by providing a new and much needed quality assurance for certification of credible voluntary offsets.

The VCS was developed through two years of consultation with the industry, NGOs and market specialists, led by The °Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Annual transactions in the voluntary carbon market could reach US$4 billion by 2012 and that the VCS – already popular with buyers – could be instrumental to this future growth.

Although direct cuts in emissions are an important first step for any individual or business to minimize its impact on climate change, the voluntary carbon market has an important role to play. Carbon offsetting is a valuable transition solution because it allows additional investment in carbon reductions over and above that which Government regulations have achieved, and makes those reductions wherever they can be made fastest and at the lowest cost.