Our Achievements

Go to year: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

The Clean Revolution in action

The Climate Group works internationally with government and business leaders to advance the smart policies, technologies and finance needed to cut global greenhouse gas emissions, and unlock a Clean Revolution. To learn about the Clean Revolution and see real case studies of transformational leadership in action, go to TheCleanRevolution.org.

Since The Climate Group was founded in 2004, we have:

helped push through California's landmark Assembly Bill 32, making it mandatory for businesses to report and cut greenhouse gas emissions (the first of its kind in the US)
worked with Tony Blair on Breaking the Climate Deadlock, an international policy initiative on climate change
published the Smart 2020 report, showing how smart technology can deliver 15% less global emissions and $800 billion in energy savings by 2020
created the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS), now the most popular global standard for voluntary offsetting
helped HSBC become the first FTSE 100 company to go carbon neutral
partnered with some of the world's biggest brands to help people save 5 million tons of CO2 and $1 billion in household energy bills
launched global LED pilots and clean technology projects in North America, Europe, China and India
brought together 100 of the most influential policymakers and business leaders on the planet on Capitol Hill to discuss US climate policy
set up Climate Week NYC, an annual summit featuring more than 60 high-level meetings, forums and public-facing events on climate change
The Climate Group launched the Clean Revolution campaign at Climate Week NYC 2011, alongside a full-page call for leadership action in the Financial Times, full support from Mayor Bloomberg, Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, the UN, the World Bank and C40 Cities, and a new website, TheCleanRevolution.org which showcases transformational leadership through constantly updated case studies.

Here is a more comprehensive list of our achievements to date:

2011

2011 - The Clean Revolution Launch

January: Along with the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, we hosted a meeting for international leaders from the finance and energy sectors in Davos, during this year's World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. The second Climate Principles Progress Review, which was produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers for The Climate Group, was released during this high-profile event.

February: Now in its fifth year of tracking greenhouse gas emissions from energy use in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, the Greenhouse Indicator Annual Report 2010 was published, revealing that emissions are down for the second year running.

February: The HSBC Climate Partnership Review 2010 was released, celebrating the continuing achievements of the five-year collaboration between HSBC, The Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF's pioneering program, which has been working to reduce the impact of climate change on people, forests, freshwater and cities, and to accelerate the adoption of low carbon policies.

March: Our new report commissioned by the HSBC Climate Change Centre of Excellence entitled Delivering Low Carbon Growth - A Guide to the 12th Five Year Plan is launched, showing how the Chinese Government's decision to put a Clean Revolution at the heart of the nation's economic plans will deliver real carbon savings.

March: We publish India's Clean Revolution which reports on how India is to challenge the EU, US and China for a share of the $2.2 trillion global clean technology market, and that enormous potential exists for generating new income and jobs by developing domestic renewable energy resources.

March: China Redesign, a landmark program is launched, to help Chinese cities develop and implement low carbon growth strategies and meet the emissions reduction objectives of China's 12th Five Year Plan.

May: Johnson Controls, The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and The Climate Group opened the Euro-Mediterranean Energy Efficiency Forum, with the promise to highlight smarter ways to promote energy efficiency to help meet international climate and energy objectives.

June: The Climate Group Australia presented the Climate Precincts Adelaide Workshop report to the Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann.

June: The Climate Group North America published our latest report Leading the Way: Policy Design for a Clean Revolution, which showcases the tremendous progress made by cities, states and regions across North America that are leading the Clean Revolution with innovative climate policies.

June: The Climate Group China organized two panel discussions at the Carbon Treasure Program Phase event, where the Carbon Strategy and Management Guidelines for Chinese Businesses was launched, which includes one general and three sector guidelines, to help drive a Clean Revolution in China.

June: An ever-increasing list of top European companies, presently totalling 72, have signed up to a Joint Declaration calling on the European Union to adopt a 30% emissions reduction target by 2020 below 1990 levels, to preserve the European Union's competitiveness, and build a low carbon economy.

September: The Climate Group launched the Clean Revolution campaign at Climate Week NYC 2011, alongside a full-page call for leadership action in the Financial Times, full support from Mayor Bloomberg, Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, the UN, the World Bank and C40 Cities, and a new website, TheCleanRevolution.org which showcases transformational leadership through constantly updated case studies.

2010

2010 - HK BSCL

January: The Climate Group and the founding members of the Climate Principles - the finance sector's landmark response to dealing with the risks and opportunities of climate change - launched the first Climate Principles Progress Review in Davos, during this year's World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

March: The Climate Group, along with some of Europe's most powerful regional governments sent a joint statement to EU leaders to warn that more ambitious EU climate and energy policies would be essential to powering Europe's future competitiveness, growth and jobs.

April: Under our LightSavers initiative, we set up three pilot LED sites in Hong Kong at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and The Hong Kong International Airport.

May: The Hong Kong Carbon Reduction Campaign (HKCRC) comes to an end in May, with a fun fair aiming to further enhance the awareness of low carbon living among the citizens of Hong Kong.

June: We hold several events at the Shanghai Expo in May and June, including an EV event and China EV report, a Smart Buildings event with Landsea and a Partnership for Urban Innovation: Global Conference, which was held in partnership with The Climate Group, Cisco and Metropolis.

July: HSBC host an evening reception for VIP stakeholders to celebrate the global achievements of the HSBC Climate Partnership, a five-year programme between HSBC, The Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF.

July: We launch the CCS: Towards Market Transformation in China report, which examines different CCS implementation strategies, and discusses current policies, regulation and financing, within China and also internationally.

September: For the second straight year, global business leaders and policymakers representing some of the world's most influential companies, cities, states, regions and nations convened at Climate Week NY°C. Held on the sidelines of the United Nations' General Assembly meeting, Climate Week NY˚C is a global forum to mobilize an international public-private response to climate change.

November: A report was launched by the UK-India Business Leaders Climate Group, a diverse group of influential CEOs and senior business leaders from the UK and India. The Climate Group, acting as secretariat to the Group, oversaw the launch of a new 'Charter of Principles' to Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, Gregory Barker, recommending practical ways India and the UK can together unlock a new era of green growth and economic collaboration.

November: We organize the launch of the LED street lighting project in Kolkata, India.

November: We host The Business Summit on Climate Leadership 2010, which brings together thought leadership and experience in addressing profitable business models that help mitigate climate change while generating sustainable growth for all stakeholders.

November: The Climate Group, along with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, launch The Corporate Carbon Strategy (Carbon Treasure) Program, a program intended to address climate change issues and actions being taken by businesses in China.

December: We host the Climate Leaders Summit 2010 in Cancun, Mexico, on the sidelines of the COP16 UN climate talks. Members of The Climate Group's international alliance of business, cities, states and regions showcased their roles in the Clean Revolution, and this year's Climate Leaders Summit also had a special focus on sub-national government leadership and action in China.

2009

2009 - Tony Blair launching the 1,000 Villages program in China

February: We launch Forward Chicago and bring together business and government in a unique public-private partnership to help the City of Chicago achieve its ambitious emissions reduction targets.

February: We partner with major international airlines on our Aviation Global Deal Group. This group is proposing how global aviation can meet emission reduction targets set in a global climate agreement.

March: Our Gathering of 100 event on Capitol Hill brings together US Senators, policymakers and business leaders to discuss climate policy and build support for national climate legislation.

March: We convene Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Denmark's Minister for Climate and Energy, Connie Hedegaard for Switching Gears. They sign an MOU to help Midwestern states make a swift transition to the new energy economy.

April: We launch the Hong Kong Carbon Reduction Campaign, Hong Kong's first cross-industry employee engagement program on climate change mitigation.

August: The Climate Group, Jet Li and Rt Hon Tony Blair launch the One Thousand Village Solar LED Initiative in Southwest China.

August: In partnership with the International Institute for Energy Conservation, we launch the Mumbai Energy Alliance - an initiative to cut energy costs and the carbon footprint of one of the worlds most populous cities.

September: We establish Climate Week NYC - a series of more than 60 high-level meetings, forums and public-facing events on climate change. At the Opening Ceremony, we convene world leaders from business and government - including the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, top climate negotiators from the US, China, and India, as well as actor, Hugh Jackman - to call on world leaders for an ambitious and successful deal in Copenhagen.

September: We partner with New York City to deliver the city's first LED pilot project.

December: We host the Climate Leaders Summit on the sidelines of the UN's COP15 climate change talks in Copenhagen, convening international business and government leaders.

2008

2008 - US Together Launch in Times Square

March: We launch the Breaking the Climate Deadlock initiative with Rt Hon Tony Blair. Together we aim to build crucial support in key countries for a new and ambitious post-2012 climate change agreement.

June: We partner with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to launch Together in the US.

June: Rt Hon Tony Blair delivers the first Breaking the Climate Deadlock report, A Global Deal for Our Low Carbon Future, to the Chair of the G8. The report identifies the 10 building blocks crucial to a post-2012 climate deal.

June: Our SMART 2020 report makes waves, showing how the IT industry could save up to 15% of global emissions by 2020 and an estimated $800 billion in annual energy efficiency savings.

July: Our China's Clean Revolution report illustrates that China is already the world's leading renewable energy producer, and is making big gains in the global clean technology race. An updated version is released in August 2009.

October: Lord Stern and over 200 global leaders gather for our Hong Kong Climate Conference: "Making Business Sense of the Low Carbon Economy."

November: Australian PM Paul Rudd welcomes us as founding partner of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute.

December: We team up with the four largest beverage companies to launch Recycle Together - an initiative to help American cities dramatically increase recycling rates to help fight climate change.

December: Five major financial institutions sign on to The Climate Principles, the first ever comprehensive global response to climate change from the finance sector.

2007

2007 - Tony Blair and Arnold Shwarzenegger

April: The Together campaign launches in the UK. We partner with major brands, cities and NGOs to offer millions of consumers easy ways to save money and fight climate change.

May: New York City joins The Climate Group as part of delivering Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC, aiming to slash its emissions by 30%.

May: HSBC partners with The Climate Group and three other world-renowned charities to form the HSBC Climate Partnership, a groundbreaking, five-year, US$100 million program to combat climate change world-wide.

June: In his last-ever press conference as PM, Tony Blair gathers with The Climate Group, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and 19 of the world's most influential business leaders to plan how to speed up global action on climate change and fast-track the low carbon economy.

July: We help green Live Earth.

September: The Greenhouse Indicator goes live. Our unique online tool provides real-time information on weekly emissions from key Australian states.

November: The Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) officially launches. Together with the World Economic Forum, International Emissions Trading Association and World Business Council on Sustainable Development, we launch the world's first global standard for ensuring the credibility of carbon offsets.

2006

2006 - Long Beach Event

March: We roll out the first version of the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) with the World Economic Forum and International Emissions Trading Association.

July: We convene UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and 14 globally influential CEOs pledge business support for strong policy and action on climate change at our Long Beach Climate and Energy Roundtable.

2005

2005 - Climate Change: The Business Forecast

May: The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) merges with The Climate Group.

October: We host the event, Climate Change: The Business Forecast where CEOs of HSBC, BP, and other leading corporations and UK government leaders come together to call for strong, clear climate policy.

October: We help convene the C20: The World Cities Leadership Climate Change Summit where leaders of 20 world cities vow to lead and work together to fight climate change.

December: Our new partnership with WRI on the Green Power Market Development Group Europe helps businesses install on-site renewable energy generation systems and green up their energy supply.

December: We co-host the Montreal Climate Summit, where state, regional and provincial leaders from all over the world commit to take ambitious action together to tackle climate change.

December: We sponsor the Low Carbon Leaders Awards with Business Week.