Earth Day Network Announces Cities That Will Participate in Clinton Global Initiative Commitment for Billion Acts of Green® Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 12, 2012 Contact: Bryan Buchanan (202) 518-0044 x14, [email protected]

Earth Day Network Announces Cities That Will Participate in Clinton Global Initiative Commitment for Billion Acts of Green® Campaign

WASHINGTON – Earth Day Network announced its partnership with five U.S. cities today to work toward reducing their carbon emissions, which is part of the Billion Acts of Green commitment announced at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting. The participating cities are: Fayetteville, Ark.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Bozeman, Mont.; Babylon, N.Y. and Santa Fe County, N.M. These five cities were selected as a result of their existing efforts to pave the way in reducing energy consumption while implementing cost-saving measures that help balance their budgets. “In the absence of national and international leadership on climate change policy, local governments, businesses and individuals must take on the cause of renewable energy,”said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. “We are honored to receive such recognition from the Clinton Global Initiative to work with these cities to achieve critical steps in dealing with the climate crisis that set an example for the rest of the country and the world.” At its Annual Meeting in New York last September, President Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative recognized Earth Day Network’s “A Billion Acts of Green® – Renewable Energy for All” campaign to address global environmental challenges. The campaign aims to reduce CO2 emissions by more than one million pounds by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012. The campaign, launched in collaboration with Applied Solutions, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA, and NativeEnergy,works with individuals, businesses, and local governments to develop alternative energy policies and undertake energy efficiency and renewable energy measures such as the purchase of new technology, energy credits and carbon offsets.. The new initiative will build on the success of Earth Day Network’s Global Days of Conversation campaign, which creates dialogue between constituents and political leaders across the globe on issues of environmental sustainability and helps foster innovative solutions to green the economy. You can view the recognition here: https://archiveedn.wpengine.com/cgi.

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About Earth Day Network Earth Day Network’s mission is to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement, driving action year-round. Earth Day Network does this through advocacy, education, public policy, and consumer campaigns. Earth Day Network mobilizes over one billion people in 192 countries with the help of our 25,000 partners. To learn more about Earth Day Network, please visit archiveedn.wpengine.com. About Billion Acts of Green® A Billion Acts of Green® – Renewable Energy for All is a part of the Billion Acts of Green® campaign, which collects and inspires individual and organizational initiatives that further the goal of measurably reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainability. To learn more about A Billion Acts of Green®, please visit earthday.org/take-action. About ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA ICLEI USA is the leading membership association of cities & counties committed to climate protection, clean energy, and sustainability, with more than 550 U.S. members (and 1,200 worldwide). ICLEI USA sets national standards and drives innovation, and is the only organization that provides all of the necessary tools, resources, and technical guidance to help local governments reach their goals. To learn more, please visit www.icleiusa.org. About Applied Solutions Applied Solutions is a rapidly growing non-profit organization that was founded by a handful of local governments committed to the development of financial tools and mechanisms to support renewable energy, energy efficiency and water systems at the regional scale. Applied Solutions provides a shared forum for local governments to advance energy sovereignty, economic stability, job creation and resilient infrastructure systems within their communities. To learn more about Applied Solutions, please visit www.appliedsolutions.org. About NativeEnergy NativeEnergy is an expert provider of carbon offsets, renewable energy credits, and carbon accounting software. With NativeEnergy’s Help Build™ offsets, businesses and individuals can help finance the construction of wind, biogas, solar, and other carbon projects with strong social and environmental benefits. Since 2000, NativeEnergy’s customers have helped build over 50 projects, reducing more than 2.5 million tons of greenhouse gas reductions, and the company has over 4 million tons under contract. All NativeEnergy carbon offsets are third-party verified and validated. Learn more at www.nativeenergy.com. About the Clinton Global Initiative Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which are already improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion. CGI’s Annual Meeting is held each September in New York City. CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. The CGI U 2012 meeting will be hosted by the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.