Today Siemens Building Technologies was introduced by former president Bill Clinton as a member of the Clinton Climate Initiative Program, the C40 Large Building Retrofit Program that will significantly reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions in the world’s largest cities. Siemens Building Technologies will work with large financial institutions, businesses and municipal authorities to help existing buildings operate more efficiently and consume less energy.
“Climate change is a global problem that requires local action,” said President Clinton. “The businesses, banks and cities partnering with my foundation are addressing the issue of global warming because it's the right thing to do, but also because it's good for their bottom line. They're going to save money, make money, create jobs and have a tremendous collective impact on climate change all at once. I'm proud of them for showing leadership on the critical issue of climate change and I thank them for their commitment to this new initiative.”
Buildings currently account for 40% of global emissions. According to the Clinton Climate Initiative, “The Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program will provide both cities and their private owners with access to the necessary funds to retrofit existing buildings with more energy efficient products, typically leading to energy savings between 20 to 50 percent.” Leveraging Siemens Building Technologies extensive experience in implementing energy efficiency solutions in commercial and government facilities, the program will be able to reduce energy use in facilities by enabling them to run smarter and consume less.
“We are very pleased and proud to be playing a central role in the planning and development of the Building Retrofit Program. The Clinton Climate Initiative is important because it recognizes the major role cities and the buildings within them play and the contribution they make to climate change,” says Bob Dixon, Sr. Vice President and Global Head of Energy and Environmental Solutions. “Siemens, with its global reach and broad range of offerings and know-how, is uniquely positioned to support the global nature of the program on a scale that matches the goals of the initiative quite well. In the coming weeks and months we will continue to work with CCI personnel and its financial partners to help understand how best to deliver the benefits presented by the initiative and its programs.”
Building on his long-term commitment to preserving the environment, President Clinton launched the Clinton Foundation's Climate Initiative in August 2006 with the mission of applying the Foundation's business-oriented approach to the fight against climate change in practical, measurable, and significant ways. In its first phase, CCI is working with the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group to accelerate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CCI team members have visited nearly all of these cities and are working with them to define projects and take action.
The C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group is comprised of the following cities: Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Caracas, Chicago, Delhi, Dhaka, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Houston, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Karachi, Lagos, Lima, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Manila, Melbourne, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo, and Warsaw. For more information contact the Clinton Foundation Press Office by phone at +1212.348.0360 or via email at: