Major Companies Join President Obama in Reducing Energy Use, Cutting Global Warming Pollution

Environment America

Washington, D.C. – Last Thursday, three major companies – Macy’s Inc., Johnson Controls Inc., and Sprint Nextel Corp. – joined the Obama administration’s Better Buildings Challenge, committing to reduce their buildings’ energy use by at least 20 percent by 2020.

More than a third of the energy we use in the United States goes toward powering our buildings. Because much of our energy still comes from polluting sources like coal, oil and gas, America’s buildings are responsible for 30 percent of our global warming emissions.

Much of this energy is wasted because of inefficient design.

Meredith Epstein, energy associate with Environment America, made the following statement in response:

“Powering our nation’s buildings is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. By signing onto the Better Buildings Challenge, these titans of industry are leading the charge to tackle global warming head-on. They have committed to slashing energy use in their combined 299 million square feet of building space.

“These companies’ commitment to curbing their energy use and tackling global warming is great. And this is just the beginning. We can dramatically reduce the amount of energy our buildings use across the country with weatherization upgrades, updates to heating and cooling systems, and by replacing equipment and appliances with more efficient models. And we can make sure that all new buildings are designed to meet the highest standards of efficiency.

“We applaud President Obama and the Department of Energy for their leadership on reducing our energy use and cutting global warming emissions. And we commend Macy’s Inc., Johnson Controls Inc., and Sprint Nextel Corp. for rising to the challenge. We encourage more businesses, schools, and cities to sign up for the Better Buildings Challenge and help lead the way towards a cleaner future for all Americans.”