By, Wendi Latko, Director of Sustainable Services, Xerox Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability
Xerox was recently named to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Top 20 list of Green Power Purchasers in the Technology and Telecom industries. This honor is the latest recognition of a journey we started a long time ago – to reduce our corporate greenhouse gas emissions, or “carbon footprint”.
In 2003 Xerox made a public commitment to reduce our greenhouse gas emission 10 percent by 2012 – over a 2003 baseline. Our efforts initially focused on reducing our consumption of energy – including the electricity consumed in our buildings. We made great progress with that strategy –meeting our greenhouse gas reduction goal after only three years instead of ten.
However because we strive to be “carbon neutral”, we realize this can’t be done solely through energy efficiency initiatives. This is where our renewable energy (“green power”) purchases come into play. Green power is electricity generated from renewable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, low-impact biomass, and low-impact hydro resources.
Because green power does not generate GHG emissions, governments around the world are requiring utilities to incorporate a higher percentage of green power in their standard offering. But until that objective is achieved, renewables are still generally a more costly option. Xerox supports the development of renewable energy through purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). By sponsoring RECs, we are funding the development of renewable energy. And because we bring RECs into the negotiation process with our utility suppliers, we continue to “walk the talk” with regards to sustainability.
We are proud to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for our efforts in promoting sustainable energy. Through this EPA partnership, we send a message that supporting the development of clean electricity sources is a sound business decision and an important choice in reducing climate risks for the future.
At Xerox Wendi focuses on sustainability initiatives. At home she is a typical mom of three boys – shuttling them to sports, Scouts, and urgent care centers.
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