Jun 6 2008
World Environment Day -- Leading businesses, US cities nationwide and respected non-profit organizations today joined with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to launch "Together" -- the largest-ever consumer engagement campaign on climate change.
Together unites brands, cities and non-profits to make it easier for every American to fight climate change. Together partners are committed to delivering and promoting simple, practical solutions that will help people save energy, save money and save the planet.
New research* released today shows that while Americans are more willing than ever to change their behavior to do something about climate change, the majority still do not know exactly what to do. Together delivers clear and simple steps people can take to help reduce their impact on the planet.
"Protecting our environment is a job that belongs to each one of us. It means more than companies changing their practices or governments changing their policies. It means each person finding ways to change the little things in our lives that will in turn have a huge positive impact on the world around us. Together will help make this possible," said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "By making it easier and more affordable for Americans to fight climate change, we are taking a giant step towards a brighter and cleaner future. I extend my best wishes for every success in saying 'Hasta la Vista' to climate change."
Together is an initiative of The Climate Group, a global, independent non-profit organization dedicated to building public-private partnerships to find solutions to climate change. Together first launched in the UK in 2007 with the help of then Prime Minister Tony Blair. To date, Together solutions in the UK have helped consumers save 522,000 tonnes of CO2 and over $200 million on household energy bills.
"Climate change is a global issue that requires a global response," said Dr. Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group. "Following a successful first year in the UK, we're proud to announce the US launch of Together. With plans for an international rollout to Australia, China and India, Together is poised to engage citizens of the biggest greenhouse gas-emitting nations in the world."
Companies including Chase, the campaign's founding corporate partner, as well as Dell, Lenovo, MySpace, Nestle Waters, RecycleBank, smart USA, Target and Timberland, seven cities across the country and non-profit organizations including ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, The American Red Cross in Greater New York, Climate Counts, Global Footprint Network, Mercy Corps, National Wildlife Federation and The Center for a New American Dream have joined Together, with dozens of additional partners set to join in the coming months. MTV, News Corporation and Time Warner have joined the campaign as media partners.
Together will promote simple products, services and initiatives that yield measurable energy-saving results, and the campaign will clearly show how, together, these small actions make a big difference. The "Togetherizer," an online aggregator at http://www.together.com, will tally the combined efforts of everyone who adopts a Together solution, demonstrating the real savings -- both in CO2 and in dollars -- that the campaign delivers directly to consumers. Environmental Resources Management (ERM), an independent, third-party validator, will verify CO2 savings for every Together solution.
"Chase is pleased to be the founding sponsor of the Together campaign in championing opportunities that partner governments, companies and consumers in efforts that will help protect the environment," said William Daley, JPMorgan Chase Midwest Vice Chairman and Head of the Office of Corporate Responsibility. "In serving our clients, customers, shareholders, employees and communities, we are using our intellectual capital to invest in environmentally sustainable solutions. Working together, we can help consumers reduce their impact on the planet."
Through Together's alliance with the City of New York, the campaign's founding city partner, as well as Boston, Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Seattle, participating mayors are committing to collaborate with brands and non-profits to create custom programs that enable city residents to help fight climate change.
"The philosophy of 'Together' is a perfect fit with New York City's own approach to dramatically shrinking our carbon footprint -- the goal that is at the heart of our 'PlaNYC' sustainability agenda," said Mayor Bloomberg. "New Yorkers are deeply concerned about climate change. They want to do all they can in their own homes and communities to make a difference and we're committed to providing them the opportunities to do just that."
Target became one of the first corporate partners to roll out Together solutions by making reusable shopping bags and energy-efficient light bulbs available at all of its stores. While these solutions will help Target guests reduce their impact on the planet, it is only the beginning. The retailer also announced that it will offer more than a dozen Together solutions and demonstrated its commitment to fighting climate change by giving away 15,000 reusable bags and coupons worth $2 off the price of energy-efficient bulbs at the campaign launch.
"At Target, we're passionate about the importance of public/private partnerships as each party brings unique capabilities and knowledge to the table to strengthen our communities," said Nate Garvis, Vice President for Government Affairs, Target. "Our partnership with The Climate Group and support of the Together campaign are natural extensions of this philosophy and we look forward to collaborating to amplify our guests' support of the environment."
MySpace and smart USA are collaborating with Together to deliver an online initiative to raise awareness and accelerate action around the fight against climate change. The companies will launch a competition on July 4, 2008 to give away a smart fortwo car to the MySpace user who refers the most friends to http://www.myspace.com/jointogether.
MTV is partnering with Together to broaden consumer awareness on how to end climate change through its "Break The Addiction" pro-social initiative. The network's thinkMTV 12-step campaign launched on Earth Day 2006, and aims to educate and empower young people to make daily choices that improve their lives and simultaneously curb the impact of global warming and preserve our environment.
Together has also joined forces with a diverse group of non-profit organizations to extend the reach of the campaign. Together's founding non-profit partner, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, has committed to continually enlist and engage new city partners.
"Mayors and local government leaders have informed and inspired this country's response to global climate change, but this challenge requires the collective effort of entire communities," said Michelle Wyman, Executive Director, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. "ICLEI is thrilled to serve as the founding non-profit partner for Together and engage individuals in their communities' climate protection efforts."
"Climate change is the biggest social, environmental and economic challenge of our lifetime," said environmental expert and press conference moderator Simran Sethi. "It's essential that we act now -- and imperative that we all participate -- in order to achieve lasting results. The Together campaign unites the key drivers of change in our society, enabling each of us to be a part of the solution."
For more information about partner solutions and to join the campaign, visit http://www.together.com.
* New consumer research released today by The Climate Group and Lippincott
- The number of people agreeing with the statement 'I am prepared to make changes to my lifestyle to help reduce climate change' rose by 44% over the past year -- up from 25% of people in 2007 to 36% in 2008.
- The number of people agreeing with the statement 'It is clear to me what I can personally do to reduce climate change' rose by less than 10% over the past year -- from 41% of people in 2007 to 45% in 2008.
May 2008 figures are based on consumer research conducted with 1,000 people over the age of 16 in the US, commissioned by The Climate Group, and conducted by Lippincott. The comparable 2007 research was commissioned by The Climate Group, funded by BSkyB and Lippincott, and conducted by Lippincott.