Clinton Presidential Center "President Clinton Announces Major Partnerships to Retrofit Public and Private Buildings Nationwide"

President Bill Clinton today announced several new partnerships to improve the energy efficiency of hundreds of millions of square feet of public and private real estate throughout the United States.

The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) will partner with the City of Chicago to enable a green overhaul of privately-owned housing around the city, as well as two major landmarks, the Sears Tower and the Merchandise Mart— the country’s tallest and largest buildings, respectively. CCI will also partner with GE Real Estate to identify and implement building retrofit projects across GE Real Estate’s global portfolio. In addition, along with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), CCI will create a Green Schools Program to retrofit schools and universities across America.

“The tools we need to dramatically reduce our carbon emissions exist today,” said President Clinton. “When it comes to climate change, the hurdles we face aren’t technological, they’re organizational, which is why my foundation is partnering with cities, businesses, nonprofits and schools alike to design systems and programs that reduce energy consumption. I’m grateful to them all for working to show the world that the solution to the climate crisis isn’t far off in the future— it’s in the buildings we inhabit, our civic infrastructure and the way we organize our lives.”

Partnership with the City of Chicago

President Clinton and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley today announced three joint projects between the City of Chicago and CCI’s Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, an effort launched in May 2007 that enables cities to implement cost-effective, green retrofits of existing buildings.

"Chicago has always led by example when it comes to protecting the environment,” said Mayor Daley. “The Clinton Climate Initiative will play a major role in helping us reach our goal of making Chicago the most environmentally-friendly city in the country.”

CCI and the City of Chicago will work with the Merchandise Mart, the world’s largest commercial building and largest wholesale design center, and the Sears Tower, the tallest building in America, to complete audits and subsequent overhauls to increase their energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprints. In addition, CCI is developing a targeted program for energy retrofits of privately-owned, multi-tenant housing in Chicago. Under the auspices of the City’s Department of Housing, building owners will jointly contract for energy performance contracts and use future energy savings to finance the project implementation.

Partnership with GE Real Estate

GE Real Estate is one of the world’s most significant commercial real estate companies, with more than $72 billion and more than 385 million square feet in assets in 31 countries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia/New Zealand. CCI is partnering with GE Real Estate to identify and implement building retrofit projects across their global portfolio. Work will begin in CCI’s partner cities where GE Real Estate owns significant property.

“The Clinton Climate Initiative and GE Real Estate share the view that improving the environmental performance of existing properties is essential toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing property efficiencies, positively impacting the health of tenants and thereby improving the value of our properties,” said Ron Pressman, President & CEO, GE Real Estate. “As one of the world's largest owners of commercial properties with thousands of buildings in our portfolio, and more added each year, we believe we can make a significant, positive impact on the environment while benefiting our business. This is another great example of GE's ‘green is green’ strategy.”

Green Schools Program

CCI and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will work with K-12 schools throughout the nation to establish a Green Schools Program to reduce the energy consumption of school buildings.

“We are honored to have partnered with the President’s Climate Initiative to convene this historic effort to green our nation’s schools,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC’s President, CEO & Founding Chair. “Green schools are a powerful demonstration of our commitment to our children's future, and it’s a powerful way to show the next generation how we can all make a difference in this world.”

CCI and the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) will also work together to retrofit hundreds of colleges and universities across the US, helping them to meet their commitment to attain climate neutrality while lowering their energy bills.

Additional partners in the Green Schools Program include: Allegheny College, American Federation of Teachers, Arizona State University, Association of Sustainability in Higher Education, Chicago Public Schools, College of the Atlantic, Council of Educational Facilities Planners International, Dakota County Technical College, EcoAmerica, Earth Day Network, Illinois Association of School Board Members, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, LA Community College District, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Middlebury College, National Association of School Boards, National Education Association, Ohio School Facilities Commission, Rio Rancho Public Schools, Second Nature, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Idaho, University of Illinois at Chicago and Washington, DC Public Schools.

About the Clinton Climate Initiative

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 cities around the world to accelerate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In May 2007, President Clinton announced the creation of a global Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, a project of the Clinton Climate Initiative. This program brings together eight of the world’s largest energy service companies, five of the world’s largest banks, and seventeen of the world’s largest cities in a landmark program designed to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings. The program provides both cities and their private building 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.

Learn more about the work of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI).