EPA Names General Motors ENERGY STAR® 2002 Partner Of The Year
FOR RELEASE: March 26, 2002EPA Names General Motors ENERGY STAR® 2002 Partner Of The Year
Washington, D.C. - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named General Motors as an ENERGY STAR® "Partner of the Year" for its outstanding commitment to energy efficiency through continuous improvement of energy performance throughout its organization.
"General Motors is proud to have been an ENERGY STAR partner since 1998, allowing us many opportunities to work cooperatively with the EPA in increasing our efficiency and cost-effectiveness," said Elizabeth A. Lowery, GM vice president, environment and energy. "In fact, GM is undertaking an aggressive program employing the ENERGY STAR principles to reduce energy usage at its North American facilities by 25 percent by the end of 2005, and we are making tremendous progress."
General Motors has made significant progress in reducing energy usage at its manufacturing facilities by implementing programs such as energy-efficient lighting retrofits, energy-efficient heating and ventilation systems, weekend shutdowns, energy management systems and energy sufficiency plans. Together, these programs have not only helped to greatly reduce GM's energy usage, but have also fostered a greater awareness of the importance of minimizing energy use throughout GM.
The ENERGY STAR Award is given to a variety of organizations to recognize their efforts to use energy efficiently, both in their own facilities and in the products they manufacture or sell. This year, the ENERGY STAR program is celebrating a decade of environmental protection through voluntary participation by leading U.S. businesses and organizations. GM was honored for its leadership in incorporating strategic energy management into its business operations. "EPA is proud to recognize General Motors' leadership with an ENERGY STAR award," said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnership Division. "They have shown that commitment, measurement and strategic investment help the environment as well as their business objectives."
ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy and money, and it helps protect the environment for future generations. In 2000 alone, Americans -- with the help of ENERGY STAR and its business partners -- helped save enough energy to power 10 million homes. The program was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR now works with more than 7,000 partners to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937). For more information about GM's other environmental stewardship programs, visit www.gmability.com.
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General Motors , the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide. In 2001, GM earned $1.5 billion on sales of $177.3 billion, excluding special items. It employs about 362,000 people globally. GM has been the world's automotive sales leader since 1931. In 2001, GM set industry sales records in the United States - its largest market - for total trucks and for sport utility vehicles. GM sold more than 1 million SUVs - a first for any automaker. GM also sold more full-size pickup trucks than any other manufacturer since 1978. GM also operates one of the world's largest and most successful financial services companies, GMAC, which offers automotive, mortgage and business financing and insurance services to customers worldwide. More information on General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.