Alcoa, Pew Center Launch 'Make an Impact' Climate Change Program

Sept. 19, 2008
The program will help employees and the local community manage individual carbon footprint.

Alcoa and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change have launched a program called, "Make an Impact," which provides tools for Alcoas employees and the local community to manage their individual carbon footprint, reduce their energy costs and become part of the solution to global climate change.

The Make an Impact program includes:

  • Interactive website with tools and resources on reducing energy bills and living more sustainably;
  • Custom-built carbon calculator with individual footprint analysis and personalized action planning;
  • Comprehensive outreach program of localized interactive workshops.

We often think that solutions to climate change and energy costs can come only from business and government. But everyone needs to play their part -- and through our partnership with the Alcoa Foundation -- we are making that possible," Pew Center President Eileen Claussen. We expect this program to serve as the benchmark on personal carbon accounting across business and the community and we look forward to sharing it with our business partners in the near future.

Alcoa CEO Klaus Kleinfeld said that this was a part of a global leadership position on addressing climate change and in addition to Alcoa reducing emissions inside its operations 33% from a 1990 base. Alcoa Foundation has invested over $8 million in community-driven climate change projects in the last year.

"Our 97,000 employees are finding new ways to meet this challenge every day and our product is also playing a key role -- not only can aluminum be recycled endlessly -- taking only 5% of the energy needed to make new metal -- but it is also reducing fuel use in transport by making lighter vehicles," Kleinfeld added.

The Make an Impact program builds on the success of the program developed in Australia in 2006 through an Alcoa Foundation partnership with Greening Australia. It will kick off in the U.S. on September 18th and initially be introduced at nine Alcoa locations from Washington to Pittsburgh, with plans to take the program elsewhere to other U.S. locations and beyond.

To find out more visit www.alcoa.com/makeanimpact

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