A Message from the Administrator
August 2021
Thirty years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched Green Lights, a first-of-its-kind partnership program that helped companies overcome market barriers to energy efficiency.
Now, three decades later, EPA’s suite of climate partnership programs has expanded to include household names like ENERGY STAR and to encompass tens of thousands of organizations who have partnered with EPA to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from nearly every sector of our economy.
The results speak to the power of these partnerships: More than 6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions avoided and billions of dollars invested by the private sector over the past three decades. $500 billion in energy savings. In 2019, ENERGY STAR alone generated $7 billion in public health benefits and supported hundreds of thousands of high-paying, fast-growing jobs.
As we celebrate EPA’s many past accomplishments, we also look to the future. President Biden has adopted a “whole-of-government” approach to tackling climate change, recognizing that solving the climate crisis will require commitment and action from every level of government and every sector of the economy. EPA has a critical role to play, and its Climate Partnership Programs—with their 30-year track record of results, their strong relationships with the private sector, and their unique role supporting state, local, and Tribal action—will play a critical role alongside the agency’s regulatory programs.
EPA will be relying on its Climate Partnership Programs to continue delivering emissions reductions, while simultaneously creating jobs in energy efficiency and clean energy, driving billions of additional dollars in private sector investment, and ensuring the equitable distribution of environmental, health, and economic benefits across communities
We believe that all Americans, regardless of the money in their pocket, color of their skin, or community they live in, deserve protection from environmental hazard and harm, as well as equitable access to environmental benefits. That’s why EPA’s Climate Partnership Programs will continue to prioritize equity and inclusion, seeking to make the path to decarbonization just, affordable, inclusive, and equitable.
We look forward to continued partnership and achieving a healthier environment for all people.