Posted on November 12, 2007

Clinton Foundation Forges Partnerships to Make Public, Private Buildings More Energy Efficient

The William J. Clinton Foundation has announced several new partnerships to improve the energy efficiency of a substantial amount of public and private real estate throughout the United States.

The Clinton Climate Initiative will partner with the city of Chicago to enable a green overhaul of privately owned housing and 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 in Norwalk, Connecticut, to identify and implement building retrofit projects across that company's global portfolio, and will work with the US Green Building Council and the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment to create a Green Schools Program to retrofit schools and universities and reduce the energy consumption of school buildings.

According to Clinton, the tools needed to dramatically reduce carbon emissions already exist. "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," he said. "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."