An innovative new agreement announced today between the Massachusetts-based Polaroid Corporation, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Center for Energy & Climate Solutions (CECS) will cut the imaging company's carbon dioxide emissions at least 20 percent by 2005 compared to 1994 levels, and 25 percent by 2010. Achieving the targeted goal as part of the company's Climate Savers agreement will reduce emissions equivalent to removing more than 12,000 cars from the road.

"Innovative initiatives such as the Climate Savers Campaign are playing critical roles in helping us understand the powerful unity between the environment, technology, and business creativity. Polaroid's announcement today is proof that economic growth can compliment environmental stewardship," said U.S. Senator John F. Kerry.

These substantial reductions will be achieved company wide, using clean energy and energy efficient technology that will reduce costs as well as emissions. Polaroid will draw on the strategic and technical experience of the two non-profit partners to demonstrate that virtually any company can achieve major reductions in greenhouse emissions at little or no net cost.

"With Polaroid's long heritage of environmental stewardship, we clearly see the potential benefits for the company and for the local and global environment, of addressing air pollution and climate change issues through energy management strategies," said John R. Jenkins, senior vice president, global operations, Polaroid Corporation. "The Climate Savers Program of World Wildlife Fund and the Center for Energy Climate Solutions offers us the opportunity and the resources to find newer, better and more cost-effective methods for energy management."

The agreement was reached as part of the Climate Savers Program, a worldwide business innovation initiative organized by WWF, the world's largest conservation organization. In the United States, WWF works with experts, such as CECS, to verify baselines and help develop corporate greenhouse gas reduction strategies. The aim is to help make climate protection and energy savings a cost-effective part of standard practice.

"Business leadership is an important ingredient in the fight to reduce the threat of global warming," said Jennifer Morgan, director of World Wildlife Fund's Climate Change Campaign. "By taking advantage of the cost-effective technologies that reduce both costs and pollution, companies like Polaroid are becoming part of the climate change solution, proving that fighting global warming is good for business."

Polaroid will achieve the Climate Savers goal through a combination of sound energy management practices combined with efforts to use less carbon-intensive forms of power. These measures include renovating or replacing heating and cooling systems and industrial boilers, replacing old factory motors with more efficient models, installing high-efficiency lighting and energy management systems, purchasing "green" electric power, and switching to cleaner fuels for power generation.

"This deal will utilize clean, efficient technology in a real-world setting," said Joe Romm, executive director of CECS. "Working with outside partners to provide technical and strategic expertise is the next wave in corporate energy management, which will dramatically improve the speed and cost of solving environmental challenges."

Polaroid will be working closely with Enron Energy Services, which partners with commercial and industrial businesses nationwide to provide integrated energy and facility management outsourcing solutions. As part of the agreement, Polaroid will join other companies in the Climate Savers Program to share the technical and management experience gained in the process of meeting the commitment with other leaders in industry.

Other Climate Savers partners include IBM and Johnson & Johnson, both of which joined the program last spring. Johnson & Johnson pledged to reduce its global warming emissions worldwide 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2010, while IBM plans to achieve average annual CO2 emissions reductions equivalent to 4 percent of the emissions associated with the company's annual energy use through 2004 from a baseline of 1998.

"World Wildlife Fund works closely with companies to help develop the effective strategies needed to make these important energy-saving commitments," said Morgan. "While we set the bar high and require significant pollution reductions, leaders like Polaroid, IBM, and Johnson & Johnson have demonstrated that diverse industries can meet the challenge and save both money and the environment."

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