DWR Honored for Climate Leadership by meeting and exceeding GHG Emission Goal

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has earned a 2018 Climate Leadership Award/ Goal Achievement Award for its efforts in meeting and exceeding its goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The 2018 award marks the third time in four years that DWR has earned this distinction.

The award was presented to DWR earlier this week by The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry (TCR), in partnership with Headline Sponsor, Bloomberg              Philanthropies, at the 2018 Climate Leadership Awards in Denver. DWR’s goal was to achieve a 50-percent reduction below 1990 GHG emission levels by 2020; however, the Department actually met this goal by 2015, five years earlier than anticipated.

DWR had set an absolute GHG reduction goal of 33 percent from 2010 to 2020. DWR’s first generation GHG emission reduction goal was established in 2010 as a 5 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2020 and an 80 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2050. During the goal period, a 69 percent reduction in absolute emissions was achieved.

The California Department of Water Resources has also set a goal to cut emissions by nearly 700,000 tons between 2010 and 2020 (-33 percent) and another 850,000 tons between 2020 and 2050 (-73 percent). DWR’s Climate Action Plan is reducing the GHG emissions of the State Water Project by steadily increasing the amount of renewable energy used by the Project each year through 2050.

“DWR is committed to lowering our greenhouse gas emissions because, from a global perspective, it’s the right thing to do. Our efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change are crucial to securing the long-term reliability of California’s precious water resources,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “We are honored to have received this Climate Leadership Award and are committed to continuing our efforts.”

Also recognized for their Climate Leadership Award/ Goal Achievement Award at the 2018 Climate Leadership Awards were:

• California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) for exceeding a goal of reducing absolute GHG emissions reductions of 10 percent by 2015, actually achieved a 76 percent reduction during the goal period.
• Comerica Inc. which set an absolute GHG reduction goal of 20 percent from 2012 to 2020, achieving the goal four years early in 2016 helped by improvements in data center and building management systems and energy efficiency of existing construction.
• IBM exceeded 2 percent per year absolute GHG emissions reduction, achieved an absolute reduction goal of 35 percent from 2005 to 2020, and contracted to purchase 783,000 MWh of renewable electricity.
• The Hartford exceeded an absolute GHG reduction goal of 20 percent from 2013 through 2018 by achieving it in 2016.

The California Department of Water Resources was previously recognized with a Climate Leadership Award for Organizational Leadership in 2016 and a Certificate for Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management/Goal-Setting Certificate in 2015.

“The winners of this year’s awards have each shown a deep commitment to addressing both the risks created by climate change impacts and the opportunities of a clean energy economy,” said C2ES President Bob Perciasepe.

Ann McCabe, interim executive director of The Climate Registry also saluted this year’s awards winners saying, “When it comes to climate change and the transition to a clean economy, these winning individuals and organizations prove many U.S. leaders have the will to do it – and the ideas and solutions to succeed.”