Prestigious award presented to Nancy Ryan (CPUC), Bay Area Air Quality Management District and TerraPass

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – From its annual conference, Navigating the American Carbon World, the Climate Action Reserve announced its 2010 Climate Action Champion Award recipients.  The awards are bestowed upon individuals and organizations that have demonstrated public leadership in climate change and commitment to substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions.  The 2010 award recipients are:

Nancy Ryan, Commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC): While at the CPUC, Ryan has played a key role in developing policies in areas of climate change, electricity market design and renewable energy.  In the course of these efforts, she has helped to build and enhance the CPUC’s working relationships with its sister energy agencies, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, State of California Legislature and Governor’s Office.  Prior to joining the CPUC, Ryan was Senior Economist and Deputy California Director at Environmental Defense Fund.

Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and Jack Broadbent, Executive Officer: BAAQMD has been a California Climate Action Registry member since 2003.  Since launching its Climate Protection Program in 2005, it has been at the forefront of the climate protection movement in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Among its activities are providing training and funding for local governments to calculate and reduce their GHG inventories, administering a $3 million grant program to reduce GHG emissions in the Bay Area and developing global warming curriculum for fourth and fifth grade students.

TerraPass:  TerraPass has held a pioneering role in educating the public about carbon footprints and reducing emissions.  The San Francisco-based company also works directly with carbon reduction projects, providing revenue to dairy farms, landfill gas installations and other projects that yield carbon credits.  As a project developer that has been a model for adhering to only the most comprehensive and rigorous project standards, it has helped numerous companies and individuals offset their emissions.

“This year’s winners all demonstrate the highest standards of leadership through their unwavering dedication and perseverance in striving toward climate change solutions.  They have specifically demonstrated a highly commendable commitment towards reducing pollution and helping others to accomplish this.  We are very proud to honor their work today,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Climate Action Reserve and Secretary of the California EPA.

The awards were presented during the welcome address at the conference.  Recipients received the iconic Climate Action Champion heavyweight belts.

“Each year, it is inspiring to recognize our new class of Climate Action Champions.  We have worked with Commissioner Ryan, Jack Broadbent and the BAAQMD and the team at TerraPass for many years, and during that time, we have watched them work tirelessly towards achieving outstanding climate change goals.  As a global community, we still have a considerable fight ahead of us to combat global warming, but with people like them in our corner, it truly provides inspiration that we can win this battle,” said Gary Gero, President of the Climate Action Reserve.