LOS ANGELES, CA – The Climate Action Reserve, the nation’s largest and most respected carbon offset registry, has created a new Honorary Board comprised of five prominent climate leaders and activists who have been instrumental in raising awareness about climate change and developing climate policies in California, Canada and beyond. The new Honorary Board includes: former Canadian Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell; Hon. Gray Davis, the former governor of California; California State Senator Fran Pavley; Diane Wittenberg, former founding president of The Climate Registry and the California Climate Action Registry; and actor and environmental activist Ed Begley, Jr. They will serve in an advisory capacity to help grow and strengthen the Reserve’s carbon offset program.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome five preeminent and hard-working climate leaders to the Reserve’s newly formed Honorary Board,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Reserve Board of Directors and Founding President of R20. “Each member of the Honorary Board has tremendous breadth of knowledge and expertise in public policy and the environment. I look forward to their experience and input in supporting the growth of the Climate Action Reserve.”

“Our changing climate has incredible implications for our global environment, health, economy and security,” said Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell. “We have to assume responsibility for our emissions and take action to reduce our carbon footprint in a meaningful manner. The Reserve’s carbon offset program supports such action by achieving real, immediate and cost-effective solutions to curb emissions. I am looking forward to helping the Reserve shape its future program and continue its tradition of integrity, transparency and environmental benefit in carbon offsets.”

“California has been a leader in the fight against climate change, and the Climate Action Reserve has been key in informing and influencing state and regional climate policy,” said Hon. Gray Davis. “California’s cap-and-trade program will have a tremendous impact on future carbon emissions and climate policy when it launches later this year. With four protocols adopted for use in the state’s cap-and-trade system, the Reserve’s carbon offset standards are a pillar of this program. The Honorary Board will work to ensure that the high-quality standards of the Reserve will serve as a model for climate policy both nationally and internationally.”

More information on the new Honorary Board members follows:

Right Honorable Kim Campbell holds the distinction of being Canada’s first and only female Prime Minister. She is also the first Canadian Prime Minister to have held office in all three levels of government: municipal, provincial and federal. Since leaving office, she has worked to support emissions reduction policies, grow a clean energy economy and address the impact of global warming on global communities. Ms. Campbell is currently a member of the Global Leadership for Climate Action, a task force of world leaders committed to addressing climate change through international negotiations.

Hon. Gray Davis was overwhelmingly elected as California’s 37th Governor. He demonstrated bold environmental leadership by signing the first law in the nation to reduce greenhouse gases, AB 1493, Pavley “Clean Cars Law,” which then became the national standard. He also created the first greenhouse gas monitoring registry, the California Climate Action Registry, and established the nation’s most ambitious commitment to renewable energy with a statewide Renewables Portfolio Standard. Davis made record investments in infrastructure, including the creation of four Centers of Science and Innovation on University of California campuses, which today are inventing technologies that will make our world cleaner, greener and safer. Today he’s Of Counsel at Loeb & Loeb where he provides strategic advice to clients on numerous matters.

Hon. Fran Pavley is a California State Senator and Chair of the Senate’s Natural Resources and Water Committee. Previously, she served three terms in the California State Assembly and four terms in the City of Agoura Hills as Mayor and Councilmember. During her tenure in the California legislature, Sen. Pavley authored landmark laws combating climate change by capping greenhouse gas emissions in California, including AB 32 (Global Warming Solutions Act) and AB 1493 “Clean Cars Law.” Sen. Pavley has also worked to acquire, protect and improve open space, secured funds for local public transportation and recreation projects, and facilitated economic development through clean energy jobs.

Diane Wittenberg is the Director Emeritus of The Climate Registry, a nonprofit collaboration among North American states and provinces to set rigorous and transparent standards to calculate, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions. Prior to founding The Registry, Ms. Wittenberg founded and served as President of the California Climate Action Registry for six years. Earlier in her career, she spent 15 years at Edison International, playing a key role in launching new businesses including Edison EV (President), Edison Utility Alliances (President) and Edison Technology Solutions (Vice President, Business Development and Marketing). She also served as Vice President for Corporate Communications for Edison International and was internationally recognized for her efforts to launch an electric vehicle industry. She currently serves as Executive Director and Chairman of the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative.

Ed Begley Jr. is a renowned actor and activist who has worked tirelessly to advance personal responsibility for environmental solutions. Known for turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle, he has served as chairman of the Environmental Media Association and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. He sits on the boards of many organizations, including the Thoreau Institute and the Midnight Mission. Currently, he is the co-star of the hit Planet Green series Living with Ed, a look at the day-to-day realities of “living green” with his wife Rachelle Carson. His first book, Living Like Ed, was published in February 2008 and the second book, Ed Begley’s Guide to Sustainable Living, came out in August 2009.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Climate Action Reserve, an environmental non-profit that runs the premier carbon offset registry in North America, announced its 2012 Climate Action Champion Award recipients at a reception celebrating the 10th anniversary of the organization and the award. The awards are presented annually in recognition of individuals and organizations that exemplify leadership and commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For their efforts in the “fight” against climate change, the Reserve awards these outstanding and deserving recipients with a special championship belt. In announcing the awards, Gary Gero, president of the Climate Action Reserve, said that “This year’s winners have each show a long-standing and deep commitment to addressing climate change and have been pioneers and innovators in their actions.” The 2012 champions are:

Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco that is dedicated to conserving and sustaining America’s vital, productive forest landscapes. Recognized as a national leader in sustainable forestry and conservation, the organization worked closely with the Reserve to develop the initial Forest Project Protocol and subsequent updated protocols. Through national advocacy and outreach, PFT has advanced policies that provide landowners with new sources of revenue for conservation and stewardship of their forests’ natural values, while increasing the storage of carbon dioxide, protecting our water supplies and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. To date PFT has conserved more than 50,000 acres of forestland in California, Oregon and Washington.

The Nature Conservancy – California Program has worked for more than 50 years to protect the state’s most ecologically important lands and waters and is a strong advocate for progressive climate policies. Its Climate Change Program develops comprehensive, nature-based programs to minimize GHG emissions and respond to the effects of climate change. The Conservancy’s California office based in San Francisco collaborated with The Conservation Fund and others on one of the first forest carbon offset projects registered with the Reserve – the 23,780-acre Garcia River Forest on California’s northern coast. The Conservancy staff assisted in developing the forest’s improved management plan and conducts forest-carbon research and monitors biodiversity conservation on the property. In addition, the Nature Conservancy has been a long-time participant and collaborator in the Reserve’s forest protocols, which were subsequently adopted by the California Air Resources Board as part of its GHG cap and trade program.

Jan Schori, Retired, General Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), served as general manager and CEO of SMUD for 14 years. During her tenure of the nation’s sixth largest publicly-owned electric utility, SMUD earned a strong reputation for its renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, as well as the national number one ranking in commercial customer satisfaction by JD Power & Associates. Ms. Schori was elected in 2009 to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) board as an independent trustee and has served on the Board of Directors of the Climate Action Reserve since its inception 10 years ago. She is currently of counsel to the law firm Downey Brand LLP in Sacramento, CA.

Peter Miller, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco, has more than 25 years of experience in energy and climate policy. His work is focused on California energy policy, AB32 implementation, GHG emissions accounting and carbon offsets. Mr. Miller has served on the California Board for Energy Efficiency and on Independent Review Panels evaluating the Public Interest Energy Research program at the California Energy Commission. Mr. Miller has served on the Board of Directors of the Reserve for much of its history, including serving on the first board established for the organization.

The 2012 Climate Action Champions are: Pacific Forest Trust; The Nature Conservancy – California Program; Jan Schori, retired, General Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District; and Peter Miller, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council. In announcing the awards, Gary Gero, president of the Climate Action Reserve, said that “This year’s winners have each show a long-standing and deep commitment to addressing climate change and have been pioneers and innovators in their actions.”

For more information on the winners, please visit our news page.

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