• Johnson Controls Turns Earth Day into Earth Quarter

    May 1, 2008
    Organizations across the country annually roll out the green carpet in honor of Earth Day. But this year on Tuesday, April 22, Johnson Controls, a global diversified, multi-industrial company that creates smart environments, turned Earth Day into Earth Quarter with initiatives to demonstrate Johnson Controls' commitment to sustainability.

    Organizations across the country annually roll out the green carpet in honor of Earth Day. But this year on Tuesday, April 22, Johnson Controls, a global diversified, multi-industrial company that creates smart environments, turned Earth Day into Earth Quarter with initiatives to demonstrate Johnson Controls' commitment to sustainability.

    The company’s Earth Quarter program included employee events, local community engagements, and major global initiatives across Johnson Controls’ building efficiency, power solutions and automotive experience businesses.

    Earth Quarter activities included:

    • April 14 – Earth Quarter kicked off with the announcement of Johnson Control’s second annual Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI), a research report that examines the perceptions of North American businesses with regard to rising energy prices, energy independence and climate change (www.johnsoncontrolseei.web180.com/).

    •April 16 – Johnson Controls participated in a Green Roundtable hosted by the Milwaukee Business Journal that focused on the driving forces in business behind the green movement.

    • April 22 – On Earth Day Johnson Controls provided a hard hat tour of the World Headquarters Expansion Project for local media, who were permitted to view the progress of the expansion, which is planned to be the first LEED Platinum certification for new construction in the state of Wisconsin.

    • April 28-29 – Johnson Controls’ co-sponsorrf the inaugural China Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Forum in Beijing to bring together government policymakers, corporations, and the academic community to share their perspectives on energy efficiency and sustainability solutions.

    • April-May – A national U.S. competition, Igniting Creative Energy, honors state winners who submitted their sustainable ideas on how to make the world a more eco-friendly place. Students (K-12) are awarded $1,000 for their school on behalf of Johnson Controls in partnership with Philips, the United States Energy Association and the National Energy Foundation.

    •Week of May 12 – Each spring, Johnson Controls employees around the world celebrate Vision Week, five days dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of the company’s values. This year Vision Week focuses on environmental stewardship with company-wide educational activities to support the importance of sustainable practices.

    • June 10 – 11 – Johnson Controls will host the 19th annual Energy Efficiency Forum (EEF) in Washington D.C. The EEF is a premier event that promotes energy efficiency through the presentation of national and worldwide best practices and the resulting impact on the environment, national security and economic growth. This year the EEF will address how a new administration can build upon leadership in the public and private sectors and initiate large-scale energy-efficiency programs that will have immediate economic and environmental impact (www.eeforum.net/index_bodman1.html).

    • June 23 – Johnson Control’s Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC) program kicks off in three U.S. markets: Milwaukee, Baltimore and Detroit. The CLC is a seven-week program that engages local high school students in meaningful summer work focused on environmental stewardship, work ethic and leadership skills. Students must apply for the opportunity and will receive competitive wages to work together on environmental protection and improvement projects in community parks.

    • June 25 – 26 – Johnson Controls’ power solutions business will host a national media event and roundtable panel discussion focused on challenges facing the North American auto industry as they relate to the mass acceptance of hybrid vehicles. Additionally, the business’s hybrid group is again supporting the UW Madison Engineering team in the Challenge X competition. Championed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the competition enables college students to design, build and compete with an alternative fuel vehicle. Johnson Controls is supplying the battery and technical support.

    • End of Earth Quarter, June – Johnson Controls will launch the Personal Sustainability Navigator, a free online tool designed to help consumers discover and prioritize sustainable practices based on their personal behaviors.

    • Extending Earth Quarter Year-Round – The company’s Blue Sky Involve program engages employees around the world to volunteer for local community projects and get involved in nonprofit organizations. When this involvement aligns with program objectives, the Johnson Controls Foundation can approve a $1,000 (U.S.) grant to the organization.

    For more information on how Johnson Controls supports sustainability through its global initiatives, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com/sustainability.