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PepsiCo Announces Initiatives With the Earth Institute and H2O Africa To Drive Sustainable Water Practices Efforts To Improve Rural Water in Africa, China, India and Brazil

TPURCHASE, N.Y., Jan 22, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- PepsiCo announced today a major new grant made by the PepsiCo Foundation to the Earth Institute at Columbia University, one of the world's premier institutions dedicated to global sustainable development. In addition, the company announced a partnership with H2O Africa, a foundation focused on clean water initiatives in Africa. Both initiatives are targeted to drive sustainable water practices as part of PepsiCo's ongoing commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The initiative led by the Earth Institute and supported by the PepsiCo Foundation involves identifying a series of high-impact, community-based activities and practical solutions across water, agriculture and climate. The effort is focused on improving water access, increasing water productivity and recommending innovative methods to deliver "more crop per drop," among other goals. The Earth Institute, directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, will receive $6 million during a three-year period directed at projects in India, Brazil, China and Africa based on annual progress in these markets.

The PepsiCo partnership with H2O Africa, the charitable organization founded by Matt Damon, involves on-the-ground clean water projects in Niger, Mali, Senegal and other countries in Africa. H2O Africa will receive $2.5 million over the next 12 months.

"For PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation, these commitments begin with a desire to address the worldwide water crisis. Water sits at the nexus of so many challenges -- global health through disease transmission, increasing hunger through poor agricultural practices, and even education as children in water-scarce economies are often charged with walking miles to collect water from a distant well instead of attending school. Without clean water, none of the other fundamentals leading to a healthy and prosperous life are possible," said Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman and chief executive officer and PepsiCo Foundation chairman.

"As part of our long-standing commitment to address this crisis, we've entered into a strategic partnership with Jeffrey Sachs' Earth Institute and Matt Damon's H2O Africa Foundation to find and implement truly sustainable solutions in India, Brazil, China -- the fastest growing developing markets -- and in communities in Africa, where the need is greatest," said Nooyi. "As leading players in their respective fields, Jeffrey and Matt are uniquely positioned to leverage their influence to make these initiatives bigger, potentially transformational. This is the essence of innovative collaboration, where different parts of society can mesh to take an idea to scale."

Research reports that more than one billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and every year approximately two million children die unnecessarily from water-related diseases in the developing world. As part of the Millennium Development Goals, which were established in 2000 and endorsed by 192 nations, the world has pledged to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

"Water is at the core of economic development and human well being," said Sachs. "With water, there can be productive agriculture, good nutrition, sanitation, and health. Without water, there is only poverty and disease. Yet water is under unprecedented stress, from inadequate farm practices, climate change, population pressures, and pollution. New technologies, new business strategies, and new public policies can overcome the growing water crisis. Our new project and partnership will help to develop and demonstrate the best options for future years in the Americas, Africa, and Asia."

The H2O Africa Foundation is focused specifically on clean water initiatives in Africa, with a strategy of promoting a "best-of-class, open model approach" to implementation in the field.

"On my trips to Africa I saw firsthand the life-changing impact that access to safe water can have, especially for children," said Matt Damon. "Along with other factors like sanitation, medical care and education, safe water enables entire communities to pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty. At H20 Africa, we are working with established NGOs already 'on the ground' to bring assistance to communities in need."

PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation's support of these two step-changing initiatives is part of its ongoing support of the Millennium Development Goals. In July, PepsiCo was among several businesses to support a Declaration announced by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the United Nations calling for the achievement of the Goals by 2015.

"The world's governments have identified access to clean water as one of the key building blocks to ending global poverty. Without it, none of the Millennium Development Goals will be met," added Nooyi. "We believe that the world water crisis is one of the most pressing challenges of our age. As a global food and beverage company, our success depends on being responsible stewards of this limited resource."

PepsiCo Foundation: PepsiCo Foundation is the charitable anchor of the company's broader Performance with Purpose strategy for sustainable development and corporate citizenship. Given rapidly escalating changes in the environment, such as water scarcity and insecurity, and climate changes, the Foundation seeks to help people find ways to better manage resources within their communities. The Foundation strives to positively impact local economic vitality by encouraging community insights and actions that better manage water and environmental resources at the community level, specifically those that increase water security through active harvesting and watershed resource management. In several of the most drought stricken regions in the world, the Foundation has pledged to bring one million people safe drinking water by 2010. PepsiCo Foundation, along with PepsiCo's operating divisions, give grants to more than 1,000 community organizations.

PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2006 annual revenues of more than $35 billion. The company employs approximately 168,000 people worldwide, and its products are sold in approximately 200 countries. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. The PepsiCo portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales. PepsiCo's commitment to sustainable growth, defined as "Performance with Purpose," is focused on generating healthy financial returns while giving back to communities the company serves. This includes meeting consumer needs for a spectrum of convenient foods and beverages, reducing the company's impact on the environment through water, energy and packaging initiatives, and supporting its employees through a diverse and inclusive culture that recruits and retains world-class talent. PepsiCo is listed on the Dow Jones North America Sustainability Index and Dow Jones World Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

H2O Africa Foundation: The H2O Africa Foundation has a mission to create widespread public awareness of the water crisis in Africa and gather support and funding for integrated sustainable clean water programs in critical areas. Oversight of the H20 Africa programs and initiatives will be through partnerships with major non-governmental organizations as well as progress- based grant agreements. Donors can be part of groups that are adopting specific communities to ensure that they have safe water there. Every dollar contributed by donors goes to the work in the field. Funds raised go to partner NGO's that include: Millennium Promise, ONE X ONE, A Glimmer of Hope, Ryan's Well Foundation, UNDP, and Living Water International.

The Earth Institute at Columbia University is an interdisciplinary research institute that brings together talent from throughout the university to address complex issues facing the planet and its inhabitants, with particular focus on sustainable development and the needs of the worlds' poor. Under the direction of Professor Jeffrey Sachs, the Earth Institute supports pioneering projects in the biological, engineering, social, and health sciences, while actively encouraging interdisciplinary projects, often combining natural and social sciences, in pursuit of solutions to real world problems.

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Frito-Lay Wins EPA’s 2007 Water Efficiency Leader Award

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week recognized Frito-Lay as the winner of the Industry category of the 2007 Water Efficiency Leader (WEL) awards for its efforts in reducing, reusing and recycling water. Since 1999, Frito-Lay’s has reduced water consumption per pound of product by 39% at its more than 30 manufacturing sites. Frito-Lay has also created a culture of conservation through internal awareness, training and accountability and plans to exceed its present success by further reducing its water use.

Due to demographic shifts, increased demand and aging water infrastructure, there is a national need for more efficient use of water resources. The WEL Awards help foster a nationwide ethic of water efficiency, with winners chosen by a panel of national water experts and based on three criteria: leadership, innovation and water saved.

“We applaud these winners for saving water, energy and money for America’s families and communities,” Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Water, said. “The proving innovative technology and environmental stewardship can help conserve our country’s greatest liquid asset.”

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Tropicana Bradenton Plant Cited for Resource Conservation Efforts

Florida Power & Light (FPL) recently recognized Tropicana's Bradenton plant for its resource conservation programs.

In 2004, Bradenton partnered with FPL to identify potential energy savings of more than $500,000 per year. Over the past three years, the two have worked together to implement the recommended energy efficiency measures. Changes have been made to lighting systems in the plant's buildings and its juice storage facilities now use more efficient state-of-the-art refrigeration compressors.

"Our partnership with FPL is one example of how we are supporting PepsiCo's "Performance with Purpose." It has been an incredible team effort throughout the Tropicana organization to deliver these savings," says Glenn Johnson, senior manager - QTG Resource Conservation.

Once implementation began, Tropicana's Bradenton plant saw immediate results, with estimated annual energy savings of $55,288 by the end of 2004. Just two years later, energy savings grew to $6.2 million. Tropicana also has met its environmental goals by reducing carbon emissions by 166,445,868 lbs., offsetting the equivalent of 14,134 automobiles and planting the equivalent of 261,754 trees.

"These projects show Tropicana's commitment to investigating all systems within their facility," says Annette Dann, FPL customer manager, whose team helped Bradenton meet its goals. "By making efficiency gains in many technology areas, Tropicana exemplifies great corporate and global stewardship of their energy usage."

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PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Signs CEO Water Mandate

PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi has signed the CEO Water Mandate. This private-public initiative, formally launched in July 2007, is a partnership between the United Nations Global Compact, the Government of Sweden, specialized organizations dealing with the problems of water scarcity and sanitation, and a group of companies willing to contribute positively to finding solutions to the emerging global water crises. By signing the CEO Water Mandate, PepsiCo has indicated its commitment to adhere to a comprehensive approach to water management. This includes six areas:

1. Direct Operations
2. Supply Chain and Watershed Management
3. Collective Action
4. Public Policy
5. Community Engagement
6. Transparency

Before signing, the Mandate was reviewed by PepsiCo water subject matter experts, shared with the Environmental Sustainability Leadership Team (ESLT), which recommended PepsiCo sign, and approved by the Public Policy Group. PepsiCo is among 15 companies that have signed the CEO Water Mandate as of December 9, 2007.

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PepsiCo Joins Climate Leaders

PepsiCo has joined the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leaders, a voluntary partnership program that works to develop comprehensive climate change strategies, including supporting reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG). Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) was previously a member of Climate Leaders. The PepsiCo membership incorporates FLNA.

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Performance with Purpose Corporate Sustainability Report is Now Online

PepsiCo has released our Performance with Purpose Corporate Sustainability Report for 2006-2007. The online report charts our progress in Human, Environment and Talent Sustainability, as well as providing and overview of PepsiCo and our economic impacts.
The report is the most robust in PepsiCo history. It uses the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines as a template. The GRI is the world's most commonly used format for sustainability reporting. It is designed to provide an overview of our initiatives and areas of focus. PepsiCo's 84 page report can be downloaded as a completed report or in the four sections:

1. Profile and Economic Impacts
2. Human Sustainability
3. Environmental Sustainability
4. Talent Sustainability

Associates are encourage to read the report and to share it with family, friends, customers, consumers and anyone interested in PepsiCo's Performance with Purpose progress.

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PepsiCo Honored with the Corporate Social Responsibility Outstanding Contribution Award

PepsiCo Investment (China) Limited received the "Corporate Social Responsibility Outstanding Contribution Award" from the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment (CAEFI) and WTO Tribune Magazine during the 20th anniversary for the founding of the CAEFI in November. The ceremony was held in the Great Hall of the People, and Daniel Shih, chairman of PepsiCo Investment (China) Limited and president of PepsiCo International China Beverages Business Unit, received the award on behalf of PepsiCo China.

"We are pleased to receive this honor," said Daniel at the ceremony. "This is recognition by state authorities and the media of PepsiCo's 26-year continuous effort in corporate social responsibility. It is also an impetus for us to become an even better corporate citizen. PepsiCo is not only growing with China, but also willing to take responsibility in Chinese society. As is mentioned in our sustainability vision, 'PepsiCo's responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate -- environment, social, economic, creating a better tomorrow than today.' This will be a direction of our effort in realizing 'Performance with Purpose.' "

The selection of award winners was jointly organized by the CAEFI and WTO Tribune Magazine. Indices for consideration consisted of seven aspects: strategic consideration of corporate social responsibility (10%); innovation in fulfilling corporate social responsibility (10%); socio-economic contributions resulting from corporate social responsibility efforts (30%); contributions of social benefits (30%); sustainability in corporate social responsibility efforts (10%); possibility of popularization of corporate social responsibility effort (10%); and corporate image (10%). Experts evaluated CSR cases of 50 award-winning foreign invested enterprises and PepsiCo ranked high and won high recognition from the panel of judges.

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Frito-Lay Plant Earns National Recognition for Reducing Waste and Conserving Energy

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the Frito-Lay Jonesboro plant for eliminating tons of waste and reducing water usage through the National Environmental Performance Track Program. The Performance track program encourages U.S. businesses to set challenging environmental performance goals above and beyond the legal requirements to help protect the environment.

In 2001, the plant set a goal of reducing its water usage by 50 percent, gas consumption by 30 percent and electricity by 25 percent. The Jonesboro plant met those goals, and exceeded them. Last year, the Jonesboro plant cut natural gas consumption by 50,000 million BTU’s, used 300,000 less kilowatt hours of electricity and saved 17 million gallons of water. This plant is the first Frito-Lay facility and the first facility owned by PepsiCo to be recognized by the EPA. The company has committed to reducing solid wastes by another 60 percent, water usage by 15 percent and non-hazardous waste by 11 percent.

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PepsiCo Puts Recycling Center Stage at Live Earth New York Concert

Official Concert Sponsor to Raise Awareness by Facilitating Recycling Efforts at Giants Stadium Event on Saturday

PURCHASE, N.Y., July 5, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- PepsiCo will shine a spotlight on recycling at the Live Earth New York concert this Saturday at Giants Stadium. The company will make it easy for people to recycle their bottles and cans while offering information about how they can make recycling a part of their everyday lives.

PepsiCo's Live Earth New York concert presence includes:

  • - Tents made from recycled Pepsi billboards will accept bottles and cans from concertgoers, who in turn will
  •    receive wristbands, messenger bags and wallets made from recycled materials.
  • - A commemorative Live Earth Pepsi can designed by musical artist and producer Pharrell Williams will be distributed
  •   on-site. There are currently 500 million Pepsi Live Earth cans available in stores across the country.
  • - Pepsi will provide more than 800 Live Earth volunteers with T-shirts promoting recycling.
  • - Outside the stadium, the Pepsi Sculpture Garden will feature 10' X 10' figures made from cans, bottles and
  •   other recycled materials.
  • - Frito-Lay's SunChips brand will provide concertgoers with free "Live Brightly" T-shirts, which are also available
  •    for purchase via http://www.sunchips.com. The Alliance for Climate Protection, the movement behind Live Earth,
  •    will receive 100% of the proceeds from the online sale.

"We support Live Earth because they share our commitment to raise awareness and offer solutions for an eco-friendlier society," said Dawn Hudson, president and CEO, Pepsi-Cola North America. "We'll take this opportunity to educate everyone who attends the concert on the importance of recycling. We're making great strides in eco-friendlier packaging, energy and water conservation and waste reduction. It's all part of PepsiCo's commitment to Performance with Purpose -- to do better by doing better."

PepsiCo has been a leader in packaging reduction and worldwide recycling efforts. While actively looking for opportunities to reduce the impact of its packaging on the environment by using less material and using more recyclable materials, PepsiCo is also making it easier and more fun to recycle with the help of organizations like Keep America Beautiful and the National Recycling Coalition.

Soft drink bottles and cans are the most recycled packages in America. Since 1990, more than 150 billion Pepsi containers have been recycled. According to the Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, recycling 40 aluminum beverage cans has the energy-saving equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. In 2006, Americans recycled enough aluminum cans to conserve the energy equivalent of over 15 million barrels of oil.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2006 annual revenues of more than $35 billion. The company operates in nearly 200 countries, and employs more than 168,000 people worldwide. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. The PepsiCo portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales. PepsiCo's commitment to sustainable growth, defined as Performance with Purpose, is focused on generating healthy financial returns while giving back to communities the company serves. This includes meeting consumer needs for a spectrum of convenient foods and beverages, replenishing the environment through water, energy and packaging initiatives, and supporting its employees through a diverse and inclusive environment that recruits and retains world-class talent. The company is listed on the Dow Jones North America Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit http://www.pepsico.com.

About Live Earth

Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people on July 7, 2007 to combat the climate crisis. Live Earth will stage concerts in New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, Hamburg, and will feature a mix of both legendary music acts like The Police, Genesis, Bon Jovi and Madonna with the latest headliners like Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed Peas and Jack Johnson.

Live Earth's 24 hours of music across 7 continents will deliver a worldwide call to action and the solutions necessary to answer that call. Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve the climate crisis. Live Earth is partnering with the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group, Stop Climate Chaos and other international organizations in this ongoing effort. Live Earth was founded by Kevin Wall, a worldwide executive producer of the Live 8 concert series in 2005, and is supported by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.


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PepsiCo Recognized Twice at Fifth Annual Cause Marketing Halo Awards

New York, NY, May 29- PepsiCo won two awards at last week's Cause Marketing Halo Awards. Cause marketing is the strategy of building mutually beneficial alliances between companies and causes. Sixteen category-specific awards were given to campaigns that occurred in whole or in part in 2006.

The first, for 'Best Environmental/Wildlife Campaign' was for the "Return the Warmth", Sam's Club, Aquafina and Keep America Beautiful program. This nationwide plastic bottle recycling effort included a school-based program that helped divert more than 37 million plastic bottles from the waste stream. Among the business and societal benefits: Aquafina sales grew by $50 million at Sam's Club, more than $300,000 in grants were made to KAB affiliates and schools, students learned important recycling lessons and 100,000 fleece jackets made of recycled Aquafina bottles were donated to children in need.

The second award was for 'Best Cause Marketing Event', "SunChips Hope Shines On", Frito-Lay and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. SunChips hosted Hope Shines On events at 114 Race for the Cure events where it distributed 1.4 million pink sample bags. Giant inflatable SunChips bags, volunteer hospitality tents and other tactics created a strong brand presence at races large and small. In its first year, the program helped double SunChip sales and generated a $380,000 donation and publicity for Komen. SunChips was the first Frito-Lay brand to utilize cause marketing, but many others are now adopting cause-related strategies.

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EPA Honors Frito-Lay Jonesboro Plant

Frito-Lay’s Jonesboro, Arkansas site has been named to The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Environmental Performance Track Program for its superior commitment to continuous environmental improvement. Performance Track -- the EPA's most comprehensive environmental leadership program -- recognizes facilities that set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements, have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts and work to conserve energy and resources within their communities. 

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Sabritas, Gatorade and Gamesa-Quaker Receive the Mexican Center of Philanthropy 2006 Socially Responsible Company Award

The Mexican Center of Philanthropy, whose mission is to foster and enhance social responsibility, presented Sabritas, Gatorade and Gamesa-Quaker with the 2006 Socially Responsible Company Award – a prestigious honor in Mexico. The Socially Responsible Company Award recognizes companies that have demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment in four key areas: Quality of Life for Its Employees; Business Ethics; Community Involvement; and Care and Preservation of the Environment.

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PepsiCo Joins United States Climate Action Partnership

Move is most recent step in series of environmental efforts

PURCHASE, NY May 8, 2007 – PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) announced today that it has joined the United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a coalition of business and non-governmental organizations calling for the federal government to enact national legislation to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

"PepsiCo has joined the United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) to proactively address the range of issues associated with climate change,” stated Indra K. Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman and CEO. “It is critical that business, government and non-governmental organizations come together to develop efficient and effective approaches to addressing environmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and our mutual energy future. We believe that being a part of USCAP will help PepsiCo achieve our vision as a company that delivers Performance with Purpose and thereby help to create a better tomorrow than today."

Joining USCAP is PepsiCo's latest action in its longstanding commitment to the environment. PepsiCo recently announced its landmark purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs) to match purchased electricity used by all PepsiCo US-based manufacturing facilities, headquarters, distribution centers and regional offices. The purchasing of RECs helps drive the development of additional renewable energy capacity nationwide and is a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. "The purchase of these renewable energy certificates should help fund new energy technology, which complements our newly-announced membership in the US Climate Action Partnership," said Steve Gold, PepsiCo senior vice president, supply chain.

PepsiCo also has a number of facilities using renewable energy, including six Frito-Lay distribution centers in California and New York using solar power and a seventh under construction in Arizona. Tropicana's Ft. Pierce facility and Frito-Lay's Rosenberg facility use landfill gas to supplement energy needs. In addition, Frito-Lay and Gatorade operate two LEED GOLD certified facilities. The US Green Buildings Council LEED Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for evaluating sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere efficiency, material and resource selection and indoor environmental quality.

Earlier this year, PepsiCo was recognized as ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division received the award in 2006.

PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2006 annual revenues of more than $35 billion. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. Its portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales.

Information on USCAP may be found at www.us-cap.org, including its report titled A Call for Action, which lays out a blueprint for a mandatory economy-wide, market-driven approach to climate protection.

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Major Businesses And Environmental Organizations Join Call To Enact National Climate Change Legislation

U.S. Climate Action Partnership Announces 14 New Members

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 8—The United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) announced today that it has doubled its membership to include AIG, Alcan, Boston Scientific, ConocoPhillips, Deere & Company, The Dow Chemical Company, General Motors Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Marsh, PepsiCo, Shell and Siemens, along with The Nature Conservancy and the National Wildlife Federation.

The coalition, which continues to broaden and deepen its membership, brings together key sectors of the economy—from energy, transportation, agriculture and technology to telecommunications, infrastructure and financial services—with environmental and conservation leaders.

This diverse group of businesses and environmental organizations stands together in calling for the federal government to take immediate action to enact mandatory national legislation to achieve significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

GM is very pleased to join USCAP to proactively address the concerns posed by climate change and applauds its members for recognizing the important role that technology can play in achieving an economy-wide solution,” said Rick Wagoner, chairman and CEO of General Motors. "A central element as we see it is energy diversity – being able to offer consumers vehicles that can be powered by many different energy sources and advanced propulsion systems to help displace petroleum and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

With its new members, USCAP companies now have total revenues of $1.7 trillion, a collective workforce of more than 2 million and operations in all 50 states; they also have a combined market capitalization of more than $1.9 trillion. (Market capitalization, or market cap, is derived from a company’s current stock price per share times the total number of shares outstanding.)

The non-governmental organizations have more than two million members worldwide, and represent America’s environmental interests and its conservation traditions. The Nature Conservancy, known for its nonpartisan, science-based approach to policy issues, believes the climate crisis must be urgently addressed.

"Climate change will be the biggest threat by far to our mission of protecting nature and to the many investments in lands and waters we have made over the past 60 years," said Steve McCormick, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. "One of The Nature Conservancy’s goals is to ensure that the important role intact forests and other ecosystems play in mitigating climate change are recognized as a vital part of any policy framework developed to address this critical challenge.In January, USCAP issued a landmark set of principles and recommendations to underscore the urgent need for a policy framework on climate change.  The solutions-based report, titled A Call for Action, laid out a blueprint for a mandatory economy-wide, market-driven approach to climate protection. USCAP’s recommendations are based on the following six principles:

  • - Account for the global dimensions of climate change;
  • - Recognize the importance of technology;
  • - Be environmentally effective;
  • - Create economic opportunity and advantage;
  • - Be fair to sectors disproportionately impacted; and,
  • - Recognize and encourage early action.

These principles and recommendations are the result of a shared goal of slowing, stopping and reversing the growth of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the shortest period of time reasonably achievable. Top executives from USCAP companies have driven this effort, and new members were chosen carefully to preserve a high-level consensus approach.

The non-partisan USCAP urges policy makers to enact a policy framework for mandatory reductions of GHG emissions from major emitting sectors, including large stationary sources and transportation, and energy use in commercial and residential buildings. The cornerstone of this approach would be a cap-and-trade program. The environmental goal is to reduce global atmospheric GHG concentrations to a level that minimizes large-scale adverse impacts to humans and the natural environment. The group recommends Congress provide leadership and establish short- and mid-term emission reduction targets; a national program to accelerate technology research, development and deployment; and approaches to encourage action by other countries, including those in the developing world, as ultimately the solution must be global.

The founding members of USCAP include Alcoa, BP America, Caterpillar, Duke Energy, DuPont, FPL Group, Inc., General Electric, PG&E, and PNM Resources, along with four leading non-governmental organizations – Environmental Defense, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pew Center on Global Climate Change and World Resources Institute.

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PepsiCo Makes Largest Corporate Purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates

Energy Certificates Offset 100% of Purchased Electricity Used by All PepsiCo US Facilities

PURCHASE, NEW YORK - April 30, 2007 - PepsiCo today announced the landmark purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs). Marking the largest REC purchase to date, the purchase matches the purchased electricity used by all PepsiCo US-based manufacturing facilities, headquarters, distribution centers and regional offices.

"Energy is a key focus for PepsiCo within its environmental sustainability agenda," said John Compton, chief executive officer, PepsiCo North America. "The purchase of these RECs is not only in line with our progress to date, but further advances our commitment to sustainability and helps make a positive impact in the communities we serve across the country."

Green power is produced from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. These energy sources are considered cleaner and have a superior environmental profile than conventional sources of electricity. Purchasing RECs helps drive the development of additional renewable energy capacity nationwide.

PepsiCo's three-year purchase is comprised of more than 1 billion kilowatt-hours annually. Based on national average emissions rates, the U.S. EPA estimates PepsiCo's purchase is the same amount of electricity needed to power nearly 90,000 average American homes annually.

With this purchase PepsiCo tops EPA's list of top-25 green power purchasers, as well as becoming the top Fortune 500 purchaser. PepsiCo also becomes a member of the EPA's Green Power Partnership, which is comprised of organizations that voluntarily purchase green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use.

"America is shifting to a 'green culture,' with more and more businesses understanding that environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By switching to alternative, renewable power sources, PepsiCo is proving that going green can be the choice of every generation."

PepsiCo, which formed its Environmental Task Force in 2001, and its divisions are actively involved in a variety of environmental initiatives and have been recognized for their efforts. For example, Frito-Lay and Gatorade operate two LEED GOLD certified facilities. The US Green Buildings Council LEED Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for evaluating sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere efficiency, material and resource selection and indoor environmental quality. Tropicana's Ft. Pierce facility has partnered with St. Lucie County to burn landfill gas, a renewable energy source that displaces the use of natural gas, in its boiler.

Earlier this year PepsiCo was recognized as ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division received the award in 2006.

PepsiCo is partnering with Sterling Planet on the purchase of the RECs. Sterling Planet, a leading retail provider of renewable energy, is identifying and acquiring the RECs for PepsiCo. The company will seek to source the RECs to model PepsiCo's purchased electricity use geographically.

"We are pleased to join with PepsiCo to make history with this largest-ever purchase of clean, renewable energy certificates. Sterling Planet will be working closely with PepsiCo to support the strategic decision to match the RECs to their geographic use of electricity in the U.S.," said Mel Jones, president and chief executive officer, Sterling Planet. "This approach should help the local communities where PepsiCo has a presence to grow local renewable energy sources."

The Green-e program, administered by the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), will certify that the RECs meet stringent environmental guidelines and will verify that the renewable energy credits being purchased for PepsiCo are retired on PepsiCo's behalf. CRS is a national non-profit organization working to promote sustainable resource solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.

"PepsiCo is demonstrating environmental leadership and innovation while inspiring other U.S. corporations to take action," said Dan Lieberman, Green-e program manager, Center for Resource Solutions. "This type of commitment from PepsiCo makes tremendous strides toward a clean, renewable energy future for all Americans."

PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2006 annual revenues of more than $35 billion. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. Its portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales.

About the U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership

EPA's Green Power Partnership encourages organizations to purchase green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Green Power Partnership currently has hundreds of Partners voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, trade associations, as well as colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

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U.S. Green Building Council Awards Gatorade Facility Leed Gold Environmental Certification

Largest “Green” Food and Beverage Facility in the World

CHICAGO (April 26, 2007) – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recognized the Gatorade® Thirst Quencher Blue Ridge facility in Wytheville, Virginia, with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) designation at a Gold-level certification. At 950,000 square feet, the facility is the largest food and beverage site in the world to achieve this designation.

“By constructing its new manufacturing facilities to LEED® standards, Gatorade and its parent company PepsiCo (PEP) have demonstrated a strong commitment to the green building program – and to the long-term goals of conserving energy and protecting the environment,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. “The Gatorade and PepsiCo model is one we hope other industries will follow.”

The LEED Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for evaluating sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere efficiency, material and resource selection and indoor environmental quality.

"This significant recognition underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship, which is a core part of PepsiCo’s sustainability vision,” said Jim Lynch, senior vice president, supply chain for QTG (Quaker-Tropicana-Gatorade), a division of PepsiCo. “This achievement is just the beginning as we continue to keep our environmental commitment on the forefront and work toward achieving LEED certification at other Gatorade manufacturing and distribution facilities."

The Gatorade Blue Ridge facility earned this special recognition with three key accomplishments.

First the USGBC cited the plant’s design which helps drive energy and environmental optimization. In terms of water, the plant maximizes the use of supply water and optimizes wastewater treatment efficiency. From an energy perspective, the facility installed state-of-the-art energy-saving measures such as high-efficiency boilers, water heaters and HVAC equipment with calibrated control systems.

The plant also placed a top priority on respect for the ecosystem and habitat during site planning and development which is a critical element of sustainability. Half of the facility’s 135 acres will be returned to its natural state to promote biodiversity.

Lastly, the Blue Ridge Plant incorporates a compelling educational component. More than 20 key LEED components in the facility are prominently displayed with permanent education posters that tell the story of the LEED mission and describe specific environmental, economic and social benefits of the site.

"Our employees are proud to work in a “green” facility," added Lynch.

The plant design also encourages employees to support the environment with premiere employee parking for bicycles, carpools and hybrid vehicles.

 About USGBC

The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations working together to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated. Green buildings are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 8,400 member companies and organizations, an 85-person professional staff, a broad portfolio of LEED® green building products and services, the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org) and a network of over 70 local chapters, affiliates and organizing groups.

About Gatorade Thirst Quencher

Gatorade® Thirst Quencher, the nation's leading sports drink, is backed by 40 years of research. Gatorade is scientifically formulated and athletically proven to quench thirst, replace fluids and electrolytes and provide carbohydrate energy to enhance athletic performance. The Gatorade Company is part of QTG (Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade) and is a division of PepsiCo, Inc.(PEP) For more information, please visit www.gatorade.com or www.pepsico.com.

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Frito-Lay Harnesses Solar Power for Phoenix Facility

ASE to Install Arizona's Largest Corporate Rooftop Photovoltaic System on Frito-Lay's Arizona Service Center

PHOENIX, AZ (April 20, 2007) - Frito-Lay North America, a division of PepsiCo, has approved construction of the largest business-owned, photovoltaic (PV) power system in Arizona. The system will incorporate a 201-kilowatt photovoltaic array that will cover 27,000 square feet of roof space at the company's Arizona Service Center in Phoenix. Construction of the new PV system is scheduled to begin this summer.

PV systems convert sunlight into usable, utility-grade electricity. The PV system on the Arizona Service Center will feed power during the day directly into the facility's electrical distribution equipment that provides the building's electrical needs.

"Sustainability is a priority for PepsiCo, and Frito-Lay has a strong track record of identifying and using sustainable and efficient energy sources for our company's operating infrastructure," said Dave Haft, vice president, operations, Frito-Lay North America. "By converting our Service Center to solar power, we continue to build on our commitment to sustainability and, more importantly, have an opportunity to help the environment, Phoenix and the greater Arizona community, a valued partner."

The PV system on Frito-Lay's Arizona Service Center, located on 40th Street in Central Phoenix, will offset some of the facility's purchase of utility power. The Service Center is a product distribution center servicing Arizona and parts of the Southwest.

"When the Commission passed the new Renewable Energy Standard, the purpose was to encourage these kinds of solar energy projects," said Arizona Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes. "I hope businesses across Arizona will follow Frito-Lay's lead and help us become the solar energy state."

To develop and install the new PV system, Frito-Lay has enlisted the help of American Solar Electric, a Scottsdale-based firm specializing in photovoltaic power systems.

"We're excited to be working with Frito-Lay on such a cutting-edge project," said Sean Seitz, President of American Solar Electric. "Frito-Lay's use of PV power systems on their facilities demonstrates solar power is a viable means to meet the energy resources needed to run a large-scale business while addressing environmental issues."

Frito-Lay already has installed PV systems in six other distribution centers in California and New York. In 2005, Frito-Lay opened the distribution center in New York as its first Gold LEED certified "green," environmentally-friendly building. Only one of 50 Gold LEED certified buildings in North America at the time, it serves as a model of resource conservation through innovations in renewable energy, alternative lighting, energy efficiency standards and environmentally intelligent choices.

Frito-Lay North America is the $10 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo divisions include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana. American Solar Electric, Inc. is a Scottsdale-based design-build firm specializing in photovoltaic (solar electric) power systems for commercial, industrial and residential applications. The company offers complete design services and is licensed, bonded and insured for both commercial and residential electrical contracting in the State of Arizona (AZ ROC License #168657). Additional information on the company's products and services is available on-line at: www.americanpv.com

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Frito-Lay and The National Arbor Day Foundation "Make America a Little Greener" by Helping to Plant 300,000 Trees Nationwide

Frito-Lay Employees Kick-Off Partnership By Planting Trees Before Dallas Arbor Day Celebration

PLANO, TEXAS (April 19, 2007) - Frito-Lay North America and The National Arbor Day Foundation today announced their national partnership, "Make America a Little Greener," which will provide 300,000 tree seedlings for reforestation efforts in areas blighted by natural disasters and to beautify communities. The program kicks off Thursday, April 19, with Frito-Lay employees planting trees along the Katy Trail in Dallas, before the city's Arbor Day Celebration. This is the second year Frito-Lay has partnered with The National Arbor Day Foundation for the "Make America a Little Greener" program.

"Planting trees is just one of the ways we can demonstrate our commitment to the environment and the communities we are a part of," said Jeff Swearingen, Vice President of Shopper Marketing for Frito-Lay North America. "The Arbor Day partnership allows us to help our community along Dallas' Katy Trail, where many trees are diseased and dying, as well as other communities throughout the country."

The "Make America a Little Greener" program will help plant trees nationally through three major efforts:
Community: Frito-Lay and The National Arbor Day Foundation will donate 50,000 trees to community organizations for their members to plant as part of service events across the country. Beginning on National Arbor Day, Friday, April 27, community organizations can apply for the free trees at www.arborday.org/fritolay.
In-Store: Frito-Lay and The National Arbor Day Foundation will give away 50,000 tree seedlings to families nationwide through in-store promotional events.
Reforestation: Frito-Lay and The National Arbor Day Foundation will plant 200,000 trees throughout the year to reforest areas recently devastated by natural disasters.
"We are excited to grow our partnership with Frito-Lay," said John Rosenow, president of The National Arbor Day Foundation. "Trees are vital for fresh air and to restore wildlife habitats, filter rainwater, stabilize soil, and reduce erosion for generations to come. This partnership helps make more of America a little greener."

Frito-Lay North America is the $10 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo divisions include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana.

The National Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit, environmental and education organization of nearly 1 million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at www.arborday.org.

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USA Live Earth Revealed

Tickets for the 7/7/07 Concert to Combat Global Warming Go On Sale 4/16

NEW YORK -- Organizers today announced sixteen of the headliners who will perform at the U.S. leg of the 7-continent, 24-hour Live Earth concerts on 7/7/07. The concert will be held at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, Live Earth Founder and Executive Producer Kevin Wall said. Tickets for the show go on sale Monday, April 16 at 10 a.m. EDT.

"Capping Live Earth with a blockbuster show like this will ensure we meet our challenge of building a mass audience to combat global warming," Wall said. "Live Earth will be a monumental event both in terms of entertainment and in turning the tide against global warming."

The global concert on 7/7/07 will begin in Sydney and continue across all 7 continents, concluding with the U.S. show.

"We hope the energy created by Live Earth will jump start a massive public education effort," Live Earth Co-Chair Vice President Al Gore said. "Live Earth will help us reach a tipping point that's needed to move corporations and governments to take decisive action to solve the climate crisis."

The U.S. show will feature live on stage:

AFI
AKON
ALICIA KEYS
BON JOVI
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
FALL OUT BOY
JOHN MAYER
KANYE WEST
KELLY CLARKSON
KT TUNSTALL
LUDACRIS
MELISSA ETHERIDGE
RIHANNA
ROGER WATERS
SMASHING PUMPKINS
THE POLICE

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 16 and will be available at livenation.com/liveearth or by calling Ticketmaster at (212) 307-7171. All ticket information is available at LiveEarth.MSN.com. All proceeds will go to The Alliance for Climate Protection and other international NGOs.

Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people to combat the climate crisis. Live Earth's 24 hours of music across 7 continents will deliver a call to action and the solutions needed to answer the call. Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by The Alliance for Climate Protection to move individuals, corporations and governments to take action.

Earlier today, Wall announced that the following artists will perform at the London leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium:

BEASTIE BOYS
BLACK EYED PEAS
BLOC PARTY
CORINNE BAILEY RAE
DAMIEN RICE
DAVID GRAY
DURAN DURAN
FOO FIGHTERS
GENESIS
JAMES BLUNT
JOHN LEGEND
KEANE
MADONNA
PAOLO NUTINI
RAZORLIGHT
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
SNOW PATROL

Exclusive online media partner MSN is helping Live Earth reach people in every corner of the globe. The concerts will be streamed live on 7/7/07 at LiveEarth.MSN.com. MSN's 39 localized web portals worldwide attract 465 million monthly users. The concerts will be broadcast on the NBC in the U.S. and on more than 120 networks around the world.

Wall also announced that smart car, Stonyfield Farm and Pepsi have joined Live Earth as corporate partners. In addition to working with Live Earth to create corporate efforts to combat global warming, this growing list of partners will help ensure a mass audience for Live Earth is reached. These efforts will be detailed at a later date.

Wall also announced today that Live Earth will stage concerts at Sydney's Aussie Stadium; Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach; Johannesburg's Cradle of Human Kind; Tokyo's Tokyo Stadium and the Steps of the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

Live Earth is produced by Control Room, of which Kevin Wall is the CEO. Control Room has produced and distributed more than 60 concerts since its founding in 2005 featuring Beyoncé, Madonna, Green Day and the Rolling Stones, among others.

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EPA Names PepsiCo 2007 Energy Star ® Partner Of The Year

PepsiCo earns award for protecting the environment through energy efficiency

Purchase, NY (March 22, 2007)  – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named PepsiCo as a 2007 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and the agency honored the company yesterday at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

PepsiCo’s smart energy management practices and investments throughout its operations resulted in significant energy and financial savings. Its 2006 energy conservation efforts correspond to the removal of 195 million pounds of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.

"Energy management is a critical part of our day-to-day operations," said Rob Schasel, PepsiCo director of energy. “In 2006, our Frito-Lay North America division was named Partner of the Year, and we are building on that momentum by expanding the scope of the program to all PepsiCo facilities in the United States.

“Now more than ever, energy efficiency is just smart business. Through our partnership with ENERGY STAR, we see the ongoing fiscal and environmental benefits of superior energy management,” Schasel said.

Last year alone, with the help of ENERGY STAR, Americans saved $14 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 25 million vehicles.

The 2007 Partner of the Year Awards recognize efforts to use energy efficiently in facility operations and to integrate superior energy management into overall organizational strategy. The award winners are selected from thousands of organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

Across the United States, top companies and organizations are continuing to promote strategic energy management through participation in ENERGY STAR.

"The success of PepsiCo in proactively managing their energy use is a model for businesses across the country," said Bill Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation." Because buildings contribute about 20 percent of our national greenhouse gas emissions, effective energy management helps the bottom line and protects our environment."

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2006 annual revenues of more than $35 billion. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. Its portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales.
                                   
About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 9,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

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PepsiCo and Starbucks are in an agreement to increase distribution of Ethos Water.

Starbucks Foundation Awards US $2 Million to Help Bring Clean Water to Communities Around the World

Ethos Water Funds Will Benefit India and Kenya
Company Will Host World Water Day Events across the U.S. and Canada

SEATTLE, March 15, 2007 -- To commemorate World Water Day and raise awareness for the more than 1.1 billion people worldwide who lack access to clean drinking water, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced two US$1 million grants that will each benefit water programs in India and Kenya.

For each bottle of Ethos™ water purchased in Starbucks U.S. Company-operated stores, US$0.05 is contributed to the Ethos Water Fund at the Starbucks Foundation. These funds support Starbucks goals of contributing at least US$10 million by 2010 to nonprofit organizations that are helping to alleviate the world water crisis.

“By purchasing Ethos™ water, customers have been part of this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and their communities around the world who need access to clean water,” said Jim Donald, Starbucks president and ceo. “Starbucks hopes to help raise awareness and be a significant collaborator in support of solutions to help alleviate the world water crisis.”

Today’s announced grants from the Ethos™ Water Fund of The Starbucks Foundation include:

India – Working through WaterAid, a US$1 million grant will help develop an integrated approach to water and sanitation-related health problems for an estimated 120,000 beneficiaries living in 80 rural villages and 40 urban slums in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

Kenya – Working through International Medical Corps, a US$1M grant will help improve the overall health status of vulnerable communities in Samburu through the provision of water, hygiene, and sanitation services – this includes a targeted goal of reaching 45,000 beneficiaries.

Also, on March 22 and 24, Starbucks will be inviting partners (employees) and customers to take part in World Water Day activities and events in 26 cities in the U.S. and Canada. Participants across the country will recognize this day by attending Walks for Water and World Water Day Film Screenings. Walks for Water are intended to symbolize the difficult struggle that women and children in developing countries undertake on a daily basis to obtain drinking water for their families. In some cities there were will be film screenings of “Running Dry” and “One Water” to help educate and inspire people to learn more about the world water crisis.

World Water Day events are free and open to the public and will take place in Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Calgary; Charlotte, N.C; Chicago, Columbus, Ga.; Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, Conn.; Houston; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; New York; Philadelphia; Portland, Ore.; Raleigh, N.C.; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Tacoma, Wash.; Toronto, Vancouver, B.C.; and Washington, D.C. Event details as well as information about World Water Day and the world water crisis are available online at www.worldwaterday.net.

World Water Day

Designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, World Water Day is intended to call attention to the world water crisis, a plight that affects nearly 20 percent of the world’s total population and is arguably the largest global public health issue of our time. Experts estimate that a child dies every 15 seconds from a water-related disease. Because access to clean water is a basic, daily necessity, getting water is one of the most important and time-consuming responsibilities undertaken by millions of women and children around the world. Forty billion working hours are spent carrying water each year in Africa. In addition, the world water crisis is a major obstacle that inhibits progress on a wide range of other development issues related to improving human welfare, such as poverty alleviation, health care, education, and economic prosperity.

Ethos Water

Ethos water, part of Starbucks Corporation brand portfolio, is the natural spring water that helps children around the world get clean water. Ethos water was founded in March 2002 and acquired by Starbucks in April 2005. For each bottle of Ethos™ water purchased in Starbucks U.S. Company-operated stores, US$0.05 and CDN$0.10, is contributed to the Ethos Water Fund of The Starbucks Foundation. These funds are contributed to non-profit organizations that are helping to alleviate the world water crisis. www.ethoswater.com.

Starbucks Foundation

Starbucks Foundation has maintained a focus on improving young peoples’ lives by supporting literacy programs for children and families. To date, the Foundation has provided over $12 million to more than 700 youth focused organizations in the United States and Canada.

About Starbucks

Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches people’s lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary cup of coffee at a time. To share in the experience, visit www.starbucks.com

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Three more companies commit to HFC-free refrigeration

January 24, 2007 - Refrigerants, Naturally! is a multi-stakeholder initiative recognised as a "Partnership for Sustainable Development" by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. The goal of the initiative is to promote a shift in the point-of-sale cooling technology in the food and drink, food service and retail sectors towards alternative HFC-free refrigeration technologies that protect the Earth's climate and ozone layer. The initiative is supported by Greenpeace and by the United Nations Environment Programme. In 2005, the Refrigerants, Naturally! initiative was the recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Protection Award.

Membership in the initiative, which initially included McDonald's,The Coca-Cola Company, and Unilever, has recently broadened to include Carlsberg, IKEA and PepsiCo. Members share the commitment to eliminate HFCs in point-of-sale cooling applications. They are all:

1. Developing a timeline to move their operations towards this goal
2. Making a substantial resource commitment to achieve fluorocarbon elimination, including R&D, testing, financial
    investment and staff time
3. Sharing non-commercial information related to environment-friendly technologies among themselves*
4. Sharing data and results with external stakeholders, such as their wider supply chain, their industry peer groups,
    government decision makers, and the public

Members of Refrigerants Naturally! call on other commercial end-users to join the initiative to both underline the need for sustainable refrigeration solutions and to send a strong signal to the supply chain to make the necessary developments and investments to move HFC-free technologies to successful commercial propositions.

* Any sharing of information is being done in a manner consistent with applicable competition/antitrust laws.

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Frito-Lay Plants Win California WRAP Awards

For the ninth year in a row, Frito-Lay’s Kern and Modesto plants have won the California Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) Award. The program annually recognizes California businesses that have made outstanding efforts to reduce non-hazardous waste and send less garbage to our landfills. WRAP provides an opportunity for California businesses (businesses operating in California?) to gain public recognition for their outstanding efforts to reduce waste and lets the community know which businesses take waste reduction seriously by giving outstanding businesses an award.

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American Beverage Association Joins National Recycling Partnership to Reinvigorate Recycling in America

WASHINGTON —October 23, 2006-- The American Beverage Association (ABA) was announced today as a founding member in the National Recycling Partnership created to reinvigorate recycling in America. This historic partnership—which includes the National Recycling Coalition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Beverage Association, the Food Marketing Institute, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the International Bottled Water Association—aims to revive consumers’ interest in recycling by educating them on what, how and why to recycle.

"Recycling is of vital importance to our industry, our customers and our suppliers," said Susan K. Neely, ABA’s president and chief executive officer. "The beverage industry has a long history of involvement in recycling issues and because of our commitment, we are proud to be a partner in this innovative and progressive coalition that will reinvigorate recycling in this country and further protect our environment."

A top priority for the National Recycling Partnership coalition will be the development and dissemination of consumer-friendly recycling icons as well as accurate and standardized recycling terminology for use in product labeling and advertising.

"ABA's involvement with the National Recycling Coalition partnership opens a new and important chapter in the beverage industry's promotion of recycling," Neely said. "The partnership promises a concerted effort to rebrand recycling and involve stakeholders from the recycling world, EPA and the food and beverage industry. ABA is proud of its leadership role in helping to make the rebranding project a reality."

Beverage containers are America’s most recycled consumer packaging. In fact, the aluminum beverage can is the most recycled consumer product package on the market today. Currently, more than half of all aluminum beverage containers are recycled. Aluminum cans also are the most valuable commodity in the waste stream, so revenue from the sale of collected cans helps support recycling programs all over the country. PET (plastic) beverage containers also are widely recycled and very valuable for communities and recyclers. Glass beverage containers can be recycled over and over again, and are in great demand in the areas around glass processing plants in the United States.

Currently, packaging produced by ABA members represents about 1.7 percent of all municipal waste generated each year. The beverage industry strives to produce packaging that is recyclable and to reduce the amount of packaging used through lightweighting; if the industry uses less packaging to begin with, it can successfully reduce its overall environmental footprint.

The American Beverage Association is the trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States.

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Keep America Beautiful Awards PepsiCo, Inc. 2006 Vision for America Award

National Nonprofit Recognizes Company’s Environmental Stewardship

STAMFORD, Conn. – October 18, 2006 – Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest nonprofit community improvement organization, awarded PepsiCo, Inc. its 2006 Vision for America Award at a gala dinner in New York City Tuesday. Steven S Reinemund, chairman of PepsiCo, Inc., accepted the award on behalf of PepsiCo’s more than 150,000 employees worldwide.

Keep America Beautiful recognized PepsiCo – one of the largest food and beverage company in the world – for its leadership role in preserving the environment through many diverse conservation and educational efforts. The Vision for America Award is presented annually to distinguished leaders of honored corporations, whose personal and corporate commitment have significantly enhanced civic, environmental and social stewardship throughout the United States. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Commissioner John J. Doherty of the New York City Department of Sanitation joined Keep America Beautiful in recognizing PepsiCo and Reinemund for this honor.

“A corporate sustainability program of the breadth, depth and complexity of the one undertaken by PepsiCo doesn’t happen without a leader with great vision,” said Keep America Beautiful President G. Raymond Empson. “PepsiCo’s success is evidence that Steve Reinemund’s vision has permeated all areas of PepsiCo’s operations.”

“Just like Anheuser-Busch Companies, PepsiCo recognizes that its environmental practices add to long-term customer and shareholder value,” said August A. Busch III, chairman of The Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. and Vision for America Award dinner chairman. “PepsiCo has demonstrated remarkable creativity an innovation in achieving significant environmental achievements in all of their business units.”

“Our customers and consumers increasingly want products and packaging that are environmentally sound, and we’re working hard to meet those demands” said Reinemund, who will serve as Chairman until May, 2007. “PepsiCo embraces sustainability and this award recognizes the excellent work that PepsiCo associates all over the world have been doing.”

PepsiCo’s sustainability vision to make “Tomorrow Better Than Today” encompasses all aspects of its operations by encouraging conservation, recycling and energy use programs that promote clean air and water, and reduce landfill waste.

An active supporter of Keep America Beautiful programs since the 1960s, PepsiCo and its bottling partners have participated in and supported a wide range of initiatives at both the national and local affiliate level. Its Pepsi-Cola North America division is a charter sponsor of Keep America Beautiful’s signature event, the Great American Cleanup™.

Pepsi-Cola has been a strong supporter of Keep America Beautiful classroom education. With funds from a Pepsi-Cola grant, Keep America Beautiful developed a highly successful educational poster, titled “236 Million Tons of Trash,” that shows students how communities manage their municipal solid waste. Reducing solid waste is just one of the many environmental issues that Keep America Beautiful has addressed through the partnership and support of PepsiCo.

Recently, Pepsi-Cola North America’s Aquafina water brand teamed up with KAB and SAM’S CLUB to “Return the Warmth” to local communities through a large-scale recycling program. More than 30 million plastic beverage bottles have been collected throughout the country during KAB’s Great American Cleanup in the program’s first year. “Return the Warmth” promotes recycling, and “completes the loop” by turning recycled PET materials into fleece jackets which are provided to needy children.

About PepsiCo, Inc.
PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2005 annual revenues of more than $32 billion. Its principal businesses include Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. Its portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales.

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. With a network of nearly 1,000 affiliate and participating organizations, Keep America Beautiful forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. To learn more about Keep America Beautiful and its Vision for America Award, please go to www.kab.org.

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Mother Water Cellar Project Recognizes PepsiCo’s Contribution with Top Awards

PepsiCo China won four major awards at the Fifth Anniversary Award Ceremony of the Mother Water Cellar Project held in Shanghai on June 5, 2006. The recognition was presented on behalf of the China Women's Federation with regard to PepsiCo's contribution to the Mother Water Cellar project and to the Chinese community in general. The Mother Water Cellar project helps provide access to water to residents in dry areas of rural China.

PepsiCo China won two of the top awards, the "Outstanding Contribution Award" and the "Corporate Social Responsibility Award. In addition, two other awards, the "Philanthropist Award" and the "Touching Award" were presented to Wah Chu, general manager of PepsiCo's China Beverage Business, and Li Chun-Jia, vice president of corporate affairs.

Commenting on the awards' significance, Wah Chu said, "I see these awards a great honor for each and every one of the 10,000 employees of PepsiCo China. Our support to the Mother Water Cellar Project and other community programs are a perfect interpretation of one of the key elements in PepsiCo's values: Care for customers, consumers and the world we live in. We have kicked started our Pepsi China Mother Water Cellar campaign, and I hope everyone lends a helping hand to those people in need in the poor, rural areas in Western China."

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Starbucks and PepsiCo Sign Distribution Agreement for Ethos Water

Agreement Deepens Starbucks Leadership Role in Helping Children Around the World Get Clean Drinking Water and Drives Previously Stated Contribution Goal of $10 Million Over Five Years

SEATTLE, Wash. and PURCHASE, N.Y.; June 8, 2006 - Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) through their joint-venture partnership, the North American Coffee Partnership, announced today the signing of a distribution agreement for EthosT water. The agreement will significantly increase distribution of Ethos water to retail stores in the U.S. and Canada, and demonstrates Starbucks and Pepsi's commitment to Ethos Water's unique and innovative business model, fully integrating a social conscience into all aspects of the Ethos brand. Further, by continuing to make a $0.05 donation for each bottle of Ethos water sold in all distribution channels, both companies are affirming Starbucks contribution goal set last year of at least $10 million by the end of 2010 to help children and their communities around the world get clean drinking water.

As part of the agreement, the North American Coffee Partnership will assume responsibility for the co-packing, distribution and marketing of Ethos products in the U.S. and Canada. PepsiCo will utilize its resources, customer insights and knowledge of the water category to increase the reach of the brand outside of the Starbucks retail store environment. Currently, Ethos water is available at more than 5,000 Starbucks stores and several smaller local retailers in the U.S. Plans are in place to expand distribution of Ethos water by late 2007 with additional bottle sizes and case-packs.

"Building upon our very successful and long-term partnership with PepsiCo, we will ultimately increase Ethos Water's reach to more than 100,000 points of distribution, helping raise awareness of the brand and the severity of the world water crisis," said Gerry Lopez, president, Starbucks Global Consumer Products. "Ethos Water's unique business model validates that doing good drives business success."

"We're impressed by Ethos Water's commitment to educating the public about the world water crisis and providing clean water for children and their communities which perfectly complements our company's values," said Tracey Doucette, Vice President and General Manager of the North American Coffee Partnership. "By leveraging the strengths of Starbucks and PepsiCo, we look forward to growing the Ethos brand and driving awareness for water issues."

Ethos Water, founded in 2002 by Peter Thum and Jonathan Greenblatt, and acquired by Starbucks in April 2005, was the idea of Thum based on his personal experience. While working in South Africa in 2000 and 2001, he witnessed, first-hand, people living with the severity of the world water crisis. Ethos was founded as a means to raise awareness and funds to bring clean water to children around the world, under the simple principle "water for water."

"Since founding Ethos Water, we have been able to announce grants of more than $2 million to clean water-related programs in communities in Honduras, India, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya and Indonesia, which are expected to positively affect the lives of thousands of children and their families," said Peter Thum, Ethos Water founder and vice president of Starbucks Global Consumer Products. "Our agreement with Pepsi is the next step toward our original vision to help children around the world get clean water and to raise awareness of the world water crisis."

Through the more than 10-year, highly successful joint-venture partnership, the North American Coffee Partnership introduced bottled Starbucks Frappuccino® coffee drinks in 1996 and later, Starbucks DoubleShot®espresso drink in 2002. To date, these Starbucks coffee innovations remain the No. 1 products in their respective segments of the ready-to-drink coffee category in the United States. Additionally, in early 2006, the partnership introduced a new line of Starbucks®Iced Coffee drinks in both regular and light, a light version of Starbucks DoubleShot espresso drink and the first coffee-free bottled Starbucks Frappuccino crème beverage, Strawberries and Crème. Through the North American Coffee Partnership, Starbucks changed the way customers enjoy coffee by making high-quality coffee products available outside of its stores and became the market-maker in the almost non-existent RTD coffee category in the U.S. in the mid-1990's.

About Starbucks

Through the dedication of our passionate partners (employees), Starbucks Coffee Company has transformed the way people in 37 countries enjoy their coffee, one cup at a time. Starbucks is the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world, with more than 11,500 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. The Company is committed to offering its customers the highest quality coffee and human connection through the Starbucks Experience, while striving to improve the social, environmental and economic well being of its partners, coffee farmers, countries of coffee origin, and the communities which it serves. Through Ethos Water, Starbucks demonstrates its long history of integrating a social conscience into all aspects of its business. The Company surprises and delights its customers by producing and selling bottled Starbucks Frappuccino®coffee drinks, Starbucks DoubleShot® espresso drinks and Starbucks® superpremium ice creams through its joint-venture partnerships, and StarbucksT Coffee and Cream Liqueurs through a marketing and distribution agreement, in other convenient locations outside its retail operations. The Company's brand portfolio includes superpremium Tazo®teas, Starbucks Hear MusicT compact discs, Seattle's Best Coffee and Torrefazione Italia. These brands' unique and innovative personalities allow Starbucks to appeal to a broad consumer base.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2005 annual revenues of more than $32 billion. Its principal businesses include Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. Its portfolio includes 17 brands that each generates $1 billion or more in annual retail sales.

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Frito-Lay Recognized by US EPA and US Dept. of Energy

NAME FRITO-LAY PARTNER-OF-THE-YEAR IN ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Plano, TX (June 5, 2006) - Frito-Lay was one of a select number of businesses and organizations recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) for energy conservation. The EPA and DOE conferred Partner-of-The-Year in Energy Management to Frito-Lay for accomplishments and leadership in the ENERGY STAR program, a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.

Frito-Lay's energy conservation programs took shape in the early 1990s. Since launching its energy management program in 1999, Frito-Lay has reduced its energy consumption annually, resulting in an overall reduction of 21% across its 34 U.S manufacturing facilities. Based on 2005 energy pricing, Frito-Lay has saved more than $40 million in energy costs since 1999 as a result of its comprehensive approach to sustainability and conservation. The company's Energy Management program includes a variety of elements designed to reduce energy consumption, such as scorecards, and customized action plans for each site that engage and recognize employee achievements.

"Frito-Lay's innovative programs engage our people to protect the environment by reusing, recycling or removing natural resources from our processes," said Rich Beck, senior vice president of Operations, Frito-Lay North America. "As part of the company's commitment to sustainability, we work hard to conserve water, fuels and electricity, through the people, processes and technology employed throughout daily operations."

Frito-Lay's commitment to sustainability is to continuously develop innovative programs that will improve our business performance and protect the environment by maximizing the use of natural resources, while recycling or removing inefficient or polluting resources from our processes. Over the years, the company has voluntarily developed and implemented programs aimed at environmental sustainability. To make sure our practices remain innovative and to ensure we apply new learning where possible, Frito-Lay works closely with governments, municipalities and technical experts.

ENERGY STAR partners of the year, including Fortune 500 companies and small businesses, set and reached annual goals to shrink energy use. ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992. Now in partnership with the Department of Energy, EPA works with more than 8,000 organizations to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. ENERGY STAR award winners are selected from the organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

Frito-Lay North America is the $10 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo's principal businesses include Pepsi-Cola beverages; Gatorade sports drinks; Tropicana juices and Quaker foods.

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Ten U.S. Corporations Pledge Greenhouse Gas Cuts


Caterpillar, Frito-Lay, Xerox, Staples, and the Gap are among 10 corporations pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of EPA's Climate Leaders – a voluntary program that works with companies to measure greenhouse gas emissions and set aggressive, long-term emissions reduction goals.

With today's announcements, 37 of the 68 companies in Climate Leaders have set emissions reduction goals. General Motors and Baxter International have both achieved their 2005 goals more than a year early. EPA estimates that the 37 Climate Leaders' greenhouse gas reductions will prevent more than 8 million metric tons of carbon emissions equivalent per year. These reductions are equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of five million cars.

Since its inception in 2002, Climate Leaders has grown to include 68 corporations whose U.S. emissions represent eight percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

The following 10 corporations committed to new greenhouse gas reduction goals:

  • Caterpillar Inc. – reduce global GHG emissions by 20 percent per dollar revenue from 2002 to 2010.
  • Frito-Lay – reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 14 percent per pound of production from 2002 to 2010.
  • Green Mountain Energy – achieve net zero U.S. GHG emissions by 2005 and maintain that level through 2009.
  • Melaver – achieve net zero U.S. GHG emissions by 2006 and maintain that level through 2009.
  • Calpine – reduce its U.S. GHG emissions by 4 percent per megawatt hour from 2003 to 2008.
  • Xerox – reduce its total global GHG emissions by 10 percent from 2002 to 2012.
  • Staples – reduce its U.S. GHG emissions by 7 percent from 2001 to 2010.
  • Gap, Inc. – reduce its U.S. GHG emissions by 11 percent per square foot from 2003 to 2008.
  • Bank of America – reduce its total U.S. GHG emissions by 9 percent from 2004 to 2009.
  • Exelon – reduce its total U.S. GHG emissions by 8 percent from 2001 to 2008.

In addition, 10 new companies have joined as Climate Leaders partners – EMC Corp. of Hopkinton, Mass.; Entergy Corp. of New Orleans, La.; Green Mountain Energy Company of Austin, Texas; Mack Trucks, Inc. of Allentown, Pa.; Marriott International of Washington, D.C.; Melaver, Inc. of Savannah, Ga.; Quad/Graphics, Inc. of Sussex, Wis.; The Hartford of Hartford, Conn.; Tyson Foods, Inc. of Springdale, Ark. and Volvo Trucks North America, Inc. of Greensboro, N.C.

For more information about EPA's Climate Leaders program, visit: http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders/

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Frito-Lay cuts the “green ribbon” in Rochester

SNACK COMPANY OPENS ITS FIRST ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE CERTIFIED “GREEN” DISTRIBUTION CENTER

PLANO, Texas (June 22, 2005) – Frito-Lay announced today it will officially open the doors to its new state-of the art, environmentally responsible distribution center in Rochester, NY. This is Frito-Lay's first exclusively “green,” environmentally friendly building and will serve as a model of resource conservation through innovations in renewable energy, alternative lighting, energy efficiency standards and environmentally intelligent choices.

The Frito-Lay distribution center has been certified by the U.S. Green Building Council and was granted LEED Gold status, one of the highest energy efficient standards in the industry. The LEED standard (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs) was created in 2000 and the new Frito-Lay facility is one of only two buildings in the state of New York to achieve LEED Gold Certification – and is one of only 50 LEED Gold Certified facilities in North America.

“Frito-Lay's state-of-the-art ‘Green' distribution center is another landmark in our company's quest for sustainable growth,” said Irene Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO, Frito-Lay North America. “This vision of sustainable growth is founded in our commitment to continuously improving all aspects of the world in which we operate – including our environment – creating a better tomorrow for our employees, our customers and the communities we call home.”

From the site selection of where the facility was to be built -- to its everyday operations, the new Frito-Lay distribution center in Rochester was developed with environmental and resource conservation as a priority. The facility is named in honor of former Frito-Lay Senior Vice President of Operations, Jim Rich, who had been with the company for 28 years and laid the groundwork for many of Frito-Lay's energy conservation programs.

“This facility was designed to improve our business performance and protect the environment by maximizing the use of natural resources, while recycling or removing inefficient or polluting resources from our processes,” added Rich Beck, senior vice president, Operations, Frito-Lay North America. “And while this facility is a fully operational front line business unit, it also serves as an operational learning platform that will allow us to further develop our conservation strategies and create sustainable innovative technologies.”

Features of the new facility include responsible site selection and development, environmentally responsible construction management and materials, renewable energy sources, a reduction of the facility's “Heat Island“ effect, water efficiency, atmosphere and air quality measures, alternate transportation for employees and facility recycling programs.

“Frito Lay's Gold certification of their ‘Green' distribution center demonstrates their commitment not only to the environment but to the community,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chair. “A LEED certified building uses fewer materials resources, which will lessen the impact of the building on the environment.”

The new facility was developed by Frito-Lay with support from William McDonough and Partners, the project lead and designer, the Haskell Company, which served as the lead builder and Stantec Architecture.

Frito-Lay North America is the convenient foods division of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo divisions include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana.

Source: Frito-Lay

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At 12 of America's Safest Companies, Managers and Employees Share Commitment to - and Responsibility for - Safety

26 September 2005
Business Wire

CLEVELAND - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Sept. 26, 2005 - (OTCBB:PTON) At first blush, Occupational Hazards magazine's 12 picks for America's Safest Companies of 2005 have about as much in common as a bag of Doritos and a gallon of Speedway gasoline.

But look beyond their diverse industry sectors and product offerings and you'll find that the 2005 America's Safest Companies share a common element: They set their own standards for safety excellence, which usually go well beyond OSHA and EPA regulations and industry norms.

Occupational Hazards, the leading magazine of safety, health and loss prevention, named the following companies to the 2005 America's Safest Companies after extensive reviews of safety procedures and statistics:

-- Amphenol AssembleTech Florida, Lakes Wales, Fla.
-- Calpine Corp., San Jose, Calif.
-- Delta Airlines Inc., Atlanta, Ga.
-- Fort Dearborn Co., Niles, Ill.
-- Frito-Lay Inc., Plano, Tex.
-- ISP Columbus, Columbus, Ohio
-- Keystone Wood Specialties Inc., Lancaster, Pa.
-- Kinetic Systems Inc., Union City, Calif.
-- Marathon Petroleum Company LLC, Robinson, Ill.
-- Springs Window Fashions LP, Montgomery, Pa.
-- Union Pacific Corp., Omaha, Neb.
-- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, S.C.

"Some companies still believe that on-the-job injuries and illnesses are a cost of doing business. Our honorees see things quite differently," said Stephen G. Minter, editor and associate publisher of Occupational Hazards magazine. "They understand that work-related injuries and fatalities are a cost - in human and financial terms - that no company should expect to incur. That's why they apply their management skills, ingenuity and resources to ensuring that their employees are safe on and off the job."

The 2005 companies are bound together by some common threads: lost-time accident or injury rates well below their respective industries' averages; EHS programs that have earned the recognition and admiration of their industry trade associations and federal and state occupational safety and health regulators; and EHS programs built on rock-solid, fundamental concepts of occupational health and safety, such as safety committees, safety training, risk assessment and job hazard analysis, accident control and prevention, safety auditing and consistent, continuous communication and awareness-building.

America's Safest Companies not only have employee involvement and empowerment in safety, they have upper management commitment that goes beyond just lip service. At Kinetic Systems, CEO Kurt Gilson conducts project safety audits. At Springs Window Fashions, the plant manager is co-chairperson of the central safety and health committee.

Delta CEO Jerry Grinstein, in a September 2004 memo to officers and directors, could have been speaking for all of the 2005 America's Safest Companies when he said, "providing a safe, secure operation is Delta's first and most fundamental obligation to our customers and employees" and added that commitment to the values of "safety, security, ethics and compliance starts at the top and then extends down through every level of the organization." Grinstein concludes that top company officials must have a sincere interest in and passion for safety for an EHS program to be successful - and that passion was evident in the applications submitted by this year's honorees.

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