Home Depot to Offset Carbon Emissions at Atlanta H
Atlanta, GA, October 26, 2006--Home Depot has entered into an agreement with The Conservation Fund to offset all carbon emissions created this year by the Company's Atlanta headquarters and a portion of emissions created by associates commuting to work and traveling on business.
The Home Depot will fund the planting of thousands of trees on nearly 130 acres across metro Atlanta to offset the carbon emissions as part of The Conservation Fund's Go Zero program.
The Home Depot's commitment marks the largest such carbon offset through reforestation in the United States, according to The Conservation Fund. The Fund estimates that The Home Depot annually creates approximately 36,500 tons of carbon dioxide at its 35-acre headquarters complex, 2,300 tons from air travel for business and 12,100 tons from automobiles used by associates commuting to work.
Through its Go Zero program, The Conservation Fund has become the nation's leader in helping companies offset their carbon footprints by using reforestation. During the past five years, the Fund has planted more than 5 million trees that will offset nearly 7 million tons of carbon dioxide over the next 70 years.
Ron Jarvis, The Home Depot's vice president of environmental innovation, said the decision to offset carbon emissions is part of the company's overall philosophy of diminishing the environmental impact of its operations. "The Home Depot's commitment to offsetting carbon emissions through the Go Zero program is a milestone for the Company," Jarvis said. "By offsetting our carbon emissions through reforestation, we are doing more than sequestering carbon. We are planting trees that will help reduce the heat island effect in urban areas, reduce erosion and storm water runoff, and help clean the air."
The Home Depot's participation in Go Zero fortifies its position as a leader in environmental sustainability. The company's commitment to the environment includes selling wood from sustainable forests; working with vendors to source more environmentally friendly products; and using recycled content materials for some store and office supplies, advertising, signs, and shopping bags.
Earlier this year, The Home Depot was named 2006 Energy Star Retail Partner of the Year. During the past 10 years, the company has implemented conservation measures to limit energy use in its stores, upgraded existing stores to be more energy efficient, and constructed stores using green building materials and practices.
The Home Depot announced its commitment to Go Zero today at the U.S. Conference of Mayors' 2nd National Summit on Energy and the Environment in Atlanta. The Home Depot Foundation, a leading organization that promotes energy-efficient, sustainable affordable housing and healthy community design, is the title sponsor of the two-day summit. Through The Home Depot's ongoing support of the Foundation, over $4 million has been contributed to community forestry over the past two years and 250,000 trees were planted across the country in 2005.
To offset carbon emissions, The Home Depot will fund the planting of trees in the nearby Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and at Panola Mountain Park in Rockdale County and Kennesaw Mountain State Park in Cobb County. Larry Selzer, president of The Conservation Fund, said The Home Depot's commitment will have a major impact on the environment in the Company's hometown.
"Climate change has emerged as the most pressing environmental issue of our time," Selzer said. "We applaud The Home Depot's leadership for its commitment to offset the carbon footprint of its headquarters. In addition to making a significant contribution to the effort to address climate change, The Home Depot's actions will restore important wildlife habitat and enhance public recreation areas in the broader metropolitan Atlanta region."
