The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y., as a 2011 Partner of the Year with Sustained Excellence, which is the highest Energy Star honor awarded.

 

The award recognizes PepsiCo for its continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency. PepsiCo has been an Energy Star partner since 2004, and is being recognized as a Partner of the Year for the fifth consecutive year, and with “Sustained Excellence” for the fourth consecutive year.

 

"PepsiCo has earned EPA’s highest Energy Star award — the 2011 Sustained Excellence Award,” said Elizabeth Craig, acting director of the EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs, in a statement. “PepsiCo’s long-term leadership and commitment to energy efficiency demonstrates the types of accomplishments that we can all achieve in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting our global environment. We look forward to their continued partnership and leadership.”

 

In line with PepsiCo’s commitment to Performance with Purpose — its mission to deliver sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and the planet — the company is working to address the issue of climate change, from scaling up its use of renewable fuel sources to reducing energy consumption. To date, the company is on track to meet the goals it announced in April 2010 to reduce PepsiCo’s carbon footprint in its operations, including:

 

• improving electricity use efficiency by 20 percent per unit of production by 2015;

• reducing fuel use intensity by 25 percent per unit of production by 2015;

• committing to a goal of reducing greenhouse gas intensity for U.S. operations by 25 percent through a partnership with the EPA Climate Leaders program; and

• committing to an absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across global operations.

 

PepsiCo and other honorees will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 12. The 2011 Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year after year. Winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting and achieving aggressive goals, employing innovative approaches and showing others what can be achieved through energy efficiency. Award winners are selected from more than 17,000 organizations that participate in the Energy Star program.