Bank of America named 2005 Corporate Climate Champion

Contact: Bill Burtis, bburtis@cleanair-coolplanet.org; 603-502-8164

NEW YORK, NY— Bank of America has received the 2005 Climate Champion award from Clean Air - Cool Planet (CA-CP) for advancing corporate solutions to global warming. Presentation of the award was made today at the group’s Global Warming Solutions 2005 conference here.

CA-CP Executive Director Adam Markham cited the bank’s recognition that climate change represents “a major risk to the stability of our way of life.”

The Northeast’s leading nonprofit dedicated to finding and implementing solution to global warming, CA-CP works with businesses, communities, and colleges in New England, New York, and New Jersey to help develop cost-effective solutions to fight climate change and promote environmental protection.

In particular, Markham noted several factors contributing to the decision to make Bank of America one of this year’s recipients:

• Setting goals to reduce heat-trapping gases from its operations by nine percent by 2009
• Maximizing on investment through energy and resource efficiency at facilities in 29 states and internationally, including the use of technology savvy products such as WebGen to manage and reduce energy consumption..
• Setting aggressive reductions targets through its chain of investment activities, such as its decision to reduce emissions in their public energy and utility portfolio by 7% by 2008.
• Building partnerships to seek solutions with customers, government and vendors;
• Using the company’s leadership and position in the community to elevate the public and private sector’s commitment to addressing climate change.

Markham said the award also lauds “the innovative and literally ground-breaking commitment” Bank of America has made in striving for Leadership in Energy & Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Business Council for the 52-story Bank of America Tower “now under construction at 1 Bryant Park here in New York City.

“Bank of America is truly leading by example, and we are proud to be honoring such a good corporate partner today,’ he said.

Clean Air - Cool Planet also presented five other awards at its Global Warming Solutions 2005 conference. Other awardees are Governors John Baldacci of Maine and George Pataki of New York, The Timberland Company, Middlebury College, and the City of Stamford, Connecticut.

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