About the Celebration
2021 marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of EPA’s first voluntary climate initiative, Green Lights. To celebrate, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is showcasing the legacy and impacts of its highly successful climate partnership programs. Through these programs, tens of thousands of public- and private-sector organizations have joined forces with the government and reduced greenhouse emissions from nearly every sector of our economy.
Their cumulative impact includes the avoidance of more than 6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, $500 billion in cost savings, $7 billion in public health benefits, billions of dollars of private sector investment, and thousands of high-paying, fast-growing jobs.
EPA’s voluntary climate programs serve to broaden and diversify EPA’s climate approach—working hand-in-hand with the private sector and others to achieve more than would be possible through federal regulations alone. These programs seek out and overcome market barriers, drive policy at the state and local level, and capture and channel marketplace ingenuity towards climate action.
Now, 30 years later, the success of these climate protection programs demonstrates the power of partnership. In addition to preventing 6 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, EPA’s Climate Partnership Programs have helped Americans save more than $500 billion while also driving investment and creating jobs. In fact, more than 800,000 Americans are employed in manufacturing or installing ENERGY STAR certified equipment—nearly 35% of all energy efficiency jobs.
Learn More:
Download The Power of Partnership for infographics, stories, and examples of EPA's Climate Partnership Programs at work.
About Green Lights
By the early 1990s, energy-efficient commercial lighting was widely available, but not widely adopted. Building owners and managers lacked objective information, assessment tools, and an understanding of the economic benefits of adopting new lighting systems. Through Green Lights, EPA provided tools and resources to overcome these barriers to both greater energy efficiency and higher profitability.
The Green Lights Program began with only 2 full-time staff members and a budget of $1.4 million. Within the first year, partner companies saved nearly $7 million and cut their total lighting usage by 52%, on average.
Learn more about the history of EPA's Climate Partnership Programs.