The USA Pavilion and Alcoa Foundation jointly announced today that the Pavilion has reached carbon equilibrium covering the entire six-month duration of the Shanghai Expo, including the production of key building materials used in the Pavilion.
A total of 8,250 tons of carbon offset credits were purchased from three selected Gold Standard-certified projects in China to offset the Pavilion's carbon footprint.
As the first national pavilion committed to be carbon neutral during the entire six months, the USA Pavilion fulfills a pledge to be a green pavilion, a commitment U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made on May 22 during her visit to the Expo.
Alcoa Foundation has partnered with the Pavilion on its environmental sustainability strategy to be carbon-neutral throughout the event. ICF International, a leading US climate change, energy and environment consultancy, was designated to conduct an independent, thorough, verifiable carbon footprint study to quantify GHG emissions.
The footprint calculation results cover both the GHG emissions for the six-month duration of the Expo and the production of key building materials, including aluminum, steel, cement, glass, used in the Pavilion. The footprint will be offset through purchasing 8,250 carbon credits from three sustainable development projects in China that all registered according to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) and to the Gold Standard.
Today the USA Pavilion signed carbon credit purchase contracts at a press briefing with the three Chinese projects, namely Jiangsu landfill gas to energy conversion project, Gansu micro-scale “run of river” hydroelectric power generation project and Gansu wind farm project.
“I am proud the USA Pavilion will be supporting the Expo’s theme, ‘Better City, Better Life’, through the purchase of credits from carbon offset projects in China which fulfills our commitment to be carbon neutral for the six-month duration of Expo 2010 Shanghai, said Ambassador José H. Villarreal, U.S. Commissioner General, Expo 2010 Shanghai.
“The USA Pavilion is pleased to put into action our message of sustainability and healthy community-building by supporting three Gold Standard-certified projects across China to offset our carbon footprint. I would like to thank Alcoa Foundation for its generous contribution in helping the USA Pavilion be the best possible Expo citizen and become the first national pavilion to commit to carbon neutrality at Expo 2010 Shanghai.”
Funding the carbon footprint study is one example of Alcoa Foundation’s commitment to promoting environmental sustainability in China. Earlier this summer, Alcoa and World Resources Institute, together with Jiao Tong University, announced an initiative to evaluate industrial energy efficiency projects and connect them to sources of external financing in the Shanghai area. Alcoa Foundation also continues its partnership with The Nature Conservancy, together supporting the establishment of Pudatso National Park, the first national park in China, and other parks programs. In addition, Alcoa has worked with other nonprofit organizations and universities to support aluminum recycling programs for teachers and students throughout China and advance environmental sustainability.
Jinya Chen, President, Alcoa Asia and Pacific Region, said, “At Alcoa, we believe our sustainability endeavors make us a more competitive company, which in turn, makes us a company of choice for governments, stakeholders and communities. The USA Pavilion’s sustainability initiatives, with the support of Alcoa Foundation, will result in positive environmental and community-building benefits for China and serve as a model for other events and organizations around the world.”
Apart from the carbon footprint calculation and neutralization approaches, the USA Pavilion has also adopted comprehensive measures to minimize energy consumption and GHG emissions. Many of America's leading companies helped build the Pavilion and their cutting-edge technologies that hold the promise of unlocking a more sustainable and prosperous future are woven into the building itself. From the photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity and help power the Pavilion, to the solar water heater, the rooftop garden and the recycled bamboo flooring, the USA Pavilion is a model of both innovation and environmental responsibility.