Environmental Leader

Verizon’s latest corporate responsibility report includes environmental initiatives that have increased the telecommunications company’s energy efficiency and recycling efforts as well as reduced its greenhouse gas emissions and CO2 intensity.

By applying energy-efficiency measures in its buildings, Verizon has reduced its energy usage by 16.5 million kilowatts. The New York-based company’s total energy reduction measures in 2008 cut its greenhouse gas emissions emissions by 83,900 metric tons. The company said it also has decreased its overall CO2 intensity from 66.5 metric tons of emissions per million dollars of revenue to 64.4 metric tons per million dollars of revenue.

It also conducted a pilot project to install software that automatically senses when computers are not in use and puts them in “sleep” mode. Full rollout of this program in 2009, covering approximately 100,000 computers is expected to yield $7 million in energy savings.

Verizon also has increased its use of solar and fuel-cell technology for backup power. The company also established an Energy Star-like standard for telecom equipment, requiring the company’s vendors to provide equipment that is 20 percent more energy efficient than the previous generation of equipment.

In addition, the company expanded its environmentally friendly product/service line-up for business customers, and introduced its “Go Paperless” campaign, which saved an estimated 2,150 tons of paper in 2008.

Verizon also doubled the number of hybrid sedans in the company fleet to 200, and reduced its fleet’s fuel consump­tion by 1 million gallons in 2008 by cutting vehicle idling.

The company has collected more than 1.1 million cell phones in 2008 for refurbishing, donation and recycling through its HopeLine program, up 6 percent from 2007.