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The United States has implemented a comprehensive range of new and expanded voluntary programs, technology R&D initiatives, and jointly-funded projects aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing the Nation’s greenhouse gas intensity. Some of the highlights include:
- Launched in February of 2002 as part of President Bush's Climate Plan, Climate Leaders is a voluntary industry-government partnership that encourages companies to develop long-term comprehensive climate change strategies and set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals. Companies participating in Climate Leaders set a corporate-wide GHG reduction goal and inventory their emissions to measure progress.
- In February 2003, the Department of Energy (DOE) launched President Bush's “Climate VISION” (Voluntary Innovative Sector Initiatives: Opportunities Now)
 - a voluntary, public-private partnership to pursue cost-effective initiatives that will reduce the projected growth in America’s greenhouse gas emissions. Climate VISION directly responds to President Bush’s strategy to reduce America’s greenhouse gas intensity - the ratio of emissions to economic output - by 18 percent during the next decade, and challenged American businesses and industries to undertake broader efforts to help meet that goal.
- In 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced ENERGY STAR as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Today more than 1,250 manufacturers use the ENERGY STAR in over 35 product categories. EPA has also extended the label to cover new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Through its partnerships with more than 7,000 private and public sector organizations, ENERGY STAR delivers the technical information and tools that organizations and consumers need to choose energy-efficient solutions and best management practices. ENERGY STAR has successfully delivered energy and cost savings across the country, saving businesses, organizations, and consumers more than $7 billion a year.
- EPA is promoting the development of fuel-efficient motor vehicles and trucks, and implementing programs to improve energy efficiency. Smartway Transport -- a voluntary partnership with the ground freight industry aimed at reducing energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions -- and other voluntary transportation programs achieve measurable environmental results in a cost effective and beneficial way without the need for regulation. For more information, see EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality Voluntary Programs Site.
- EPA is playing a leading role in the Federal Government's growing efforts to accelerate the development of fuel cell technology, especially for vehicle applications. EPA, DaimlerChrysler, and UPS are collaborating to put several zero-emission package delivery vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells into commercial service in Michigan. This joint initiative marks the first time that efficient, zero emission fuel cell delivery vehicles have been introduced as a part of a commercial vehicle fleet in North America. For more information, see EPA's Fuel Cells and Vehicles page.
- WasteWise, which encourages voluntary source reduction and recycling to reduce municipal solid waste, has attracted more than 1,100 WasteWise partners representing a variety of business, civic, and industrial sectors, ranging from small local governments to Fortune 1000 corporations.
- USDA is working with farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to implement management practices that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases through forest and agriculture conservation programs.
- BestPractices , an initiative of the DOE's Office of Industrial Technologies, offers companies tools to improve their plant's energy efficiency, enhance its environmental performance, and increase its productivity. The initiative focuses on plant wide systems improvements – motors, steam, compressed air, process heat.
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