NECEC Leads Delegation of Clean Energy Business Leaders at COP21 Climate Change Conference in Paris

Delegates include executives from Next Step Living, Foley Hoag, Adapt Ready, Greener U

NECEC (Northeast Clean Energy Council and NECEC Institute) today announced that it is leading a delegation of Northeast clean energy company executives to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris in early December 2015. NECEC members attending include Next Step Living CEO Geoff Chapin, Adapt Ready CEO Shruthi Rao, Foley Hoag Partner Mark Barnett and Rob Pratt, Chairman of GreenerU and Chairman and President of the International Institute for Energy Conservation. Additionally, NECEC partner David W. Cash, Dean of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at University of Massachusetts Boston will join the NECEC delegation, as will executives from NECEC’s corporate partner Schneider Electric.
 
“By showcasing the success stories of the Northeast’s clean energy businesses, NECEC looks forward to elevating the story of how the region has made significant progress to develop and deploy innovative solutions to address climate change while also creating a strong, growing clean energy economy,” said NECEC President Peter Rothstein. “These leading companies will share approaches with the world based on the Northeast’s world-class clean energy hub’s approaches to deliver global impact with economic, energy and environmental solutions.”  
 
NECEC and attending companies will showcase at the La Galerie exhibition of low carbon solutions during COP21.  La Galerie exhibition aims to demonstrate to business and COP attendees the products, services, processes and innovations throughout the world that exist and are being developed to combat climate change. The conference and exhibition takes place at Le Bourget from December 2 to December 9. Details on the full La Galerie’s agenda are available here.
 
NECEC President Peter Rothstein and attending companies will participate in a panel discussion entitled “Clean Energy through Policy, Technology and Finance” on December 5 at La Galerie, an “Energy Innovation and the US Northeast Clean Energy Grid” workshop on December 8 at La Galerie, and other presentations at NECEC’s booth at the U.S. Pavilion at La Galerie.
 
“Since our founding in 2008, Next Step Living has worked to help homeowners adopt energy-saving solutions in their home and reduce the carbon emissions from residential energy use,” said Next Step Living CEO and Founder Geoff Chapin. “We’re looking forward to attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference this year with NECEC and its delegation to discuss how businesses can help support the fight against climate change by making energy efficiency easy and convenient for homeowners.”

“The need to take action on global climate change is urgent and COP21 represents the best opportunity yet to galvanize the global community towards addressing the challenge,” said Mark Barnett, the Co-Chair of Foley Hoag’s Energy & Cleantech Group.  “As a founding sponsor and counsel to NECEC, our firm is proud to join this delegation to help highlight the innovative solutions emerging from the Northeast clean energy ecosystem, and to learn from other innovators around the world.”
 
“Colleges and universities can be climate champions, demonstrating through actions on their campuses what can be done in dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rob Pratt, Chairman and Founder of GreenerU, a mission driven company that helps colleges implement energy efficiency and behavioral solutions. “Students are becoming the leaders of tomorrow, and GreenerU is pleased to be working with them and their schools in reducing energy costs as well as carbon emissions, thereby making their campuses more sustainable.”

“Companies that truly understand their vulnerabilities to climate change will invest in resilient infrastructure, secure water services and sustainable energy systems to protect their assets and communities; these improvements, in turn, result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and better resource management," said Adapt Ready CEO Shruthi Rao. "Adapt Ready climate intelligence software advances the private sector’s ability to achieve the co-benefits of climate mitigation and adaptation by showing, where, when and how facilities and supply chains are affected by climate impacts.”  
“COP21 has the potential to be transformative.  If a global agreement aligns policy, markets, and national commitments, the private sector in every country, developed or developing, will be unleashed to innovate and deploy clean energy, reduce energy costs and catalyze economic growth,” said David W. Cash, Dean of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at University of Massachusetts Boston.
 
COP21 is engaging the private sector like no other climate conference has before. Private sector organizations and businesses are contributing to the success of COP21 by making individual commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As the Northeast US’s leading clean energy business organization, NECEC is committed to clean energy market development, policy foundation and business growth and innovation to ensure that the Northeast can achieve the following by 2030:

  • Reduction of the Northeast’s electricity sector greenhouse gas emissions by at least 45% from 2005 levels
  • Renewable energy growth to be 40% of the region’s electricity generation
  • Two percent reduction in energy demand (including peak) per year throughout the region
  • Regulatory and policy frameworks that enable an intelligent, responsive electricity grid that integrates Distributed Energy Resources and proves to be a network platform to reach cost-effective 80+% zero emission generation by mid-century
  • A world-leading clean energy industry that accelerates energy innovation, drives regional economic growth and creates an energy system that is cleaner, more affordable and better for the environment.  

About NECEC (Northeast Clean Energy Council and NECEC Institute)
NECEC is the premier voice of businesses building a world-class clean energy hub in the Northeast, helping clean energy companies start, scale and succeed with our unique business, innovation and policy leadership. NECEC includes the Northeast Clean Energy Council (a nonprofit business member organization), and NECEC Institute (a nonprofit focused on industry research, innovation, policy development and communications initiatives).

NECEC brings together business leaders and key stakeholders to engage in influential policy discussions and business initiatives while building connections that propel the clean energy industry forward.

 

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