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Since 2012, the EPA has been the lead sponsor of the Climate
Leadership Awards program and conference, which recognizes
companies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their internal
operations and supply chains.
In an email sent on Friday, the EPA announced it will no longer
be involved in the awards or the conference.
Under Administrator Scott Pruitt, who has repeatedly expressed
doubts about climate change, the EPA has moved to undo dozens of
Obama-era climate regulations in what it says is an effort to
ease the regulatory burden on energy and agriculture companies.
In the Trump administration's budget proposal for 2018, the EPA
was the target of the largest cut - 31 percent - a figure that
Republican and Democratic lawmakers opposed.
In Friday's email, the EPA did not explain why it is eliminating
the awards program, but apologized for the inconvenience of its
announcement in the middle of the award application process. The
awards were to be given out in Denver between Feb. 28 and March
2, 2018.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that we don’t plan to fund
an awards ceremony on climate change,” said Jahan Wilcox, EPA
spokesman.
The agency spent $24,950 per year on sponsorship, plus travel
and staff time for those managing the awards.
NGO co-sponsors of the awards program and conference - C2ES and
the Climate Registry - said on Friday they will continue to fund
the awards and conference and are eager to work with new
partners to host the program.
The program has honored more than 115 companies and individuals
since 2012, including Microsoft Corp <MSFT.O>, Boeing Co <BA.N>
and Mack Trucks <VOLVb.ST>, as well as institutions like the
University of California at Irvine.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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