The prestigious award, in the form of a championship belt, recognizes outstanding effort in the “fight” against climate change

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Climate Action Reserve, an environmental non-profit that runs the premier carbon offset registry in North America, announced its 2012 Climate Action Champion Award recipients at a reception celebrating the 10th anniversary of the organization and the award. The awards are presented annually in recognition of individuals and organizations that exemplify leadership and commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For their efforts in the “fight” against climate change, the Reserve awards these outstanding and deserving recipients with a special championship belt. In announcing the awards, Gary Gero, president of the Climate Action Reserve, said that “This year’s winners have each show a long-standing and deep commitment to addressing climate change and have been pioneers and innovators in their actions.” The 2012 champions are:

Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco that is dedicated to conserving and sustaining America’s vital, productive forest landscapes. Recognized as a national leader in sustainable forestry and conservation, the organization worked closely with the Reserve to develop the initial Forest Project Protocol and subsequent updated protocols. Through national advocacy and outreach, PFT has advanced policies that provide landowners with new sources of revenue for conservation and stewardship of their forests’ natural values, while increasing the storage of carbon dioxide, protecting our water supplies and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. To date PFT has conserved more than 50,000 acres of forestland in California, Oregon and Washington.

The Nature Conservancy – California Program has worked for more than 50 years to protect the state’s most ecologically important lands and waters and is a strong advocate for progressive climate policies. Its Climate Change Program develops comprehensive, nature-based programs to minimize GHG emissions and respond to the effects of climate change. The Conservancy’s California office based in San Francisco collaborated with The Conservation Fund and others on one of the first forest carbon offset projects registered with the Reserve – the 23,780-acre Garcia River Forest on California’s northern coast. The Conservancy staff assisted in developing the forest’s improved management plan and conducts forest-carbon research and monitors biodiversity conservation on the property. In addition, the Nature Conservancy has been a long-time participant and collaborator in the Reserve’s forest protocols, which were subsequently adopted by the California Air Resources Board as part of its GHG cap and trade program.

Jan Schori, Retired, General Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), served as general manager and CEO of SMUD for 14 years. During her tenure of the nation’s sixth largest publicly-owned electric utility, SMUD earned a strong reputation for its renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, as well as the national number one ranking in commercial customer satisfaction by JD Power & Associates. Ms. Schori was elected in 2009 to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) board as an independent trustee and has served on the Board of Directors of the Climate Action Reserve since its inception 10 years ago. She is currently of counsel to the law firm Downey Brand LLP in Sacramento, CA.

Peter Miller, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco, has more than 25 years of experience in energy and climate policy. His work is focused on California energy policy, AB32 implementation, GHG emissions accounting and carbon offsets. Mr. Miller has served on the California Board for Energy Efficiency and on Independent Review Panels evaluating the Public Interest Energy Research program at the California Energy Commission. Mr. Miller has served on the Board of Directors of the Reserve for much of its history, including serving on the first board established for the organization.