Xcel Energy recognized for climate leadership
Xcel Energy was inducted into the Climate Leadership Hall of Fame, Thursday, for its outstanding environmental progress, having earned two Climate Leadership Awards in the past decade for industry-leading carbon reduction efforts. The company was also honored with The Hubert H. Humphrey Public Leadership Award for its groundbreaking sustainability goals in Minnesota.
“Xcel Energy’s strong track record in reducing carbon emissions is due to our ongoing commitment to delivering the cleaner energy our customers want. It’s why we’re the first U.S. energy provider to set ambitious clean energy goals across all the ways our customers use energy—electricity, heating, and transportation,” said Bob Frenzel, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy. “We’re absolutely delighted to be among the first inducted into the Climate Leadership Hall of Fame and are honored to be recognized as a national climate leader.”
The new Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and the Climate Registry (TCR), celebrates organizations that have won multiple Climate Leadership Awards over the past decade. The first-ever inductees represent a wide array of sectors, including utilities, technology, banking, automotive, consumer goods, and more.
The Climate Leadership Awards launched in 2011 to recognize and incentivize exemplary corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in response to climate change. Xcel Energy won an Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management award in 2016 and an Organizational Leadership award in 2020 for its industry-leading carbon reduction efforts, as well as the company’s support for customers and communities in achieving their clean energy goals.
“The Climate Leadership Award winners have always been at the vanguard of climate action, and this year we honor our Hall of Fame inductees for their outstanding achievements over the past 10 years,” said Amy Holm, executive director of TCR. “The most successful leaders continue to prove that responding to climate change is both good for business and good for the planet.”
“The definition of ‘leadership’ is evolving over time thanks to the ambitious actions and voluntary commitments of companies like these repeat Climate Leadership Award winners,” said Nathaniel Keohane, president of (C2ES). “In the past decade, these companies, organizations, and individuals have helped raise the bar time and again–betting on themselves to succeed. Congratulations to Xcel Energy.”
Xcel Energy also received a Public Leadership Award by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in Minnesota for the company’s clean energy leadership, this week. The Hubert H. Humphrey Public Leadership Award honors individuals, organizations and corporations that have contributed to the common good through leadership and service. Since their inception in 2003, the awards have recognized 72 recipients during annual dinner presentations that have raised more than $1.5 million for student scholarships.