California, USA (by Source: GreenBiz) – In becoming the first consumer products company to offset 100 percent of its U.S. CO2 emissions through the EPA’s Climate Leaders program and buy 100 percent green energy or renewable power to meet its purchased electricity needs, Shaklee Corporation has added another first to its list of environmental achievements.

Citing his company’s 50-year commitment to environmental protection, including becoming, in 2000, the first company in the world to be certified climate-neutral, Shaklee CEO Roger Barnett said, “This green power milestone is yet another example of our pioneering efforts to protect the planet.” Shaklee estimates that its 2006 Climate Leaders commitment will prevent 8.42 million pounds of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere each year.

Prior to Earth Day, Shaklee also earned EPA Green Power Partner status, joining The World Bank Group, New York University and Vail Resorts Inc. as partners that are buying 100 percent green power. The EPA Green Power Partnership encourages U.S. organizations to voluntarily purchase green power as a way to reduce the risk of climate change and the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use.

Added Daniel C. Esty, Director of the Center for Business and Environment at Yale and co-author Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value and Build Competitive Advantage, “Shaklee continues to set standards in environmental stewardship. We hope the 100 percent green power achievement is emulated by other companies.”

Shaklee will purchase its green or renewable power from San Francisco-based 3 Phases Energy, a renewable energy supplier. Renewable power is derived from a sustainable source such as wind, solar, or geothermal energy. Shaklee will purchase 6,046,000 kWhs of nationally sourced renewable energy in 2006 and 6,048,000 kWhs of nationally sourced wind energy in 2007. Both purchases are Green-e certified through the Center for Resource Solutions.

Among some of the company’s initiatives in the previous 12 months, Shaklee partnered with 2004 Nobel Peace laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai, who is the Global Ambassador for the company’s “A Million Trees. Million Dreams” environmental campaign, which launched on Earth Day 2006. To date, Shaklee has planted more than 320,000 trees. Each tree will offset the equivalent of 0.9 metric tons of CO2 over its lifetime.

And in August 2006, Shaklee hosted San Francisco’s first carbon neutral convention by offsetting 5,500 metric tons of GHG emissions associated with the company’s 50th Anniversary Convention, which attracted nearly 10,000 attendees. The offset was accomplished by tree-planting in San Francisco and in Kenya, with Dr. Maathai’s Green Belt Movement

Shaklee has also joined the World Bank Group, New York University and Vail Resorts as EPA Green Power Partners, committed to buying 100 percent green power in order to meet the organization’s total purchased electricity use nationwide.

“At Shaklee, we believe we each have a personal responsibility to do our part to make the world a better and safer place for our children and future generations,” added Barnett.