FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., November 26, 2014 – BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, announced today that it has received a 2014 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The annual awards recognize the country’s leading green power users for their commitment and contribution to helping advance the development of the nation’s voluntary green power market. EPA presented BD with the award at an event held in conjunction with the 2014 Renewable Energy Markets Conference in Sacramento, California on December 3, 2014.

BD was one of only four organizations nationwide to be chosen as a Green Power Partner of the Year. The award recognizes EPA Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves through their purchase, leadership, overall strategy, and impact on the green power market. BD is currently using more than 423 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which is enough green power to meet 84 percent of the organization’s overall electricity use. BD is purchasing renewable energy through a combination of power purchase agreements, renewable energy certificates and utility green power products from Bloom Energy, Nebraska Public Power District, NextEra Energy, and Rocky Mountain Power. In addition, BD is generating electricity from an on-site solar energy system. This demonstrates a proactive choice to switch away from traditional sources of electricity generation and support cleaner renewable energy alternatives.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as a leader in green power use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” said Stephen Sichak, Senior Vice President, Integrated Supply Chain, BD. “We have found that using clean sources of electricity is not only an important choice that we have made to help address climate change, but it is also a sound business decision. Through our actions, we are striving to secure predictable rates while also helping our organization to become more sustainable.”

BD currently ranks as No. 14 on EPA’s National Top 100 list and No. 10 on the Fortune 500® Partners list. BD also appears on the Long-term Contracts list recognizing Green Power Partners that have made long-term commitments to renewable energy use. Each list highlights EPA Green Power Partners using the most renewable energy annually as of September 23, 2014. EPA updates its Top Partner Lists quarterly at www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/.

Green power is electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low-impact hydro. Using green power accelerates the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide and helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.

“Receiving the Green Power Partner of the Year award is a great honor and EPA applauds BD’s leadership and impact on the green power market,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “BD’s commitment to using green power and reducing its climate impacts is an example we hope to see replicated.”

According to the EPA, BD's current green power use of more than 423 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of more than 61,000 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 40,000 average American homes annually.

Overall, nearly 84 percent of BD’s U.S. operations are currently powered by renewable energy. With its current global renewable energy use standing at 35 percent, BD has already exceeded its target of 25 percent renewable energy use worldwide by 2015. The company also communicates its green power use to its customers and stakeholders through sales brochures, its annual sustainability report, and website.

Troy Kirkpatrick