On Earth Day 2010 (April 22), Carrier Corp. donated $35,000 to the Sustainability Enterprise Partnership (SEP), a collaboration among Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF), and the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE).

SEP provides world-class education and research to encourage businesses to incorporate sustainability into their practices, products, services, supply chain, distribution, culture and management. This third donation brings Carrier’s total support of the SEP to more than $100,000.

“It's particularly poignant that we announce this donation to support a sustainability curriculum on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, which has strong origins as a nationwide 'teach-in' to encourage dialogue on environmental issues,” said John Mandyck, Carrier's vice president for Sustainability and Environmental Strategies.

For more than 20 years Carrier has been a leader in providing the HVAC industry with sustainable solutions to advance energy efficiency and ozone protection, all while minimizing the environmental impact of its manufacturing operations. From 1997 through 2006, Carrier doubled its revenues but held energy use flat.

Starting in 2007, the company pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint by 3 percent each year. In 2009, Carrier factories in Charlotte, N.C. and Huntington, Ind. became only the 10th and 11th in the world at that time to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® green building rating for existing buildings. Extending its leadership to the global community, Carrier is the only company in the world to be a founding member of the U.S., China, and India Green Building Councils.

“Solutions to today’s environmental challenges require new thinking that Syracuse University can deliver to students through sustainability partnerships like those with Carrier.” Mandyck added.

“Carrier’s commitment to the Sustainability Enterprise Partnership is critical to our success,” said Elet Callahan, faculty director of the SEP and professor of law and public policy at the Whitman School. “In addition to financial support, Carrier subject experts have guest lectured as part of the curriculum, sharing their knowledge on critical issues such as public policy, building trends and emerging technologies. This involvement affirms the importance of our efforts to integrate business, science, policy and practice,” Callahan said.