The company has achieved "net zero" emissions status for five consecutive years.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., March 22, 2012 – Conservation Services Group (CSG), a national energy services firm, today announced it has been named a 2012 Climate Leadership Award winner. Stephen Cowell, CSG chief executive officer, accepted the honor on his firm's behalf during the first annual Climate Leadership conference, held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and the Climate Registry, the awards honor corporate, organizational and individual leaders for their efforts in mitigating climate change. CSG is one of 20 total award recipients from around the U.S. and one of 10 firms to win in the "excellence in greenhouse gas management" category. The company has achieved "net zero" emissions status for five consecutive years.

"The aggressive greenhouse gas management actions and climate-related initiatives undertaken by Conservation Services Group is a testament to the visionary leadership and innovation within the organization and should serve as a model for peer organizations to follow," said Daniel Kreeger, ACCO's executive director.

CSG's road to achieving climate neutral status began several years ago. In 2005, the company formally set up an internal Climate Leaders Working Group. Comprised of management and staff, the group was established to find creative ways of reducing CSG's carbon footprint, monitor progress and establish a baseline. For the next five years, the company reduced metric tons of CO2 emissions per employee by 27 percent, while CSG's staff grew by more than 200 percent. This has been achieved through a number of strategies including changing the company fleet of cars to hybrid models, retrofitting office lighting systems, recycling materials and buying green energy. In addition to operational changes, CSG also looked at its facilities for more sustainability. In 2010, CSG moved its Portland, Ore. operations into a LEED gold certified building. Last year, CSG worked with the developer of its new headquarters in Massachusetts to meet LEED silver standards, incorporating upgrades such as solar panels, energy efficient HVAC systems, electric car charging stations and a single stream recycling system. (The building is on track for LEED certification in 2012).

Cowell said, "Our employees have worked very hard to make CSG more sustainable every day, carrying out our mission. Obtaining public recognition for this effort with a first ever Climate Leadership Award is a great reflection of all their hard work. We look forward to discovering new opportunities to further reduce our carbon footprint and continue in our role as environmental stewards."

Conservation Services Group (www.csgrp.com) is an award-winning non profit company based in Westborough, Mass. The firm designs and delivers energy efficiency programs for utilities, government agencies, housing agencies and other groups. Founded in 1984, CSG employs 800 people in 24 offices nationwide.