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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release April 20, 1998

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

I extend my congratulations to the owners and managers of three of America's greatest landmark buildings for pledging to dramatically cut their energy use -- an important step to protect our environment. The Empire State Building and the World Trade Center in New York, and the Sears Tower in Chicago, are long-time symbols of American enterprise and ingenuity. Today, they become symbols of leadership and responsibility in ensuring that our nation tackles the challenge of global warming. These skyscrapers are again hitting new heights by leading the way in curbing the pollution that contributes to global warming.

These American landmarks are charter members of the Administration's new Energy Star Buildings Label program -- a vital part of our plan to put the nation on track to curb global warming. Their owners are voluntarily committing to cut their energy use up to 30 percent, thereby reducing the burning of fossil fuels and the related carbon dioxide pollution that causes global warming. These buildings will save energy, save money in electricity bills, and protect the true bottom line -- the environment we leave our children.

I call on all commercial building owners and managers across our nation to take the same responsible, common-sense, cost-effective step to help meet our most pressing environmental challenge. If all commercial buildings became Energy Star Buildings, we would save $25 billion a year and achieve over 10 percent of the carbon dioxide reduction needed to meet our Kyoto target.

I am sure the American people join me in thanking the following building owners and managers who have signed up as charter members in our new Energy Star Building Label program: the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Helmsley-Spear, Inc., the Rockefeller Center Management Corp., TrizecHahn Office Properties, Inc., LaSalle Partners, the Durst Organization, Amerimar Enterprises, Inc., MagneTek, Inc., the Trane Company, Rudin Management Company, Inc., Tooley and Company, Cushman and Wakefield, Harwood Pacific Corporation, and the General Services Administration.

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