LiveNeutral is a grassroots, nonprofit organization that enables people like you to act today to stop global warming. LiveNeutral was founded in the summer of 2005 as a community enterprise of the San Francisco-based Presidio School of Management. LiveNeutral gained independent nonprofit status in January 2008, and continues to partner with the Presidio School and other organizations that share its mission to mitigate global warming When you join LiveNeutral, you join a collaborative, nationwide effort. Here’s what makes us unique:
- Education: LiveNeutral is one of the only organizations that provides climate change education as well as carbon emission offset services. We teach you everything you need to know about climate change and we show you ways to reduce your own carbon footprint.
- Collaboration: Through its membership in the Chicago Climate Exchange, LiveNeutral allows you to collaborate with large corporations, educational institutions, and municipalities to stop global warming. In other words, you offset your own carbon emissions by stimulating companies to reduce theirs.
- Action: Global warming is happening now. So stopping global warming requires acting now. Maybe you’ve done all you can to reduce your own emissions. When you offset the remainder through LiveNeutral, you are sending a message that climate change and renewable energy matter to you.
LiveNeutral collaborates with companies and many other organizations to offset emissions. Whether you’re a nationally touring band or a major corporation, we can help you assess your footprint and then neutralize what you can’t reduce. Not only do these organizations neutralize their own emissions, but in many cases they also neutralize those of their employees and customers. Here are some of our collaborators:
- DuPont
- American Electric Power
- Organic Inc.
- KQED
- Williams-Sonoma
- Better World Club
- EcoMetro Guide
- Green Zebra
- Colorado University
- University of Florida
- Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
- Natural Capitalism Solutions
- Treehugger.com
- Social Venture Network
- Greenline Industries
- Dreamfish.org
- New Voice of Business
- Roadshow Services
- Sustainable Energy Partners
- Sustainability Planning Partners
- Executive Chef Services
- Serrano Hotel
- Origo Consulting
- Portion Pac, Inc.
- California Association of Museums
- California Resource Recovery Association
- Omega Institute
- Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
In the spring of 2004, the Presidio School of Management became an associate member of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). As the first college in California to join CCX, the School pledged to fully offset greenhouse gas emissions from its electricity use, travel, and fuel consumption.
LiveNeutral launched two summers later, founded by Presidio MBA students, Jason Smith, Kim Fox, Jorgen Vos, and Bob Gower, and Board Member Shep Burton. LiveNeutral extended the School’s CCX membership to the public, enabling individuals to offset their own emissions and to develop emerging markets for greenhouse gas emission reductions. All four founding students have since graduated.
LiveNeutral continues to offer hands-on, real-world educational opportunities for Presidio MBA students as a self-sustaining, non-profit outreach campaign.
The Presidio School of Management in San Francisco, California offers a unique, two-year MBA program in Sustainable Management that integrates social, ethical, and environmental values into every course. Since 2003, the program has succeeded as a collaborative learning community committed to sustainability. With a Presidio MBA, students get the training and skills they need to implement sustainable initiatives in an organizational setting. Presidio is affiliated with Alliant International University, which is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) is North America’s only, and the world’s first, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions registry, reduction and trading system for all six greenhouse gases (GHGs), of which CO2 dominates. CCX also owns and operates the European Climate Exchange (ECX) which is the largest emissions trading framework in the world. CCX is a self-regulatory, rules based exchange designed and governed by CCX Members. Members make a voluntary but legally binding commitment to reduce GHG emissions. The Phase I (program years 2003-2006) emission reduction target for each Member was 4% below baseline by 2006. Phase II, which extends the CCX reduction program through 2010, requires all Members to reduce GHG emissions 6% below baseline. Current CCX members include Ford Motor Company, IBM, Motorola, DuPont, Dow Corning, Waste Management and Bayer Corporation. The total emissions from CCX members exceed those of Great Britain.
www.chicagoclimateexchange.com
Jason Smith, Chair
Jason is the vice president of key accounts for ClimateCHECK, a greenhouse gas (GHG) management services and solutions provider. In this role, he manages the company’s marketing strategies and customer relations, as well as its operations in the U.S. Prior to ClimateCHECK, Jason was the executive director for LiveNeutral, a non-profit organization he co-founded and where he currently serves as Board Chair, which focuses on educating individuals and companies on how to reduce their carbon emissions. During his tenure at LiveNeutral, Jason helped facilitate numerous CO2 offset and climate change education initiatives at major organizations, such as TransGroup Worldwide Logistics, American Electric Power, Williams-Sonoma and DuPont.
Jason is also a faculty member of the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute and he sits on the board of Climate Cycle, a bike-ride based fundraiser created to bring renewable energy to public schools across the country. He earned an MBA in sustainable management from Presidio School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in Ethics and Religion at the University of Oklahoma, where he focused his studies on environmental ethics and economics.
L. Hunter Lovins, J.D., Presidio Co-Chair of Sustainability
Hunter teaches the Principles of Sustainable Management and Implementation of Sustainable Business Practices courses at the Presidio School of Management. Hunter was co-founder and CEO of Rocky Mountain Institute. A member of the California Bar, she has co-authored dozens of papers and nine books, including the landmark work, Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. She has consulted for governments and the private sector, briefing senior management at Interface Inc., Bank of America, Allstate, Royal Dutch/Shell and many other companies, as well as the World Bank & International Monetary Fund. She holds a J.D. degree from Loyola University and several honorary doctorates. In 2000, she was named a Hero of the Planet by Time Magazine.
Seyed M. Amiry, Chief Executive Officer, Presidio School of Management
Former dean of the School of Technology at Golden Gate University, Seyed is a graduate of West Coast University and participated in the MBA program of Cal State University at Los Angeles. He has been president and CEO of Core Microsystems in San Jose, CA, and for four years was Chief Operating Officer of the 13-campus system of Heald College in San Francisco. With wide financial and IT experience, he has also been Executive Vice-President and CFO of Tri-Valley Growers and COO/CFO of California Gold Dairy Products.
Dwight E. Collins, Ph.D., Director of Project Oriented Learning
Teaches the Operations & Production course at Presidio School of Management. In 2003, Dwight founded Colbridge and Company to provide training and consulting services in strategic planning, supply chain design & optimization, and sustainable business. He also runs the Collins Family Foundation, which sponsors retreats and conferences on Profitable Sustainability. As an early principal in Chesapeake Decision Sciences, a pioneer provider of supply chain optimization and consulting services, Dwight helped build the company from seven to 85 people generating annual revenues of $20 million. At Chesapeake, Dwight implemented supply chain optimization applications at many companies including BP Chemicals, IBM Microelectronics, LSI Logic, and Shaw Industries. He was also Director of Planning and Administration for several years. He holds a B.S. degree in Engineering Physics, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Operations Research, all from Cornell University.
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