Natural Resources Canada ENERGY STAR Recognition Awards (Ottawa, ON): Advocate of the Year - One Change
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In the fall of 2005, One Change – a registered not-for-profit organization headquartered in Ottawa – began delivering a simple message to Canadians: Saving energy and money is as easy as changing a light bulb. Simple actions matter, and change is within reach.
Since that time, the organization’s flagship program- Project Porchlight – has helped light up communities across Canada. In doing so, it has helped raise awareness of ENERGY STAR as the international symbol of energy efficiency and a great tool for selecting products that are good for the environment.
Project Porchlight aims to deliver one free ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) to every household in Canada. Recipients are asked to install the CFL in their porchlight or other high-use fixture, thereby taking action on climate change while also reducing their electricity bill.
In 2008, more than 6 000 Project Porchlight volunteers and staff distributed ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs to more than a million households across Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. These three campaigns alone will save Canadians more than $44 million in energy star costs over the lifetime of the bulbs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 500 723 tonnes.
But the program has a far bigger impact than changing a single light bulb in each targeted household. The ENERGY STAR symbol is featured prominently on campaign boxes, and Project Porchlight volunteers advise homeowners to look for the logo when shopping for everything from additional CFLs, major household appliances, home electronics and heating and cooling equipment.
Third-party evaluations of Project Porchlight campaigns have shown that, after their initial experience with One Change, individuals are more likely to make other environmentally sound choices. One change often leads to another.
Through its social marketing efforts, One Change brings together volunteers, businesses, non-profit organizations, service clubs, community groups, neighbourhood associations and municipal governments to build lasting and diverse community networks for energy conservation. It has become an advocate not just for CFLs but also for all ENERGY STAR qualified products.
This is One Change’s second ENERGY STAR award. The organization was named ENERGY STAR Recruit of the Year in 2006.
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