Around the country, big and small companies are taking steps to become more energy efficient and produce less of the carbon pollution that drives climate change. These efforts have resulted not just in savings for the companies, but a net benefit for our economy and environment.

Each year, the EPA honors companies, cities, partnerships and even individuals with its Climate Leadership Awards. The 2015 awardees include the Mayor of Bridgeport Connecticut, as well as companies working to make a difference like UPS and partnerships like the Chevrolet Clean Energy Campus Campaign.

UPS were one of the recipients under the Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management category for setting, and achieving, their goals to reduce the company’s carbon intensity from transportation by 10 percent by 2016. They’ve already surpassed that goal in 2012 and 2013. And, this the second time UPS has received a Climate Leadership Award.

General Motors is a primary stakeholder in the Chevrolet Clean Energy Campus Campaign. This partnership created a way for colleges and universities to bring the benefits of carbon pollution reductions to their own campus and communities in order to create even more energy efficiency and clean energy gains on campuses. Top-performing schools that surpass the campaign’s benchmarks for energy leadership are able to measure and sell their carbon reductions as certified carbon credits. They can then utilize the money to fund new efficiency and clean energy projects on campus.

We’re been proud to have UPS and GM sponsors of our Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference because they’re a company that is truly working to become more efficient and reduce their carbon footprint.

When announcing the awards, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said, “Our winners are demonstrating that a healthy environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. These organizations are providing the leadership, commitment, and solutions needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet head on the challenge of a changing climate.”

Anytime a company makes the right choice—from reducing carbon pollution to adapting clean energy—it puts pressure on their peers to do the same. UPS, GM and the other recipients should all be proud of the work they’ve done so far. We certainly are.