Cambridge, United Kingdom, December 1, 2009 - ProQuest is pleased to announce the development of a global ProQuest Green Committee which has been creating a global framework for ProQuest’s Environmental Policy and Environmental Management approach. The Environmental Policy unites existing initiatives across all locations under a single programme that commits ProQuest to reducing our environmental impact on a global basis.

To mark this milestone, ProQuest green advocates plan to take part in the WWF “Mexican Wave” challenge (being held by WWF in London on Saturday the 5th December) this campaign’s online video wave initiative, to show our support for global leaders who will meet in Copenhagen in December to agree how the world will tackle the growing climate crisis.

Marty Kahn, Chief Executive of ProQuest said, ‘We are resolute in our commitment to a clean environment. The ProQuest Green Committee has created the framework for ProQuest’s Environmental Policy and Environmental Management approach. Through the leadership of committed employees, we have achieved and will continue to achieve tremendous gains. The policy is used as a guiding principle for our sustainability efforts and as a result, provides a safe healthful workplace, protects the environment, and conserves energy and natural resources. ProQuest is committed to reducing our environmental footprint and promoting environmental stewardship at all levels of our organisation.”

This policy, published on our corporate website, applies to all areas of the business working to achieve both short and longer term environmental goals. It confirms the company's commitment to continuous improvement in managing environmental issues, including the management and monitoring of waste, the reduction of pollution and emissions, compliance with environmental legislation and environmental codes of practice, training for staff, and the monitoring of environmental performance. Through this committee and ProQuest green advocates, we will strive to continually improve the ProQuest environmental management system, its processes and performance with periodical reviews and updates to this environmental policy.

There are many initiatives already underway since 2008, such as the construction of ProQuest’s global Headquarters, Ann Arbor, where Energy Star rated computers and appliances are used as well as heating/cooling systems, building system controls and best practices to conserve energy. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to support the use of energy efficient products and practices. Work on achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is also ongoing.

ProQuest’s Data Center utilises “Free Cooling” during winter months, saving upwards of 50,000kWhrs of energy per month. “Free Cooling” uses the cold air outside to cool the refrigerants in the Data Center cooling units instead of using the compressors (motor/pumps) to cool the refrigerants. As long as the outside air temperatures are below a certain level, cooling occurs without the use of compressors, saving energy.

Paper, bottle, and can recycling programs at ProQuest office locations divert hundreds of tons of waste from landfills per year. Staff bicycle purchase programmes and car-share schemes are also supported. In 2008 ProQuest invested in new energy-efficient, lightweight and recyclable tradeshow stands, reduced the amount of printed marketing materials produced for tradeshows and direct marketing campaigns, transitioned to FSC approved paper stock, made materials available on portable flash drives and accessible on our websites, and produced green giveaways for customer brand awareness.

ProQuest’s Executive Marketing Director, Sharlene Tilley, said, ‘At Online Information this December, 2009, we are pleased that all giveaways are manufactured from recycled or biodegradable materials such as pencils made of recycled newspapers, memory sticks made from recycled plastic and FSC approved paper bags. For the first time at Online Information, our annual Electronic Products and Services catalogue will be available in PDF and online formats, rather than in print.”

Media may collect the ProQuest Online Information press kit on stand 304 on a recycled memory stick.

About ProQuest
ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning. A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the expertise of such respected brands as Chadwyck-Healey™, UMI®, SIRS®, and eLibrary®. With Serials Solutions®, Ulrich's™, RefWorks®, COS™, Dialog® and now Bowker® part of the ProQuest brand family, the company supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience.

More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its customers and their end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that blends information accessibility with community to further enhance learning and encourage lifelong enrichment.

For more information, visit www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website, www.cambridgeinformationgroup.com.