Verizon’s Green Initiatives Drive Efficiency, Reduce Carbon Footprint; the Equivalent of Taking More Than 55,500 Cars off the Road

The Nation’s Largest Fuel Cell Site, Green Purchasing Practices, PC- and Fleet-Efficiency Initiatives Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 303,000 Metric Tons

NEW YORK - Verizon’s conservation efforts in 2008 alone reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 303,000 metric tons, the equivalent of taking more than 55,500 cars off the road.

Overall, Verizon’s “carbon intensity” is approximately nine times below the U.S. average, as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Verizon’s rate of 64 metric tons of CO2 emissions per million dollars in revenue represents a year-over-year improvement of 3 percent. The company remains committed to finding practical and innovative ways to increase energy efficiency and bolster conservation efforts.

In 2008, Verizon launched a pilot project that reduced the energy used by computers and monitors by installing software to remotely shut off computers not in use. Once this initiative is extended throughout the company, the projected energy savings are expected to be equivalent to the annual energy needs of 88,000 homes.

Verizon also operates the largest fuel cell site of its kind in the nation. The company’s Energy Star Award-winning facility in Garden City, N.Y., uses seven fuel cells capable of generating enough electrical power per hour to meet the energy needs of 400 single-family homes. In 2008, Verizon also:

* Became the first telecommunications company to require that the network equipment it purchases be 20 percent more energy efficient.

* Launched an initiative to limit engine idling, which cut fuel consumption by more than 1 million gallons (equivalent to taking some 1,600 cars off the road for a year.

* Electronically delivered approximately 100 million bills to customers.

* Collected more than 1.1 million cell phones, an increase of 6 percent from 2007, through HopeLine®, a Verizon Wireless program that collects, refurbishes and sells used phones to benefit domestic violence prevention programs.

* Recycled 35.1 million pounds of telecommunications equipment. (That’s equivalent to the weight of more than 11,500 Toyota Prius sedans.)

* Focused on purchasing goods containing recycled material. As a result, 60 percent of all goods purchased by the company contained recycled material.

“Every day our advanced wireline and wireless networks help our customers, large and small, connect to what’s important for them in greener, more efficient ways,” said Joan Simpson, vice president of green and environmental strategies for Verizon. “That same spirit of innovation and commitment to efficiency serves us well as we look for ways to reduce the environmental impact of our own operations.”

Verizon will continue delivering on its principal environmental objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing recycling rates, deploying new energy-saving technologies in its operations, and making consumers and policymakers aware that broadband technology can significantly reduce energy consumption and conserve resources.

Some examples of how Verizon has begun and will continue to deliver on that commitment in 2009 are:

* Verizon Wireless signed two marketing agreements that facilitate the deployment of smart power grid projects.

* Verizon Business will continue upgrading its fiber-optic network with equipment that is four times more efficient and also reduces cooling costs. This could be equivalent to keeping as many as 16,000 cars off the road annually.

* Verizon is continuing to work on new data center designs that reduce energy consumption and associated costs.

* Verizon is continuing to install energy-efficient “thin-client” computers reducing the associated energy usage by 30 percent.

For more information on the company’s environmental initiatives, visit http://newscenter.verizon.com/kit/green-press-kit/.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, serving more than 80 million customers nationwide. Verizon’s Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation’s most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 224,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.