Harrah's Entertainment Joins EPA's Climate Leaders

LAS VEGAS, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. announced today that is has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders, a select group of companies taking demonstrable steps to reduce their carbon footprints.

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"By setting a long-term greenhouse gas reduction goal and committing to reducing its carbon footprint, Harrah's is demonstrating corporate climate change leadership," said Robert J. Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation.

Climate Leaders commit to reducing their global impact on the environment by completing a corporate-wide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, setting aggressive reduction goals and annually reporting progress. Harrah's is the first company in the casino entertainment industry to join the EPA's industry-government partnership, which is designed to promote comprehensive climate change strategies.

"Membership in Climate Leaders is another manifestation of our company-wide dedication to protecting the environment and preserving our natural resources," said Gary Loveman, chairman, CEO and president of Harrah's. "Harrah's has incorporated environmental responsibility into our Code of Commitment, the casino entertainment industry's preeminent declaration of corporate social responsibility, and we plan to expand our conservation programs to include environmental sustainability efforts throughout our business. It is the right thing to do for our communities, a point of pride for our employees, and as a bonus, makes sense for our bottom line. We encourage our entire industry to participate in this important endeavor."

Harrah's has already completed an extensive review of conservation options, and is developing a plan to expand upon existing initiatives to lower energy usage and water consumption; recycle and reuse resources; and build to green standards. In the past four years, 74 "green" projects at Harrah's casino properties across the U.S. have substantially reduced energy usage while cutting annual resource expenditures by over $10 million. Each year, the programs Harrah's has already implemented are saving 155.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to 81,178 round-trip flights from Los Angeles to New York, or 164,443 barrels of oil.

Harrah's "green" projects have included reductions of indoor and outdoor lighting use, retrofitting heat recovery systems and thermostats, installing improved air handling equipment, reducing water consumption in guest areas and in behind-the-scenes facilities such as laundries, and installing sensors and technological controls to improve operational efficiency. In addition, Harrah's has begun forming dedicated "green" teams at every casino resort property to plan, implement and expand conservation programs, and to engage employees in environmentally-sustainable practices both at work and at home.

As a member of the EPA's Climate Leaders, Harrah's has pledged to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The company is currently developing a specific target goal, and is reviewing additional innovative strategies to improve environmental sustainability throughout its operations. For more information about the EPA's Climate Leaders program, visit http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The Company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's(R), Caesars(R) and Horseshoe(R) brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos and the World Series of Poker(R). Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. Harrah's is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward of the environment. For more information, please visit http://www.harrahs.com.