MOBIL CORPORATION

The document details Mobil Corporation's 1992 commitment to the US EPA's voluntary Green Lights Program, aimed at reducing air pollution through energy-efficient lighting. It describes the organizational challenges faced by Facilities Management Coordinator Fred Schoeneborn, including a lack of direct authority over facility managers and the perception of facilities as mere cost centers. The case highlights the transition from lighting-specific goals to the broader ENERGY STAR Buildings Program and discusses the internal strategies used to drive adoption, such as financial proof from a pilot project in Princeton, New Jersey, and high-level corporate visibility through public advertorials.

• Mobil Corporation became a partner in the US EPA's voluntary Green Lights Program in 1992 by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct energy-efficient lighting audits at all its domestic facilities.
• The Green Lights Program is a non-regulatory initiative designed to lower air pollution by promoting energy-efficient lighting, with a recommendation that investments maintain a minimum internal rate of return of 20%.
• A pilot project at Mobil's Princeton, New Jersey facility demonstrated that lighting retrofits—including replacing incandescent bulbs with fluorescent ones and installing efficient ballasts—could pay for themselves in as little as 1.4 years.
• Implementation of the program faced internal organizational barriers, as facility managers lacked the authority or incentive to perform audits because costs were drawn from their operating budgets and they were viewed as a "cost center".

APA

Day, R., & Arnold, M. (1996). MOBIL CORPORATION. World Resources Institute. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-156-x_full_version_english.pdf

Chicago

Day, Robert, and Mathew Arnold. MOBIL CORPORATION. World Resources Institute, 1996. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-156-x_full_version_english.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Day |first1=Robert |last2=Arnold |first2=Mathew |title=MOBIL CORPORATION |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=1996 |url=https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-156-x_full_version_english.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{day1996mobil, author = {Day, Robert and Arnold, Mathew}, title = {{MOBIL CORPORATION}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {1996}, url = {https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-156-x_full_version_english.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }