New Holland Agriculture confirms its commitment to the environment with the announcement that it will sponsor the Climate Action Campaign and official reception at the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will bring together in Durban, South Africa, heads of state, government officials and environmental ministers from around the world to discuss the follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol.

New Holland Agriculture announced today that it will be a Gold Sponsor of the Climate Action Networking Reception, hosted by Climate Action in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the South African government in Durban on December 2, 2011. The reception will be the premier destination for senior officials from UNEP, non-governmental organizations and heads of government during the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17), which will take place from the 28th of November to the 9th of December.

As part of the sponsorship, New Holland will appear in the Climate Action campaign, which will run on the organization’s website www.climateactionprogramme.org and in its e-newsletter up to and during the COP17 conference.

This high level sponsorship falls within the framework of New Holland's commitment to the environment and its view of the role of agricultural manufacturers as key to safeguarding the farming environment for future generations. The brand is focused on developing solutions that make farming more efficient while respecting the environment. This is the basis for its Clean Energy Leader position, which includes its pioneering work with biofuels, Tier 4 low-emission technologies, biomass, the NH2(TM) hydrogen tractor and the Energy Independent Farm concept.

Franco Fusignani, CEO of New Holland Agriculture and CNH International, commented, "Climate change is the biggest global challenge of our age, and it has particular resonance in the emerging and high potential economies that we serve. Through this sponsorship we aim to contribute to Climate Action's objective of providing a platform for an ongoing dialogue between business and governments, where international corporations such as ours can highlight solutions they are able to provide for tackling climate change."

New Holland has a long history of involvement in the development of efficient and sustainable practices in these countries. The brand is involved in projects aimed at combating desertification in Africa and China. New Holland also runs training and advisory programmes to teach efficient use of its equipment as well as practices to safeguard soil quality and help water conservation. New Holland also has a unique manufacturing presence in countries such as India, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Brazil, Russia and Uzbekistan with high population density and fast growing economies, where agriculture and sustainable food practices are key to their development.

New Holland's concern for the environment led the brand to take the lead within its industry in offering biodiesel compatibility for its products in 2006. It has since conducted further research into biodiesel's agricultural applications and, as of 2010, 90% of New Holland tractors and harvesting equipment were able to operate on 100% biodiesel. New Holland's interest is not limited to biodiesel: for example, the brand is involved in an important large-scale biomass power generation project in India.

Emissions are an area of particular focus for New Holland. The brand has established a strategic partnership with FPT Industrial, which has pioneered the development of SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) low emissions technologies in on- and off-road applications. Most recently, the collaboration has led to the development of New Holland's range of exceptionally fuel-efficient equipment that meets the extremely stringent Tier 4A emissions regulations, which are now 100 times lower than 10 years ago. In fact, New Holland currently offers the widest range of Tier 4A compliant products in the industry, with 20 tractors and 9 combine harvesters. For New Holland, this is not just about legislation -- it is at the heart of its Clean Energy position and commitment to the environment, and the brand has a track record in the design and production of equipment that delivers top performance with emissions levels well below regulatory levels.

New Holland's interest in sustainable farming has led to the development of its Energy Independent Farm concept, which centers on the capacity of farms to produce energy from renewable sources, storing it in the form of hydrogen, and reusing it to run its equipment and provide electricity and heat to the buildings. The key element of this concept is the hydrogen-powered tractor, the NH2(TM), which uses fuel cell technology to generate power to run the tractor and tilling implements. In 2010, New Holland announced the establishment of the first pilot Energy Independent Farm at La Bellotta in the outskirts of Turin, Italy, where the second-generation NH2(TM) tractor will become operational in 2012.

New Holland Agriculture equipment is sold and supported in Africa, the Middle East, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Asia and Oceania by CNH International. Thanks to its focus on these areas, CNH International is able to support its customers in these markets with specialist knowledge of their specific requirements and specialized product offering, including grape, sugar cane, olive and coffee harvesters, cotton pickers, orchard and vineyard tractors, combine harvesters, self-propelled forage harvesters, balers, as well as planters, seeders, mowers and tillage equipment.