In a demonstration of leadership in environmental stewardship, Carrier Corp. President Geraud Darnis led a group of officials and dignitaries in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Willis H. Carrier Total Indoor Environmental Quality (TIEQ) lab at the Syracuse Center of Excellence (SyracuseCoE) in Environmental and Energy Systems headquarters in Syracuse, N.Y. Carrier Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp., is a charter member of the SyracuseCoE and was actively involved in all aspects of the headquarters' design process. SyracuseCoE is focused on research in global sustainability, including clean and renewable energy, indoor environmental quality, and water resource solutions.

In 2005, Carrier pledged $1.5 million for the creation of the world class, 10,000-sq-ft laboratory named for Dr. Willis H. Carrier, the inventor of modern air conditioning and the founder of Carrier Corp. This first-of-its-kind lab facilitates cutting-edge research into the effects of multiple factors - including temperature, humidity, air quality, lighting, and sound - on human health and performance in building environments.