ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
The UPS Foundation, the philanthropic arm of UPS (NYSE: UPS) which leads the company’s global citizenship programs, today announced it will fund the planting of 15 million trees by the end of 2020. Since 2012, The UPS Foundation and its environmental partners have planted more than 5 million trees in 46 countries.
“Tree planting is a very effective way to remove carbon from our environment and generate decades of positive impacts for communities around the world,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation. “These include creating better farming conditions to increase available food, jobs and shelter as well as providing protection for areas that are vulnerable to extreme weather events.”
The UPS Foundation also awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to 12 non-profit organizations dedicated to environmental sustainability. These awards will support programs that advance environmental research and education, carbon reduction and energy conservation – all vital to economic growth and community stability.
For the second consecutive year, The UPS Foundation’s largest environmental grant recipient is The Nature Conservancy, an organization that works to preserve ecologically important land and water resources through conservation. This award will enable The Nature Conservancy to plant more than 800,000 trees in at-risk or eroded ecosystems throughout the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, China and Guatemala.
UPS’s contribution to The Nature Conservancy includes a partnership extension for the company’s own Global Forestry Initiative, a program designed to plant, protect and preserve trees in urban and rural areas and forests worldwide.
“As one of our four philanthropic pillars, programs designed to protect and improve the environment are essential to long-term strength and resiliency for global communities,” said Martinez. “We are honored to expand our financial and volunteer service commitments to further support our sustainability-focused community partners.”
In addition to The Nature Conservancy, The UPS Foundation has awarded environmental grants to the following 11 organizations:
- DonorsChoose.org, in support of environmental education classroom projects submitted by public school teachers in rural U.S. communities.
- Earth Day Network, to fuel the Trees for Communities project geared toward planting more than 400,000 trees in Mexico, India, Kenya, Uganda and the Boreal Forest in Canada.
- Earthwatch, in support of two new education and research workshops included as part of the organization’s 2016 Climate Ambassadors Program.
- Keep America Beautiful, Inc., to fulfill 30 community tree-planting grants and five post-recovery tree planting grants.
- National Arbor Day Foundation, for continued support of reforestation programs across both the U.S. and Canada’s Boreal Forest.
- National Council for Science and the Environment, to support the EnvironMentors program, which focuses on environmental education and stewardship for underserved high school youth.
- National Park Foundation, to extend reforestation efforts in reclaimed mining land near the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Penn.
- Student Conservation Association Inc. (SCA), in support of its National Conservation Internship Program for college students interested in environmental stewardship careers.
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development, to provide organizational and program support at its annual conference.
- World Resources Institute, to continue its Greenhouse Gas Protocol and Principles for Sustainable Development of Renewable Natural Gas research programs.
- World Wildlife Fund, to build local capacity for tropical rainforest restoration and reforestation in Africa, Asia and Latin America through 10 Education for Nature Reforestation grants.
For more information about UPS’s corporate giving, please visit UPS.com/Foundation.
About The UPS Foundation
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation leads the global citizenship programs for UPS which includes philanthropy, corporate relations and community engagement in local, national, and international communities. In 2014, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $104 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/Foundation. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.
Kristen Petrella
404-828-4182
kpetrella@ups.com
