11.03.2000 ET

(CSRwire) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week announced that AT&T received the 2000 EPA Climate Protection Award for its employee telework program. EPA’s award recognized AT&T’s exceptional leadership, personal dedication, and technical achievements in protecting the Earth’s climate.

Telework participation in AT&T reached an all time high in 2000. Over the past year, the AT&T employee telework program (established in 1992) avoided 110 million miles of commuting, saving approximately 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 5.1 million gallons of gasoline, 220,000 tons of hydrocarbons, 1.7 million tons of carbon monoxide, and 110,000 tons of nitrous oxide.

Recent innovations include team management within AT&T to find and replicate best practices; an intranet telework “portal” giving readiness assessments and links to AT&T resources; statistical telephone surveys regarding participation, benefits, and environmental impacts; a widely publicized “Earth Day is e-Day” event; and AT&T’s Telework Webguide where lessons learned are shared with the public (www.att.com/telework)

“At AT&T we are proud of our success in employing alternative workplace arrangements and appreciate the recognition for our efforts,” said Brad Allenby, AT&T Environment, Health & Safety Vice President. “AT&T’s telework technology allows our employees the flexibility of being able to balance their work and family lives, and gives our business the ability to recruit and retain talented and productive employees, all while benefiting the environment.”

The Awards were evaluated by EPA staff and judged by an international panel representing industry, government, and international non-governmental organizations. EPA made the final selection of award winners. AT&T was one of 19 individuals and organizations internationally to receive this honor in recognition of exemplary efforts and achievements in protecting the climate. Winners were from four countries: Hong Kong, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States.

To learn more about AT&T's employee telework program, including the latest research and information on starting or improving your own program, visit the AT&T Telework Webguide at www.att.com/telework.

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