The UPS Foundation (NYSE: UPS) today announced a new environmental initiative with funding to help plant, protect and preserve trees in urban and rural areas in the United States and around the world.

Nearly $2 million in new environmental grants will be distributed by the Foundation. UPS is collaborating with some of the world’s leading environmental organizations to manage and preserve forests in the U.S., Belgium, Canada, Brazil and China. The company will provide both financial and employee volunteer support.

“Preserving the world’s forests is critical to reducing carbon, combating climate change and protecting the planet’s atmosphere,” said Ken Sternad, president of The UPS Foundation. “UPS long has sought to be part of the solution when it comes to the environment, and this combination of financial support and local UPS volunteers continues that commitment.”

Carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuel emissions and by nature creates greenhouse gases, considered a major contributor to the warming of the planet. Reforestation programs re-plant and protect tree species that can store carbon, mitigating climate change. Indeed, a recent study published in the journal Science found that in total, established forests and young re-growth forests in the Tropics soaked up nearly 15 billion tonnes of CO2, or roughly half the emissions from industry, transport and other sources. Trees also produce fossil fuel substitutes, such as biomass, and provide flood control and water regulation benefits.

Environmental sustainability is one of The UPS Foundation’s official philanthropic focus areas. Grants support organizations around the world; local grants are recommended by UPS employee committees, reaffirming the belief that global issues are sometimes best solved with local solutions.

New forestry-focused grants include:

• Earth Day Network will receive $235,000 to support a sustainable transportation/biodiesel environmental education project and four urban tree planting locations each in Europe’s Landers Forest and in the U.S.
• The Nature Conservancy will receive $500,000 for reforestation projects in Brazil and China, forest conservation in Canada and efforts to advance international climate standards.
• National Arbor Day Foundation will receive $150,000 to support for reforestation in Manitoba and the Boreal Forest of northern Alberta by planting 50,000 trees.
• The National Park Foundation will receive $200,000 to fund a tree planting initiative for the Flight 93 Memorial Project, a 2,200-acre national park in Pennsylvania built to commemorate those lost on September 11.

Again this year, the World Resources Institute was awarded $300,000 to support its "Green House Gas Protocol" initiative, a program to establish credible and effective emissions accounting and reduction programs. Funds also will support the New Ventures program, designed to spur environmentally-sustainable small and medium enterprise growth in key emerging markets. And Keep America Beautiful will receive $225,000 to be used for its continued support of the Community Improvement Grant program for local affiliates.

Additional environmentally focused grants were made to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, World Wildlife Fund, DonorChoose.org, Student Conservation Association and National Council for Science and the Environment. 

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. 

The UPS Foundation, now celebrating its 60^th anniversary, is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national and global communities. In 2010, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $95 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/foundation. To learn about UPS’s sustainability program and commitment to the environment, go to www.ups.com/sustainability.

UPS

UPS

UPS is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves 10.6 million customers daily in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.

For more information, please visit UPS.com or the company’s Sustainability website, ups.com/sustainability. View and subscribe to UPS Horizons, our sustainability newsletter, by visiting ups.com/sustainabilitynewsletter.

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