HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 10, 2024 / The Baker Hughes Foundation announced Monday two grants in support of United Nations World Environment Day: a $310,000 grant to One Tree Planted and a $30,000 grant to Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF). Both organizations share Baker Hughes' vision of creating a more sustainable environment and society where employees live and work.
"It is paramount as a leader in the energy technology space that Baker Hughes helps the industry advance on the path to net-zero emissions and a sustainable energy future, and partnering with organizations like One Tree Planted and CELF can progress the planet towards a more sustainable environment," said Jim Apostolides, Baker Hughes senior vice president of Enterprise Operational Excellence.
Led by the United Nations Environment Program and held annually in June since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world. These grants support the global movement to foster climate education, biodiversity and global restoration activities.
The Foundation's fourth grant to One Tree Planted will support 12 urban forestry projects in cities around the world, specifically in vulnerable areas. One Tree Planted's mission is to reforest the planet, provide education and awareness around the importance of trees in the ecosystem, and inspire engagement and action. One Tree Planted has been a key enabler in the success of Baker Hughes' commitment to environmental sustainability, recently reaching a total of 1 million trees planted across 17 countries as a result of the Foundation's contributions.
"The Baker Hughes Foundation has been an impactful philanthropic partner in our reforestation and vital landscape restoration projects, funding 23 large-scale global initiatives to completion in three years," said One Tree Planted President and CEO Hank Lynch. "We are grateful for their continued support and look forward to addressing critical issues of tree equity, the heat island effect, and green spaces in under-resourced neighborhoods, through their commitment to our urban forestry program."
CELF was founded with the mission to establish sustainability as an integral part of every child's K- 12 learning experience. The grant to CELF will support a Houston-based program partnership that engages with over 2,000 students across Title 1 schools serving Houston's environmental justice communities through professional learning and student engagement programs. Through the multiple programs implemented, teachers and administrators will build skills for embedding environmental literacy concepts across subjects and engage with students in place-based inquiry projects, providing them with transferable workforce skills.
"Our CELF team is grateful for this renewed support from the Baker Hughes Foundation, which will enable us to further develop the energy pathway of our Civic Science: Inquiry to Action program. This support will allow us to connect more students and teachers in Greater Houston with their local green spaces, and with meaningful opportunities to investigate their energy consumption in order to identify actions they can take to improve efficiency and sustainability in their school communities," said Tara Stafford Ocansey, CELF executive director.
The grants align with the Baker Hughes Foundation's mission of supporting the communities where we conduct business and promoting environmental outcomes such as nature-based climate solutions and the advancement of education. The One Tree Planted donation also supports Baker Hughes' commitment to advancing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - SDG 15 to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. The CELF donation supports SDG 4 to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and SDG 12 to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
To learn more about Baker Hughes' work in supporting its communities, visit our Corporate Responsibility website.
About the Baker Hughes Foundation:
For 30 years, the Baker Hughes Foundation has been a steward of charitable resources for meaningful community impact. The Foundation seeks to advance environmental quality, education, health, safety, and wellness around the world by supporting organizations with shared values, demonstrated leadership, evidence of impact, financial soundness, and the capacity to implement initiatives and evaluate their success. The Baker Hughes Foundation makes strategic philanthropic contributions, matches Baker Hughes employee contributions, and awards volunteer recognition grants for outstanding employee community service.
About Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes (NASDAQ:BKR) is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward - making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com.
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SOURCE: Baker Hughes