The UPS Foundation, which leads global citizenship and philanthropy programs for UPS, announced it will award nearly $2.7 million in grants to preeminent environmental organizations worldwide. The missions of these organizations align with The UPS Foundation and the company’s environmental sustainability goals, which address creation of global standards and best practices as well as other issues such as renewable energy sources and reducing its absolute greenhouse gas emissions from global ground operations. This announcement comes after The UPS Foundation recently awarded $10 million in grants to 44 organizations that advance diversity and inclusion around the world.

The most significant grants will advance The UPS Foundation’s commitment to fund the planting of “15 Million Trees By 2020” in urban and rural areas around the globe. Last year, the program funded the planting of more than 2.7 million trees, bringing the number of total trees planted to over 12.5 million - 84% to its goal. Additionally, this past year two new countries – Austria and Nigeria – were added to the program. UPS has now planted trees in 56 countries around the world. Key partners include support for The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund’s Education for Nature Reforestation programs. 

Additional funding will go to The World Resources Institute (WRI) to provide continued program support for the development of the Science Based Global Greenhouse Gas Standards and Targets. These protocols and targets were used to help establish UPS’s 2020 and 2025 emissions, energy, fuel, and vehicle environmental goals. UPS will also provide support to WRI’s effort to scale the use of renewable natural gas production.

“UPS is committed to finding innovative solutions for today’s sustainability challenges,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer at UPS. “Through our partner organizations, we’re able to have a real impact on pressing environmental issues that we face every day. This latest investment allows us to help transform markets and change lives.”

In addition to The Nature Conservancy, the WRI and the WWF, The UPS Foundation awarded environmental grants to eight other organizations:

• DonorsChoose.org, to support environmental education classroom projects submitted by public school teachers in rural communities in the U.S.

• Earth Day Network, for the Trees for Communities project that will plant more than 500,000 trees in Mexico, India, Cameroon, Uganda and the Boreal Forest in Canada.

• Earthwatch, to support global education and research workshops as part of UPS’s Climate Ambassadors Program.

• Keep America Beautiful, Inc., to fulfill local tree planting grants and beautification projects, advance community education and engage UPS employees through volunteerism.

• National Arbor Day Foundation, for continued help with reforestation programs in Canada’s Boreal Forest.

• National Park Foundation, to expand support for the reforestation of reclaimed mining land at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Penn.

• Student Conservation Association (SCA), for assistance with its National Conservation Internship Program for college students interested in environmental stewardship careers.

• World Business Council for Sustainable Development, to support public private partnerships to enhance environmental sustainability.