Ashland will support the STEM youth engagement Nature Lab and the Plant a Billion Trees programme.
Ashland Global Holdings Inc. has announced that it intends to support the eco-friendly initiatives of the global conservation organisation The Nature Conservancy. The company will donate $25,000 dollars for the STEM youth engagement Nature Lab and another $25,000 towards the Plant a Billion Trees forest restoration project.
Nature Lab provides teachers, 5-to-18 years old students and families with customisable and interactive lessons and games (available also in Spanish) to explore and understand nature. The online hub hosts 550 scientists willingly to help students learn how nature works, while also inspiring young people and bringing greater equity to environmental education.
“Nature Lab is all about inspiring young people and bringing greater equity to environmental education. We want every young person to be able to find their place in conservation and to have the tools they need to advocate for change in their own communities and beyond,” stated Kate Ireland, the director of youth engagement at The Nature Conservancy.
In addition, Ashland is continuing to support the Plant a Billion Trees forest restoration programme: the donation of the company ensures that 10,000 trees will be planted in Brazil, China, Mexico and the United States of America. As mature trees can absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, the plantings supported by Ashland could result in up to 480,000 pounds of carbon dioxide offsets annually.
“There is no Planet B. We are a vital part of an ecosystem that must be protected for future generations. We believe increasing the number of students pursuing advanced degrees in STEM careers is vital to the health of the planet and to our long-term success as a company. We will continue working with partners to broaden the participation of women and minorities because the more diverse the team, the better the problem solving. Responsibly solving for a better world means innovating while being nature positive. It means doing business in a way that protects and conserves nature, while also giving back to the planet,” commented Guillermo Novo, the CEO of Ashland.
“Nature is the most powerful, ready-made solution available to simultaneously tackle two of the greatest crises facing the planet today: climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Planting trees is one of many natural climate solutions that, when implemented alongside global emissions reductions from clean energy, will play a vital role in stabilizing our climate,” added Bill Stanley, the Ohio state director for The Nature Conservancy.
Ashland had already announced that it was aligning its operations with the targets set by the Paris Climate Accord to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. The company has now also included the UN Global Compact and the surrounding principles as part of the its business strategy, culture and day-to-day operations.
“We have three core goals when it comes to ESG. We use our focused footprint around the world to have a measurable impact on our communities, we’re conscious of our actions and how we can, with others, use cutting-edge problem solving to impact climate and social issues, and we’re investing in STEM programs and partnerships to create the next generation of Responsible Solvers. When that strategy comes together, we can and will become a nature positive company helping others do the same,” concluded Guillermo Novo.