Month: April 2023

Originally published on GoDaddy Life

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career at GoDaddy.

Hi! My name is Christie Hammerle, and I work on GoDaddy’s legal team, handling employment and benefits matters for the company. I have been with GoDaddy almost six years — and prior to becoming a full-time employee, I was a contractor (on two separate occasions) for my current team! I fell in love with GoDaddy during my contractor days, and my appreciation for our people, our culture, and our company mission has only deepened. I can honestly say that I’ve never had a boring day at GoDaddy, and no two days have been the same. My role engages me, challenges me, and helps me grow as an attorney and as a person.

Can you share more about GD Green and your involvement with the ERG?

GD Green’s mission is: by raising awareness and educating employees about environmental issues, we aim to foster community, create change within GoDaddy, and inspire employees to make more sustainable decisions. This mission really resonates with me. In the last couple of decades, I’ve felt incredibly frustrated and defeated about widespread climate change denialism, and my eco-anxiety led to a feeling of helplessness. I didn’t want to let these feelings become a breeding ground for apathy, so I decided I’d look for steps that I could take to minimize my carbon footprint and my overall environmental impact. I’m nowhere near perfect in my efforts, but I refuse to let perfect be the enemy of good.

I am passionate about GD Green’s goal of inspiring employees to make more sustainable decisions. It has been so helpful to have a community of like-minded individuals with thoughtful views and helpful suggestions for incorporating additional aspects of sustainability into both our work and personal lives.

Do you mind sharing the statistic that speaks to you the most, coming out of GoDaddy’s latest Sustainability Report?

I did a stretch assignment in my department for the 2021 Sustainability Report that involved benchmarking how other companies account for, disclose, and take tangible steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I was thrilled when GoDaddy confirmed its commitment in the 2021 Report to reduce our scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2025. I was also very pleased that GoDaddy cemented its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by joining the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, anti-corruption, labor, and environment. It’s encouraging to see corporations stepping up for environmental progress under circumstances where global governments have failed to reach consensus on appropriate climate action.

What are ways you try to play a role in how we prioritize the health of the planet?

In the words of GoDaddy’s CEO, Aman Bhutani, “I try to be a little bit better today than I was yesterday” when it comes to prioritizing the health of the planet. I have a reverse osmosis water filtration system at home, so my family and I can avoid using plastic bottles; I also steer clear of other single-use plastics whenever possible, including by using compostable/biodegradable options (where single-use is the only practical alternative). Within the last few years, I have added solar panels to my home and exchanged my grass for turf. And this year I bought my first electric vehicle. I also live in a very walkable neighborhood, and I regularly walk or run instead of driving for small errands (knocking out the errand and exercising in one fell swoop)! Finally, I’ve significantly reduced my consumption of meat and animal products — and plan to be even better about that once my kids are out of the house.

I stay motivated to be mindful of environmental issues by focusing on the many positives: renewable power sources are soaring, and carbon-free sources supplied more than 40% of the U.S.’s total energy output last year. EVs are cheaper than ever with an increasing rate of adoption. And although we can’t “innovate our way out of danger,” some of the technological advances — including breakthroughs around carbon dioxide removal and seawater desalination — are exciting and give me hope for accelerated investment in clean technologies. And of course, I’m grateful to work for a company that has intentionally infused sustainability priorities into its business operations — including through its support of GD Green, whose members inspire and propel me.

“We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do.” –Barbara Ward, Economist and Writer

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The ongoing crisis in Ukraine has had far reaching impacts, including worsening a global food emergency affecting communities around the world. As a global healthcare company driven by our mission of empowering people to live healthier at every stage of life, we recognize the significant implications of this crisis and the need to respond both locally and globally.

That is why we are pledging our support to this effort, starting with a donation of $250,000 to an organization that has literally been on the frontlines in Ukraine from the beginning. World Central Kitchen, founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, is a non-profit organization that provides fresh meals in response to crises while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions. The group is often first on the scene, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises and has served more than 200 million fresh meals to people around the world. Most recently, they have worked in Ukraine and seven neighboring countries to provide meals and food kits to those suffering from interrupted supply of food and displaced from their homes. Ukraine used to be home to approximately 44 million people. To date, around 12 million residents have fled the war, and many millions are internally displaced. Access to food for many of those still in Ukraine and those who have left the country remains at risk.

We are honored to support WCK as part of our ongoing commitment to improving health worldwide.

However, Ukraine is but one example of where this crisis is occurring and where we will be focusing additional donation efforts. With Ukraine and Russia being significant providers of wheat, corn, rapeseed (used to make canola oil), sunflower seeds and sunflower oil to the rest of the world, especially for people living in low-income countries, the war has exacerbated the hunger crisis around the world. Access to food is a basic human right and a cornerstone of human health. Yet due to the combination of conflicts around the world, the pandemic, the climate crisis and rising costs of food and fuel, 828 million people go to bed hungry every night, according to the UN World Food Program.

Our priorities at Viatris during the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine have been the immediate safety and protection of our colleagues and their families and providing support wherever possible, including shelter, financial aid, resources, tools and other assistance. You can read more here about how our colleagues have been supporting each other in the region. However, as the war and human suffering continues, and the effects are felt not only by those directly impacted by the war but also far away, we want to continue to help. It is clear the current global food crisis is one battle that it will take all of us working together around the world to win.

In the video linked below from the Biomimicry Institute, viewers are introduced to one of the 2022 Ray of Hope Prize® finalists. The video explores how bio-inspired clothing technology is changing the game for environmentally conscious outdoor enthusiasts. While traditional outdoor gear relies on a combination of materials coated in non-degradable chemicals, Amphico has taken a page from nature’s book, creating textiles that achieve complex performance using simple, sustainable substances.

By drawing inspiration from the natural defenses of microscopic arthropods like springtails, Amphico has developed a non-polar fabric with nano, micro, and macro-level texturing that repels water, dirt particles, and harmful bacteria. Additionally, Amphico has reduced the environmental impact of the coloring process by mimicking the multi-textured surfaces of tiger beetles and butterflies, creating a multitude of colors using only four different-colored yarns.

This innovative bio-inspired clothing technology not only protects outdoor enthusiasts but also the environment they love. By making textiles easier to recycle and reducing the amount of freshwater consumed during the coloring process by over 80%, Amphico is paving the way for a more sustainable future in the outdoor industry.

Watch the video here.