Month: September 2023

Originally published in the 2022 FedEx Cares Report

Rewilding natural forest in Scotland

Rewilding is a conservation strategy where trees naturally regenerate in a specific ecosystem, making them better suited to survive for the long term and therefore have improved ability to capture carbon from the atmosphere. For the past three years, FedEx has provided support* to Rewilding Europe, a nonprofit creating a nature recovery area in Scotland’s Affric Highlands. Our support helped create partnerships between conservationists and private landowners to balance farming and environmental needs and funded the development of new finance mechanisms for rewilding across Europe. This active step against the climate emergency is helping create a rich and diverse habitat for wildlife and people alike – for generations to come.

When corporate partners like FedEx speak to the value of rewilding – for carbon capture and biodiversity impact – it helps landowners unlock the potential of their land and the benefits of restoring nature at the landscape scale. 

Frans Schepers 

Executive Director at Rewilding Europe

Cleaning up waterways and beaches “down under”

190 employees and their families from FedEx Express Australia and FedEx Express New Zealand worked with Conservation Volunteers Australia to remove 209kg of litter from waterways, plant 8,500 seedlings, and free 1,500 trees from strangling weeds across ANZ. In total, volunteers dedicated 660 hours in cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Auckland.

FedEx is creating possibilities not only for our customers but for those in our communities. Our team members are passionate about making a positive impact and contributing to societal needs. Sustainability is a common social concern and our volunteers have been actively engaged in efforts at the grassroots level to protect our environment. 

Peter Langley 

Vice President, FedEx Express Australasia

Boosting “tree equity scores” across the U.S.

Communities of color and low-income communities in the U.S. have 33% less tree canopy compared to wealthier, predominantly white communities. Less tree canopy leads to higher temperatures, more polluted air, and greater health risks. Alongside nonprofit One Tree Planted and their Urban Forestry Action Fund, FedEx supported 25 urban forestry projects aimed at communities with particularly low tree canopies, including in our world headquarters, Memphis, Tennessee. Our team members worked with local organizations to plant over 100 new trees in Memphis and will support the planting of 2,500 new trees in total across the U.S.

FedEx is proud to help One Tree Planted launch their Tree Equity Fund, supporting our goal to help 50 million people by our 50th anniversary. Our event in Memphis will launch the planting of over 2,500 trees in underserved neighborhoods across 27 different communities, ensuring the health and environmental benefits provided by trees are shared by all. 

Rose Jackson Flenorl 

Manager of Global Citizenship at FedEx

* Donation was made by CAF America on behalf of United Way Worldwide donor, FedEx

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WASHINGTON, DC, September 19, 2023 /3BL/ – Today, Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture™ announced the annual update to its Climate Commitments Hub, which highlights targeted and aspirational commitments made by its members. This update showcases an increase in climate commitments from across Field to Market’s diverse membership sectors – affiliate, agribusiness, brands & retail, civil society, and grower.

Included in the update are climate commitments made by 126 of Field to Market member organizations – an increase from the 117 commitments found this time last year.

This update is launched in conjunction with Climate Week, as organizations from across the globe are coming together to celebrate achievements in climate action as well as explore new opportunities for continued improvement.

Field to Market’s Climate Commitments Hub demonstrates that organizations across the agriculture value chain are focusing greater attention on the changing climate, acknowledging the role their sector is prepared to play in driving lasting change.

“We are proud to see our members setting targeted and aspirational public climate goals and commitments to address climate change,” said Field to Market President Scott Herndon. “We must continue to find ways to collaborate to reach our shared goals, as no one organization can solve this challenge alone. We must work together to accelerate climate action in our agricultural value chain.”

By gathering commitments into this resource, Field to Market enables companies and organizations within the agriculture sector to benchmark their ambition with peers, drive greater climate performance, facilitate pre-competitive collaboration, foster additional research where needed, and promote transparency and accountability for these targets. It also provides the public an opportunity to view climate commitments by sector, exploring the progress organizations have made and what is left to be done.

Field to Market’s Climate Commitments Hub will continue to be updated regularly, with a published report to be launched biennially to reflect the current state of the industry’s commitments and progress.

ABOUT FIELD TO MARKET

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture™ brings together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, feed, beverage, restaurant and retail companies; conservation groups; universities and public sector partners to focus on defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, feed, fiber and fuel production. Field to Market is comprised of over 190 members representing all facets of the U.S. agricultural supply chain, with members employing more than 5 million people and representing combined revenues totaling over $1.5 trillion. Learn more at https://fieldtomarket.org.