IBM has been a long time sponsor of Bay Day for the last 4 years. 2021 is the 3rd year IBM supports Bay Day as a title sponsor.

IBM is dedicated to being a good steward of the environment and has well-established, comprehensive environmental programs and goals that help conserve natural resources and reduce our impact on biodiversity and ecosystem loss.

For example, the following four IBM sites have achieved Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) Conservation Certifications for their wildlife habitat management and conservation education programs. This includes IBM’s two largest sites in California, which are in the Bay Area.

IBM Almaden Research Center: San Jose, California
IBM Silicon Valley Laboratory: San Jose, California
IBM Corporate Headquarters: Armonk, New York
IBM Research Triangle Park: North Carolina

Wildlife habitat management and conservation education programs at these sites range from maintaining nesting boxes for avian species and conducting semiannual bird counts to providing pollinator-friendly habitats and organizing employee nature and species identification walks.

In continued efforts to support ecosystem diversity and well-being globally, IBM has set a goal to plant 50 pollinator gardens at IBM locations globally by year-end 2023.

An important objective of this goal is not only to plant pollinator gardens but also to engage employees to help plant and care for the gardens. In addition, IBM is committed to not only fostering site-level habitat management, but also sharing habitat management and conservation knowledge with employees. In March 2021, IBM leveraged its 30-year collaboration with WHC to develop education materials on how to create pollinator-friendly habitats and provided it to IBM employees worldwide. Employees can reference these geography-specific Conservation Pollinator Toolkits to learn what plants are suggested for their region, including planting instructions, to start their own pollinator gardens at home, in their communities or at work. Pollinators are essential for maintaining a diverse ecosystem and a simple and effective way to support pollinators is to plant appropriate flowering plants that attract and provide pollinators with the habitat resources they need.

IBM would like to share the North America Pollinator ToolKit with anyone who is interested in planting their own pollinator garden. The toolkit will help determine the plants that are best suited for the soil and climate in your area.

Facebook has been a long time supporter of Save The Bay and an active participant in our work. From being a top Bay Day sponsor, to their commitment to using 100% renewable energy on their campuses, to a staff member serving on our Board, it is clear to see that Facebook is working to impact the environment in a positive way.

While the Bay Area is a host to many of the largest and most successful tech companies in the world, it is important to measure their success not only by what is profitable, but by how they choose to use their resources to better the community around them. Many companies have their area of focus when it comes to impact or corporate social responsibility initiatives, and Facebook has released a “climate commitment” aimed at driving more awareness around climate issues and motivating action.  

Mentionable initiatives toward achieving this goal include:

Water Stewardship and Biodiversity: An initiative that lies near and dear to Save The Bay, Facebook recognizes that water plays a major role in those that are affected most by climate change. From drought to flooding to lack of biodiversity from habitat loss, Facebook supports water restoration projects and is working to contract restoration projects at ⅔ of their most water-stressed data centers by the end of the year. Check out what Facebook is doing for the bees in Ireland.

100% Renewable Energy: Facebook vowed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 75% and support their operations to 100% renewable energy by the end of 2020. By investing in solar farms, converting their Menlo Park headquarters to 100% renewable energy and diverting 90% of its waste from landfills, and achieving high marks in LEED certifications (for green buildings), they are on track to meet this goal by the end of this year. 

Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2030: This year, Facebook has taken their promises to mitigate climate change further by committing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2030. With guidance from the Science Based Targets Initiative they aim to be a leader in the charge to develop science-based solutions for a zero-carbon future.

Carbon Removal: Over the next decade, Facebook is prioritizing nature-based carbon removal projects such as forest conservation, reforestation, and regenerative agriculture; acknowledging that reduction of emissions internally is challenging and requires investing in solutions that maintain the natural world. Check out their Climate Commitment for more detail.

Talking About Climate Change: Facebook is keeping the conversation going and raising awareness by continuing to provide access to resources centered around climate change through their Climate Science Information Center, a resource with information from experts and climate organizations with ways to take action.

If you would like to read more about Facebook’s climate action initiatives, check out their recent sustainability report. 

It is brave to take a stance on climate change at a time when it is very controversial, and that is why Save The Bay is proud to align with a company where together, we can create a Bay Area that is proactive about climate adaptation.

 Related articles:

https://www.engadget.com/facebook-sustainability-report-renewable-energy-220144722.html?guccounter=1

https://sustainability.fb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Facebooks_Net_Zero_commitment_September_Final.pdf