It's a good day to save the world

This year, the Earth Day Network (EDN), a non-profit organisation founded by the organisers of the first Earth Day in 1970, is launching a series of events and programmes to drive forward the movement.

More than one billion people in 192 countries will participate in Earth Day activities and events, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok also took the Earth Day opportunity to show its patrons how its kitchens can help the world.

A culinary sustainability initiative, Rooted in Nature, was launched as a month-long celebration of food purveyors.

Throughout this month, its kitchens highlight sustainable sources of produce, fish and meat. Diners can enjoy a special set menu featuring locally-sourced organic vegetables and fruits, fish, a range of poultry, as well as produce and herbs grown on the hotel grounds.

In its statement, the hotel said last week that it supports local communities including the royal project, that supply world-class produce organically grown in a sustainable environment, without pesticides or leaving a large carbon footprint on the environment.

The hotel wants to set a global standard for culinary social responsibility and to create a long-lasting commitment with the local community in the form of sustainable partnerships.

Last year, FedEx successfully saved 100 million gallons of jet fuel at FedEx Express and avoided more than 976,000 tonnes of carbon emissions under its fuel sense and aircraft modernisation programmes.

Since 2007, fuel sense initiatives have saved the company more than 330 million gallons of jet fuel, the equivalent of 500 Olympic-size swimming pools.

In its 2014 Global Citizenship Report (GCR), in its seventh year of publication, efforts to connect the world in responsible and resourceful ways were enlisted.

On environment, it improved vehicle fuel efficiency by 2.5 per cent, bringing the cumulative improvement to 29.5 per cent from a 2005 baseline. Having nearly achieved its goal of 30 per cent by 2020, the company expects to surpass and then revisit that goal this year.

To encourage and reward FedEx drivers for adopting fuel-efficient driving habits, the FedEx eco-drive programme has been implemented in 36 countries across Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe and the Middle East.

In China alone, the programme generated fuel savings of 134,778 gallons from January to May last year.

FedEx has opened two facilities that generate on-site solar energy, bringing the total to 11. Together, these solar facilities produced more than 8 million kWh of electricity, avoiding 3,145 tonnes of carbon emissions.

On community, FedEx contributed to the recovery of the Philippines in the wake of typhoon Haiyan in November, 2013. FedEx worked with Direct Relief, donating logistics facilities and experts to transport more than US$10 million of relief supplies to affected communities.

FedEx has worked with Safe Kids Worldwide since 2000 and continues to support the Walk This Way programme to raise awareness of pedestrian safety issues and make streets safer for children. 

Today, FedEx supports the Safe Kids programme in China, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Another key initiative in Asia-Pacific is the signature programme with Junior Achievement (JA), an NGO that provides students across the region with real-world skills through education.

Since 2007, FedEx has worked with JA to organise the International Trade Challenge, which educates students on international trade, business and economics through a mix of classroom activities and practical team-based exercises.

Last year, the programme reached 2,051 students in 242 schools in nine Asia-Pacific markets. Since 2007, almost 12,000 youths have participated in the programme.

"We firmly believe that any company shares a responsibility to take care of society, the environment we live in and the people we live and work with," Karen Reddington, president of FedEx Express for Asia-Pacific, said last week.

"The 18,000 FedEx team members in Asia-Pacific have all contributed towards our achievements in these areas, and this report reaffirms FedEx’s unwavering focus on responsible corporate citizenship."

This Earth Day, EDN calls upon citizens, educators, corporate leaders, governments and global organisations to take action under the banner "It’s our turn to lead".

This year’s celebration started with an e-discussion "Let’s Talk Climate: Innovative Solutions to Communicating Climate Change" earlier this month. This was aimed at bridging the gap between knowledge and action.

The Climate Education Week was at work from last Saturday until next Saturday. A free online climate education toolkit is available to grade-12 students around the globe.

Among other initiatives is "Green Cities". Recognising that local leaders and elected officials are on the frontlines of tackling environmental problems while also creating green job opportunities, EDN is calling on cities and their leaders to go 100 per cent renewable by 2050.

The canopy project was launched recently as part of its mission to protect natural lands. The project plants trees that help communities – especially the world’s impoverished communities – sustain themselves and their local economies.

It hopes that today, people around the globe will help it plant 10 million trees.

To mark the 45th anniversary, EDN also acknowledged that since 2010, over one billion acts to reduce carbon emissions have been registered.

"EDN aims to reach two billion Acts of Green by December 2015 and deliver this accomplishment at COP21 Paris as evidence that people all over the world are united in calling for a binding global climate agreement," it said last week.