SC Johnson Launches Acre-for-Acre Match to Protect Amazon Rainforest
Company Invites Public to Help Save 10,000 Acres
RACINE, Wis., Feb. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SC Johnson, the maker of trusted household products like Pledge®, Glade®, OFF!®, and Ziploc®, today announced an acre-for-acre matching challenge to help protect the Amazon rainforest. The acre challenge is part of SC Johnson's partnership with Conservation International (CI) to support the new virtual reality film Under the Canopy.
Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/8031131-sc-johnson-conservation-international-under-the-canopy
"The Amazon rainforest provides a wealth of ecosystem services that are critical for the sustenance of life on this planet…everything from fresh water and fresh air, to carbon sequestration and extraordinary biodiversity, even tourism and recreation," said SC Johnson Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson. "It is not only worth protecting, it is a necessity. We are delighted to help CI educate about and protect Amazonia."
Experiencing the Amazon in Virtual Reality
CI's film Under the Canopy, which was recently previewed at the Sundance Film Festival, allows viewers to experience the wonder of the Amazon in 360-degree virtual reality. The film highlights why people need Amazonia to thrive, from its role as the world's largest watershed to the fact that its trees absorb carbon and help regulate climate.
"When a household name like SC Johnson acts to protect the Amazon rainforest, people take notice," said Peter Seligmann, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Conservation International. "With this new commitment, SC Johnson builds on a longstanding partnership with Conservation International to support conservation and sustainable development in Amazonia. Their investment in the rainforest is an investment in families everywhere."
The film can be viewed online at www.conservation.org/canopy, and those with virtual reality headsets can experience the powerful, immersive VR version via the JauntVR app.
Protecting 10,000 Acres of Rainforest
Beyond sponsoring the film's distribution, SC Johnson is raising the stakes with a challenge to consumers. For every acre of rainforest protected through the CI donation page, the company will provide an acre-for-acre match.
"Eight percent of the Amazon rainforest has already been lost to deforestation. We cannot let this continue. The consequences for people and the planet would be devastating," noted Johnson. "I hope many people will watch the film, experience the amazing Amazon, and be inspired as I am to make an impact for future generations."
Protecting an acre of tropical forest through Conservation International costs just $25. SC Johnson will match donations up to 5,000 acres. Donations can be made at www.conservation.org/protect.
SC Johnson, Deforestation and Brazil
As a member of the Consumer Goods Forum, SC Johnson shares its commitment to net zero deforestation by 2020 through the sustainable sourcing of pulp, paper, packaging and palm oil. The company has fully aligned with the CGF Pulp, Paper and Packaging Guidelines.
In addition, for more than a decade, SC Johnson has worked with CI and its REDD+ program to engage communities in conservation, safeguard forests and secure livelihoods. SC Johnson also helped protect two reserves in Brazil's Caatinga ecoregion in the 1990s.
This new effort with CI also fits with SC Johnson's commitment to reducing its own impact:
- Since 2000, SC Johnson has cut greenhouse gas emissions from its global manufacturing sites by 51.7 percent.
- One-third of SC Johnson production sites – including its plant in Manaus, Brazil, hold zero landfill status.*
- More about SC Johnson's sustainability progress can be found in the company's 2016 Sustainability Report, its 25th annual report on environmental and social efforts.
The Johnson family has a long personal connection to Brazil, as well. In 1935, third-generation company leader H.F. Johnson Jr. led an expedition up the Amazon in search of the Carnaúba palm, whose wax was the principle ingredient in the company's products at the time. In 1998, fourth-generation leader Sam Johnson and his sons retraced the historic expedition, finding along the way not just a love of the Amazon, but a remarkable new insight into the power of family.
About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 131-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com
* To achieve zero landfill status, SC Johnson manufacturing sites are required to reuse, recycle or eliminate material that would otherwise have been sent to a landfill. For waste that cannot be reused, recycled or eliminated, incineration and heat recovery may be an option.
SOURCE SC Johnson
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