The Netherlands on Friday, July 28, 2017 deposited its instrument of ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Photo credit: cnn.com
The northwestern European nation thus becomes the 156th country to endorse the global treaty, after Venezuela and Serbia, which ratified the climate accord respectively on Friday, July 21 and Tuesday, July 25, 2017.
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Netherlands’ ratification of the pact will enter into force in a month’s time on Sunday, August 27, 2017.
Previously, the Republic of Malawi on Thursday, June 29, 2017 ratified the pact, ahead of Egypt and Togo, which ratified the climate accord respectively on Thursday, June 29 and Wednesday, June 28 2017.
The Paris Agreement builds upon the Convention (UNFCCC) and – for the first time – brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort.
The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. To reach these ambitious goals, appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity building framework will be put in place, thus supporting action by developing countries and the most vulnerable countries, in line with their own national objectives. The Agreement also provides for enhanced transparency of action and support through a more robust transparency framework.
Several months after stakeholders gathered in Keffi, Nasarawa State to implement an enabling process towards the preparation of the Third National Communication (TNC), the experts convened once again last week in Kaduna to make progress on the realisation of the climate change-related proposal.
Director, Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Yerima Peter Tarfa (right), with CEO, Triple ‘E’ Systems Associates Limited, Prof Felix Dayo (left), and former Director, Department of Climate Change, Dr Victor Fodeke (middle), during the Stakeholders’ Follow-up Workshop Towards Preparation of Nigeria’s Third National Communication (TNC) to the UNFCCC, in Kaduna
For two days (from Wednesday, July 26 to Thursday, July 27, 2017) in the Kaduna State capital city, they brainstormed on ways to establish and institutionalise thematic working groups that will serve as the hub for the TNC data sources and possibly map out other areas for data collection. The occasion was the Stakeholders’ Follow-up Workshop Towards Preparation of Nigeria’s TNC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
A National Communication is an update prepared periodically and submitted by countries who are Parties to the UNFCCC on efforts they undertake towards combating climate change. This is to meet the ultimate objective of the Convention, which is “stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”.
Nigeria, which is presently preparing the third in the series of National Communications, at the Kaduna forum developed category and sub-category templates for activity data collection. Particpants also identified standby institutions that will regularly assist the Department of Climate Change of the Federal Ministry of Environment with information and the data flow.
Apart from increasing the understanding the content of the TNC, the forum basically served as a prelude to setting up the nation’s measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry Of Environment, Dr Shehu Ahmed, solicited contributions in order to set up a strong baseline of the TNC and come up with concrete recommendations that will help the country to easily access data and address climate change challenges it faces.
He said: “The climate change data set and developing the capacities of national and regional institutions and actors to design and implement policies and programmes is key to sustainable natural resources management.”
Dr Ahmed thanked the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its support and partnership, saying that, in compliance to Nigeria’s obligation as a Party to the UNFCCC, the First and Second National Communications were prepared and submitted to the UN body in November 2003 and June 2014 respectively.
He described the preparation of National Communications is critical, pointing out that it provides an opportunity to document the current climate change situation impacting the country, as well as the projected impact of climate change in the future.
“Without appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures, climate change could have an extremely harmful impact on the sustainability of the development process. As we are all aware, developing countries, including Nigeria, are extremely vulnerable to climate change and the Government of Nigeria regards the challenge of climate change as inimical to its national sustainable development; and, therefore, must be squarely addressed,” the Perm Sec noted.
The Director, Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Yerima Peter Tarfa, disclosed that three Thematic Groups of local experts from various sectors were identified and engaged to assist in sourcing data as it relates to the different components of the TNC report, which he listed to include: (1) the National Circumstances and Crosscutting issues; (2) the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Mitigation Actions; and (3) Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change.
“Preparation of NCs requires a fairly lengthy and interconnected series of tasks and fundamental decisions. Hence we realised that the inventory process should be planned, operated and managed well to ensure optimal quality and efficiency, given available resources. This is especially important as we produce the TNC and subsequent national inventories,” he said.
On the consequences of the effect of climate change, he submitted: “You are all aware that climate change has emerged as one of the most important issues facing the global community in the 21st century. It is expected to pose a serious threat to development and livelihoods, and the effects will be felt most strongly by the poorest people in the least developed nations of the world, who rely on the natural environment for their livelihood.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and civil society organisations (CSOs) have advocated for 0.5 per cent of the national budget be dedicated to the climate change fund.
Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki
The groups stated this recently in Abuja while making their submission at the public hearing on the Climate Change Bill at the National Assembly.
The bill is aimed at establishing a framework to ensure that effect of climate change is nipped in the bud through adequate policy formulation and implementation.
This is even as the National Assembly has expressed its support for the Climate Change Bill, noting that it is aimed at making the environment safe.
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, stated this while declaring open the public hearing on the Climate Change Bill at the National Assembly Complex.
Represented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Climate Change and Ecology, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Saraki noted that the initiation and implementation of the bill would make Nigeria and the environment a better place to live in.
He, therefore, called on experts and stakeholders in the environment sector to support the bill and make input for the good of Nigeria.
Speaking while making the presentation on behalf of the Labour and CSOs, the head of Climate Change Desk of the NLC, Hauwa Mustapha, reiterated that both the labour movement and CSOs are in full support of the bill.
According to her, the initiation of the bill was a clear demonstration of the seriousness of the government to nip in the bud the devastating effects of climate change.
Hauwa, however, said: “We are recommending that not less than 0.5 of the annual budget should be dedicated to the Climate Change Fund.
“This amount should be allowed to stand as a climate change fund apart from other annual contributions from ecological fund, green bond, individuals and corporate organisations.
“There should be specific part of private organisation whose mode of production has a link with climate change discourse. We should also recognise that there will be grants and other donors from within and outside the country.”
Speaking further, she said: “We are concerned about the status of the Council vis-a-vis the agency.
“We believe that in some point that the Council has been given too much power against the Agency; for instance, in the area of funds allocation. We believe that the funds for climate change should be domiciled in the Agency and not the Council. This is because by the definition of the Council, it does not have a statutory office as such; they are a pool from different MDAs. Therefore, the issue of funds should be resident within the Agency which will be an organised setting rather than the Council.
“We believe that there seems to be some existing departments or agencies that are doing some things in relation to climate change. For example, we are recommending that the current Climate Change Department should be expanded and properly funded to take over the function of the agency.
“In the same manner, we are also concerned in the area of exclusion; we suggest that gender should be mainstreamed through the process of implementation of either the council or the agency. The issue of gender should recognised and be properly engaged.
“In terms of funds, there is a mention in the draft bill about the budgetary allocation, but there was no specific mention of what that budgetary allocation should be.”
She also noted that the bill failed to recognise the need for job transition from the current status to the green economy.
“We are talking about movement from carbon emission production sites to green jobs and in this process, certainly, people are going to lose their jobs and at the same time new jobs are going to be created. Our concern is that this bill has not recognised the need for job transition from the current status to a green economy,” she reiterated.
Speaking earlier, the chairman, Senate Committee on Climate Change, Samuel Onuigbo, explained that harmful events such as gas flaring, bush burning, drought, desertification, floods, famine, damage to critical infrastructure significantly destroy the environment and ultimately affect the climate and threaten development across all sectors of the national economy.
He implored Nigerians to “remain steadfast and committed to the common drive to bequeath a user-friendly environment to the Nigerian populace especially on climate change-related matters”.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Serbia recently ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, bringing the total number of ratifications so far to 155.
Nicolás Maduro, President of Venezuela
While Venezuela deposited its instrument of ratification on Friday, July 21, 2017, Serbia did likewise several days later on Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Respectively, they are 154th and 155th Parties to the global climate treaty.
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Venezuela’s ratification of the pact will enter into force in a month’s time on Sunday, August 20, 2017, while that of Serbia becomes effective on Thursday, August 24, 2017.
Hitherto, the Republic of Malawi on Thursday, June 29, 2017 ratified the pact, ahead of Egypt and Togo, which ratified the climate accord respectively on Thursday, June 29 and Wednesday, June 28 2017.
The Paris Agreement builds upon the Convention (UNFCCC) and – for the first time – brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort.
The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. To reach these ambitious goals, appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity building framework will be put in place, thus supporting action by developing countries and the most vulnerable countries, in line with their own national objectives. The Agreement also provides for enhanced transparency of action and support through a more robust transparency framework.
The deliberate efforts of the Federal Government to reduce the widening housing deficit in the country have received another boost. The acting president of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, recently called for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to bridge the infrastructural deficit in Nigeria and other African countries.
Deputy Managing Director of Propertymart, Mr. Deji Fasuwon (left), with Federal Ministry of Housing officials: Deputy Director, Private Public Partnership (PPP), Arc. Tonye Igbanibo; Assistant Director (PPP), Akande Adetunji; and Chief Technical Officer (PPP), Batuk Lukman
Propertymart Real Estate Investment Limited has taken the bull by the horn by entering into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Federal Ministry of Housing to construct houses for middle and low income earners in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Deputy Director (PPP), at the Federal Ministry of Housing, Arc Tonye Igbanibo, who recently led a team to inspect the 10-hectare stretch of land designated to the project, charged Propertymart to commence work immediately, towards catering to the teeming populace in need of shelter.
He noted that the Housing Ministry is eager to see the project commence and completed for the benefit of Nigerians who are desirous of having their own houses.
While saying that the land is good for all forms of housing units, the Deputy Director stated that the Housing Ministry would support Propertymart in any way possible, ensuring the success of the project in order to reduce the sufferings of Nigerians resident in the FCT.
“We are waiting for you. You have seen the place and we are there to support you so that work can commence here immediately,” Arc. Igbanibo stressed.
Deputy Managing Director of Propertymart and head of the PropertyMart delegation, Mr. Deji Fasuwon, disclosed that his organisation entered into the partnership in order to enable middle and low level income earners have houses of their own at affordable prices and that the company went further by putting in place a suitable payment plan which will invariably help reduce the housing deficit in the nation.
He said: “This project is a direct partnership with the Federal Ministry of Housing in their plan to offer affordable mass housing.
“We realise that there is so much housing deficit in the country and the Federal Ministry of Housing is trying as much as possible to ensure that these houses are available to Nigerians out there.
“The government cannot do this alone by themselves, and that is why they have called on private developers to join them in ensuring the vision of the government is achieved.”
On the type of housing units to be constructed on the piece of land, Mr Fasuwon said: “We are planning to have different types of housing units, starting with bungalows, which will be very affordable to the people so that they will have something they can call their own. We are starting the project with two-bedroom bungalows.”
He disclosed that Propertymart has decided to make the payment arrangement simple and flexible so that many Nigerians can participate.
Mr Fasuwon added: “We have different payment arrangements for prospective beneficiaries. With as low as N75,000 or even N50,000, one can participate. The requirement is to make the monthly payment for three months and, in the fourth month, you make a lump sum payment and then you continue with the N50,000 payment for a period of three years. At the end of the three years, you must have finished payment and then you own your house.
“However, if you have the bulk money, you are able to buy at a lower rate. If you pay outright now, within six months of obtaining the final approvals, we would have delivered your housing unit for you.
“We are also talking to primary mortgage institutions to help finance off-takers who are desirous of taking mortgage facilities so that the period that they will have their houses delivered will be shortened.”
The cost of each housing unit for those who will pay at once, according to him, will be N4.9 million.
He, however, noted: “But if you want to spread your payment for a period of 36 months, you will pay a little over N5.9 million.”
“However, the development has been segmented into various schemes, such that purchasers will be allocated into the different scheme based on the period of purchase and payment. The delivery of the first scheme which is based on outright payment will not exceed six months.
“At Propertymart, we build to standard, and this project will not be an exception. And in line with our objective, the design, layout and quality of delivery will be befitting to the environment and also add value to our clients’ investments” he said.
He assured that, within six months, the first set of bungalows would be delivered to those who paid outright and the project will keep progressing until completion.
The 2017 International Tiger Day was observed on Saturday, July 29. Also called Global Tiger Day, the day is held annually to give worldwide attention to the conservation of tigers.
The Chitwan National Park in Nepal is famous for its extraordinary wildlife – including its Bengal tigers
The 2017 Global Tiger Day was celebrated with the theme: “Fresh Ecology for Tigers.”
Goal of the day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support from tiger preservation issues.
The Global Tiger Day was formed at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in the year 2010 in Russia to protect tigers from going extinct. Back then, it was also declared that the aim will be to double global Tiger population by 2022.
The seventh annual Global Tiger Day was celebrated in various ways around the world. Local events were organised in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India as well as non-tiger-range countries such as England and the United States.
Some celebrities also participated by removing their social media profile photos. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) continued its promotion of the “Double Tigers” campaign through investing in rangers. Several companies partnered with WWF to help raise awareness.
Tiger is the national animal for India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and South Korea. The population of Tigers are once widely spread across eastern Eurasia, from the Black Sea in the West, to the Indian Ocean in the south. 93% of tiger’s historic range has lost over the past 100 years. Only few species are believed to be left on the Earth.
According to conservationists, humans are the most significant predator of tigers.
A sourced said: “People kill tigers for fun and place the skin of tiger in their houses as a decoration. Bengal tiger is the most common subspecies of tiger. Approximately, 80% of the tiger population is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and India, and tigers have been haunted in those countries. The hunting of tiger is considered as a courageous act and trophies being collected as a symbol of valor and prestige.
“In China, person who managed to kill tigers is considered as hero and hailed to the general public. Due to these activities by public the percentage of tigers are decreasing day by day, still some people are killing those species in the name of hunting.”
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has strengthened momentum to tackle climate change in the second most populace nation by signing a key agreement with GCF’s first accredited Indian bank.
The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan (third from left), at the signing ceremony of Accreditation Master Agreement between NABARD and GCF, in New Delhi on July 27, 2017. GCF Executive Director Howard Bamsey is on extreme right
The signing by India’s National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of an Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA) has reportedly enhanced the bank’s role in channeling GCF finance across India.
Welcoming the AMA signing, Indian Environment Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, reiterated India’s commitment to address climate change and said his country can do more, with finance and other support.
In emphasising that GCF support should consider India’s development priorities, the Minister said: “We need to take cognisance of our population size and income inequality, and cannot ignore the basic requirement of electricity, housing, and food for the poor.”
AMAs are central to GCF’s partnerships with Accredited Entities, which propose and implement GCF-approved projects, as they set out the basic terms and conditions for financial disbursement. GCF approved NABARD as India’s first direct access Accredited Entity in 2015. These type of Accredited Entities are nominated by developing country governments to engage directly with GCF.
NABARD Chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala said the strengthening of GCF-NABARD ties by the AMA signing on Thursday, July 27, 2017 in New Dehli would “result in climate action at scale in India with a global demonstration value.”
“India’s commitments to the Paris Agreement – such as the clean energy target and our adaptation needs around water security, agriculture and ecosystems – offer significant opportunities for NABARD to partner with GCF,” he added.
GCF Executive Director Howard Bamsey said India has been acknowledged as a strong proponent of climate change action, and that GCF looks forward to greater engagement with the country as a crucial piece of the global climate challenge.
NABARD, currently managing $54 billion in assets, has given increasing prominence to climate change since it was formed in 1982 to promote sustainable and equitable agriculture by extending credit to India’s farmers.
GCF has already approved one project proposed by the bank to enhance the resilience of communities in the east Indian state of Odisha, by enhancing ground water reserves and using solar pumps to irrigate crops.
The torrential rainfall which started around 5am in most parts of Lagos State did not only take a roll on the local government election in the state, but also has raised panic among residents over looming devastating floods.
Nigeria is faced with the onerous task of stable economic development in pace with its growing population and with the huge infrastructural gap and inadequate finance.
Dr Peter Tarfa, Director, Department of Climate Change (DCC) in the Federal Ministry of Environment
It is widely recognised that climate change presents one of the greatest challenges of the world today. Its deleterious effect spreads tentacles over developing and developed countries, in particular, making their population and means of livelihood vulnerable. Nigeria’s huge infrastructural deficit in power, housing, roads, healthcare, port services among others, have contributed to a large extent in retarding the growth and development of the economy.
According to Adams Smith International, Nigeria climate finance refers to the funding of activities and projects which aim to achieve progress against climate objectives.
Climate finance has been recognised as crucial to achieving significant progress towards climate objectives, as this often requires large-scale infrastructure and the engagement of large portions of populations, both of which can require high levels of investment.
According to what Nigeria committed to in the Paris Agreement, Nigeria has embraced the issuance of green bonds as an innovative means and alternative way of raising climate finance. The country also planned to reduce emissions by 20 per cent by the year 2030, with the intention of raising the target to 45 per cent, with the support of the international community.
Our challenges and who is responsible for climate finance is a big question we all need to answer as we move towards the implementation of green bond. Climate finance comes from a wide range of both private and public sources and can flow domestically or internationally. Many developed countries have made concrete agreements to provide financial resources to assist developing countries in meeting climate objectives, recognising both that some countries have contributed to the causes of climate change more than others and that countries have different capacities to financially contribute towards climate objectives which is the mitigation and adaptation.
Adams Smith International recorded that Nigeria has leveraged $63 million of multilateral funds for climate change projects (Overseas Development Institute, 2015). This is broadly equal to that of Rwanda, whose population is roughly 7 per cent of Nigeria’s, and is just over a tenth of the funding approved for South Africa. Considering Nigeria’s level of GHG emissions, its vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and the amount of funding provided to developing countries as a whole, this is less than one might expect Nigeria to receive.
In the midst of the current uncertainties in the Nigerian economy and the country’s journey towards vision 2020 is noble, the issuance of green bonds by various levels of the Nigerian government or corporate entities will serve as a boost of the country’s economic deficit for infrastructural development and enhance its reputation for commitment to the environment, thereby making it attractive for both local and international financiers.
Meanwhile, the government needs to focus strongly on institutional policy changes and sector reforms. This is essential towards improving the investment climate capable of attracting private investors at the level that can meaningfully aim at financing the nation’s infrastructure deficit and meeting its strategic programme over a more attainable time line. Green bonds are veritable sources of funding needed to bridge Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit, such bonds will only be attractive to investors if the underlying projects are viable, properly developed and satisfy the bankability test.
That onus lies on government, professional advisers and other stakeholders to make a success of Africa’s maiden sovereign green bond and financing for the future.
By Olumide Idowu (Co-Founder, Climate Wednesday; @OlumideIDOWU)
The UPS Foundation, the philanthropic arm of UPS, has announced that it will award more than $7.7 million in global diversity and inclusion grants to 39 organisations. The grants will support economic empowerment, initiatives to empower women and girls, and, workplace inclusion.
Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation
“We are proud to partner with organisations that are innovating and making measurable impacts on the lives of people all over the world,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer at UPS. “The diversity and inclusion initiatives we are supporting will help advance the United Nation’s Sustainable Development goals and drive positive change to make the world a better place for this generation and generations to come.”
Among the organisations receiving grants are three non-profits that stand out in terms of their innovation and impact:
Graca Machel Trust, a pan-African advocacy organisation focused on women’s economic and financial empowerment, child health and nutrition and education, among other areas. Graca Machel is the former First Lady of Mozambique and the widow of Nelson Mandela. The UPS Foundation grants will support two key Graca Machel programmes: the Raising Voices for Women Cross Border Trading initiative to help women in West Africa, who comprise nearly 80 percent of the Cross Border Traders, formalise their business, and, the Women Advancing Africa Forum, which will be held in August 2017 and will focus on addressing economic imbalances in Africa.
Strive for College, an organisation that encourages students in public schools to apply for college and helps them find the money to fund their education. In 2016, 99 percent of Strive students went to college (most of them first generation college students in their families) and 89 percent required no debt for tuition. The UPS Foundation grants will help the organisation scale its programme to reach 100,000 low-income students this year.
The Peace Corps to support the implementation of the Let Girls Learn Project, a five-year project launched by former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2015 that aims to eliminate barriers to education for 62 million girls in 60 countries. In 2016, the programme reached 1 million people and resulted in 296 Let Girls Learn Projects in 39 countries and 628 volunteer-led projects in 56 countries. The new Administration will continue the programme under a re-branded name.
Additional grant recipients include the following organisations.
Economic empowerment grants
Expansion of Aspira of America, Inc.’s financial education program to 240 Latino youth and families by training and reaching 500,000 Latino households
Funding to expand the Council for Economic Education’s Centre for Economic and Financial Education, teaching financial literacy to more than 250,000 students in New York City
Support of the Cuban American National Council and its Financial Literacy and First Time Homebuyer Education Workshops
Development of Native Edge, an online business development and training ecosystem through the National Centre for American Indian Enterprise Development
Support for the National Urban Fellows placement of a Class of 2017 National Urban Fellow
Providing entrepreneurial skills development through the National Urban League, Inc.
Delivering career development and professional networking resources to disabled individuals, awarded to the National Organisation on Disability and The Viscardi Centre
Support for World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) to increase participation of young women and to expand the leadership potential and capacity of WAGGGS’s member organisations
Accion International to support the organisation’s work in Nigeria to bring high-quality, affordable financial services to nearly 750,000 individuals by 2020
Funding to assist Opportunity International, Inc. in expanding its financial and training services to reach more than 40,000 low-income Colombian women
Support of Catalyst for Women’s learning website, which provides leadership training and business skills to women around the world
Education empowerment grants
Improving literacy, school engagement, college readiness and youth development, awarded to CHOICES Education Group, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, and the National Black Child Development Institute
Offering scholarships for continuing education through the African Leadership Foundation, American Indian College Fund, Brigham Young University, Clark Atlanta University, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Inc., Morehouse College, Spelman College, the United Negro College Fund, Inc., and 100 Black Men of America, Inc.
Strengthening leadership and empowerment of students, awarded to the National Council of La Raza, Council of Independent Colleges, Girls Incorporated, Strive for College, and the Organisation of Chinese Americans
Inclusion grants
Contributions to the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing’s Knowledge Centre website, supporting 250,000 children
American Corporate Partners toward support for the mentoring programme for transitioning military veterans as they enter the civilian workforce
Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility for key events support
Support of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s website as a source of information on LGBTQ issues
Growing the volunteer network for the Special Olympics of Georgia, Inc.
Funding to support Braille literacy programming for the National Federation of the Blind
Executive Leadership Foundation supporting leadership development for high potential African American candidates
Paralysed Veterans of America (PVA) to support Operation PAVE, the PVA’s vocational rehabilitation programme; toward support for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games; and additional support
National Organisation on Disability (NOD) to increase employment opportunities for college graduates with disabilities through the Campus to Careers programme
Human trafficking prevention grants
Leadership Conference Education Fund toward its human trafficking programme and the creation of a toolkit to give individuals and organisations the power to confront trafficking in the U.S., and address the nature of trafficking as it affects people of colour and minors, particularly LGBTQ youth
United Way Worldwide Centre for Human Trafficking and Slavery toward a community training curriculum
