Printer Friendly Page
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C)
October 15, 2007
Citibank & WWF Partner in “Plant Your Forest for Life” Program to Support Environment in Russia
A Forest to Be Planted in the Altai Region Courtesy of Citibank Russia Customers
More then 5,500 Citibank customers have enthusiastically supported the WWF’s “Plant Your Forest for Life” Program. In May 2007, Citi Russia gave its customers an option to switch from paper-based to electronic statements and, in doing so, contribute to wildlife and biodiversity conservation. The money saved on printing costs went directly to the WWF’s Plant Your Forest for Life Program, which will allow restoration of three hectares of unique forests.
Ten years ago the Altai Region saw a disaster of global proportions, when a fire wiped out almost a hundred thousand hectares of ribbon pine forests in one summer alone. These ribbon forests are a unique natural asset of the Altai Region. They are the key life support system for animals and local communities, creating an optimum microclimate and providing natural protection against sandstorms blowing in from Kazakhstan. The lives of over 1.5 million people depend on the survival of the forests.
The natural regeneration of these forests is a very slow and difficult process, and human interference here is absolutely necessary. In 2000, the WWF launched its Plant Your Forest for Life Program. With assistance from the WWF, Altai forest workers have been planting two-to-three-year-old seedlings and have restored more than 600 hectares of forests over six and a half years.
“We are very proud of the fact that our customers have so enthusiastically responded to the WWF initiative,” says ZAO Citibank president Mark T. Robinson. “We are pleased to work with WWF to provide this unique opportunity for our clients to support the environment.”
“The reforestation will require a huge amount of time and effort,” says the program coordinator Anna Alexeitseva. “We are very grateful to all those who participated in this program and helped restore another piece of the unique forest. The work is going on and we hope for future support from Citibank and its customers.”
The number of Citibank customers willing to contribute to the restoration of the Altai forests in such a way is growing, and Citibank is committed to continue to channel the money saved on printing costs into the WWF’s Plant Your Forest for Life Program. Any Citibank customer can cancel paper statements in favor of electronic ones in a matter of minutes on the website at www.citibank.ru and take part in the program. The customer will lose nothing, because an e-statement contains the same amount of information as a paper one but will be delivered much faster.
The Citi Foundation has been funding and carrying out, in close collaboration with local NGOs, both educational programs aiming to improve financial literacy and encourage microentrepreneurship, and local community support programs. Philanthropy, charitable work and financial support of public organizations are by far not all that Citi does for local communities. Its employees are active in different kinds of volunteer work from delivering financial literacy workshops to building playgrounds for children, giving drawing lessons or renovating orphanages.
# # #
Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citi's trademark red arc include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Citi Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.