Latest round of donations will provide more
than $859,000 committed to U.S.
organizations
MONROE, La., April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Drax today released
an annual report for its Drax Foundation and Community Fund that
shows more than $3.4 million has been
donated to support communities across Drax's global operations. The
renewable energy company focused on funding organizations that help
underrepresented groups, advance gender equality, and support
indigenous communities. Organizations that have benefitted from
Drax's funding include those that improve STEM education, access to
green spaces, and energy efficiency efforts in schools.
In the U.S., the Drax Foundation and Community Fund provided
more than $859,000 to organizations
in 2023, including community engagement projects that focused on
local wildlife through a partnership with Houston Audubon in
Texas.
"With the generous support of the Drax Foundation, Houston
Audubon can continue to lead the conservation action needed along
the Upper Texas Coast," said Pete
Deichmann, Land Director at the Houston Audubon. "This
will help protect our land as well as the migratory, breeding and
resident birds that depend on us for habitat protection."
The Drax Foundation also partnered with Texas Alliance for
Minorities in Engineering (TAME) providing more than $80,000 in grant funding which resulted in 160
students, the vast majority from a minority background,
participating in STEM programmes in the state.
"It's important that we give back to the communities in which we
operate and I'm very proud of the work the Drax Foundation has done
in its first year," said Will
Gardiner, Drax CEO. "The engagement with our communities
and partners has had a positive impact for a lot of people."
Some additional highlights in 2023 from the Drax Foundation
report include:
- Providing just over a quarter of its grants for STEM projects,
funding education and training for 70,300 children and 637 adults
globally.
- Providing money to help 20,860 people to access community green
spaces and to restore or protect 1,230 hectares of land.
- Providing money for local foodbanks, community sports teams,
resources for local schools and improved community buildings.
- In addition, Drax Group's Communities in Crisis Fund supported
seven disaster relief projects around the world.
"We are passionate about supporting diverse organizations, to
deliver STEM education for those who may not have traditionally had
access," said Gardiner. "And by improving green spaces and energy
efficiency in schools, we're making communities more sustainable. I
look forward to seeing the continued support we provide to our
communities through the Drax Foundation in the future."
To learn more about the Drax Foundation and Drax's community
efforts, visit www.drax.com/community.
About Drax
Drax Group's purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost
energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be
carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and
storage (BECCS) technology.
Drax's around 3,000 employees operate across three principal
areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to
business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply
to third parties. For more information visit
http://www.drax.com/us
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SOURCE Drax Group