The specter of climate change is growing closer and bigger with each passing day, giving observances like Earth Day and Arbor Day a new urgency. Building awareness is just one piece of the solution, but it’s an important one.
during a tree-planting event in Fairfax.
CGI’s Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles include a commitment to an environmentally sustainable world, in both the services we provide for clients and in encouraging our members to take part in individual and group efforts. In 2021, CGI pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions globally by 2030. CGI is on the road to net zero and has currently reduced emissions by 65% since its baseline in 2014.
In addition to the formal corporate initiatives to reduce emissions, CGI members continue to self-organize around efforts to create a more sustainable world. CGI members in several locations around the United States took part in activities to celebrate Earth Month and Arbor Day.
Barr Lake State Park, Colorado.
In April and May, several activities—some already complete, some happening soon—that CGI members are involved in contribute to the commitment to build a more sustainable world. They include:
- Invasive species removal and tree planting – Fairfax, VA
- Planting shrubs at a state park – Denver, CO
- Earth Day tree planting – Amissville, VA
- Embrace this Space - Lafayette, LA
- River clean up – Knoxville, TN
- Tree Planting at local park – Belton, TX
- Park revitalization – New York, NY
- Garden refresh – Hartford, CT
- River clean up – Richmond, VA
Take Your Child to Work Day
There are also sustainability lessons that took place at Take Your Child to Work Day on April 27 in various locations. We believe that educating and inspiring young people to take care of their environment will help to make them more conscientious as they grow into adulthood.
“Sustainability is not about trees, water, or the air we breathe,” said Martin Schwartz, a CGI Federal Senior Consultant based in New York. “It’s about how each of these contribute to our basic constitutional guarantees to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Environmental sustainability is about the global survival of people. CGI embraces its global leadership role in environmental sustainability as a responsibility to members, shareholders, clients, and beyond.”
Member education
Throughout Earth Month, CGI members learned more about our progress and how we’re helping clients across the globe achieve their sustainability objectives. Through our #OptIn internal educational series, CGI Federal’s Sustainability and Climate Change Lead, Dr. Mark Flugge, shared what CGI is doing to operate more sustainably and how we’re helping our clients across the globe do the same. We also provided weekly tips for living a more sustainable lifestyle through our internal channels.
Donations
As we have done in previous years, CGI Federal will plant a tree in honor of each member through a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation. This year’s 7,000 trees will be planted in North Carolina Umstead Research Farm
The Umstead Research Farm is managed by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Some areas of the farm carry the sustainably managed forest designation. They enable researchers to study best practices for long-term forestry management.
The Arbor Day Foundation will add new loblolly pines to restore forest cover. The new pines will provide improved wildlife habitat, help to sequester carbon, enhance water quality, and support ongoing research for sustainable forestry.
“We only have one planet, and each of us holds a responsibility to protect it,” said CGI Federal Director Theresa White. “When we bring together members from across CGI to share their passion for and dedication to the environment, we quickly identify things each of us can do—at work or at home—to better protect our planet.”
To learn more about CGI’s commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, download CGI's 2022 ESG Report.
