OREANDA-NEWS. More than 1.8 thousand Alcoa Russia employees took part in Alcoa Foundation's global Green Works initiative. Alcoa volunteers from Samara, Belaya Kalitva (Rostov Region) and Moscow dedicated more than 5,000 hours of their free time to improve the environment within their communities. Alcoa volunteers were joined by their family members, representatives of partner organizations, students of the local schools and members of the local communities.

Alcoa Foundation started Green Works initiative in 2011. Since that time Green Works events are held at Alcoa locations all over the world from April 21 till June 21. Within this period global eco-holidays, such as Earth Day, World Environment Day and Arbor Day, are celebrated. Green Works initiative focuses on Alcoa core environmental priorities to Reduce, Recycle and Replenish and aims to further develop environmental volunteering of the company employees.

Maxim Smirnov, President of Alcoa Russia: “It is vitally important for Alcoa to reduce the negative impact of its operations on the environment. The company set ambitious goals in this area and our environmental projects in the communities are part of this major work. The fact that they involve our employees in this work is principally important for us. We all strive to make the place where we live environmentally safe and to make the air we breathe clean. Participation in Green Works initiative gives us an opportunity to contribute to making this a reality”.

Samara:

• Volunteers from ZAO Alcoa SMZ together with students from partner schools planted more than 15 000 birch trees on the territory of Krasnoyarsky forest as part the Alcoa Foundation Reforestation Program in Samara region. The project was implemented in partnership with the Training Center for Ecology and Safety.

• Alcoa employees took part in the environmental events in Art School for children #16, in the Children Arts and Crafts Center (Kirovsky district), on the territory of child care center “Malyutka” (village Mekhzavod), boarding school #113, and kindergarten “Podsolnushek” (Sunflower).

• As part of the Alcoa Foundation Program “Trees in the city” 195 trees were planted in Kirovsky district of Samara. The project was implemented by the Training Center for Ecology and Safety.

Belaya Kalitva

• Alcoa Metallurg Rus employees planted trees in Park of People's Unity and took part in greening the city's residential area as celebration of Arbor Day.

• Alcoa volunteers improved the environment at the bank of the Kalitva river, Victory Avenue, the park near the home for elderly, the territory of the Multifunctional Social Center of the village Koksovy, the inside and the outside territory of the Veteran's Committee residence.

• Environmental events “Let's save the planet” were held in two pine forests.

Moscow:

• Volunteers of the Alcoa Moscow office planted over 100 bushes in Park Sokolniki. The event became part of the program of the all Russia festival of the ecological tourism and conservation volunteering.