Innovative Endangered Species Challenge, Tatzoo, Launches

What do tattoos and saving endangered species have in common? An innovative project called Tatzoo, launched today, aims to combine these seemingly disparate interests to address declines in biodiversity in California. Tatzoo, supported by TogetherGreen, hopes to strengthen the biodiversity conservation movement by recruiting young leaders who will launch creative projects to help save local endangered species. The incentive for participants is the chance to receive custom artwork of the species being protected, drawn by one of 11 world-class tattoo artists.

Tatzoo is the creation of Molly Tsongas, an employee of Citizen Group, a San Francisco-based pro-social advertising agency, and supported by a TogetherGreen Fellowship from the National Audubon Society and Toyota.

“We are on the verge of the sixth greatest extinction in over 25 million years, threatening to kill as many as 30 percent of all species within my lifetime,” said Molly Tsongas, a 2009 TogetherGreen Fellow. “I believe my generation must unleash our fresh ideas, fearless attitudes, and social connectivity to tackle this crisis, starting with our local species and communities.”

TogetherGreen support will allow Tatzoo to focus its efforts on California’s biodiversity hotspots and 15 local endangered species, ranging from the lovable sea otter to the majestic California condor, to the tiny bay checkerspot butterfly. Several categories of species are represented, including mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.

The challenge to participants is to engage 100 people in the course of 100 days to help save a local endangered species of your choosing in California. You can find a complete list here: http://tatzoo.org/about/. How you engage your network is totally up to you. Some of the initial ideas that have been submitted focus on art, multi-media, and even brewing beer, a reflection of the out-of-the-box thinking Tatzoo – and, on a larger scale, TogetherGreen – is encouraging.

Individuals have until August 5, 2010 to submit ideas and vote for their favorite projects via Facebook. You must be between the ages of 18-35 and live in California to participate. A panel of activists, tattoo artists, and conservationists will review the top-rated ideas and select 15 finalists. The 15 people with the best ideas will be given a free Flip video camera, donated by Cisco, to document their journey and a real tattoo of their species at the completion of their project as a symbol of their leadership. The 15 Tatzoo projects must launch on August 8, 2010 and last until November 16, 2010.

“Molly is the kind of innovative thinker who can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,” said Audubon President Frank Gill. “Each of our TogetherGreen Fellows demonstrates exceptional environmental understanding and commitment, combined with tremendous potential to inspire and lead others. The Tatzoo project holds promise in expanding species protection in California by giving young people something they value so we are pleased to provide support for this innovative effort.”

Molly Tsongas is one of 40 individuals nationwide selected as a TogetherGreen Fellow. The TogetherGreen Fellowship offers specialized training in conservation planning and strategic communication, the chance to work and share best practices with gifted conservation professionals, and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. Each Fellow receives $10,000 towards a community-focused project to engage local residents in conserving land, water, and energy, and contributing to greater environmental health.

“I like the idea that this project will connect people in a very real visual and physical way to the specific species facing extinction,” said Jason Stein of Cyclops Tattoo, based in San Francisco. “Also, nothing grabs people’s attention like a fresh brightly colored tattoo.”

For more information, visit:
Tatzoo Website: http://www.tatzoo.org/
Tatzoo Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/tatzoo
Tatzoo Twitter: http://twitter.com/tatzooproject

A complete list of the TogetherGreen Fellows can be found at www.TogetherGreen.org/fellows.

About TogetherGreen
Audubon and Toyota launched the five-year TogetherGreen initiative in 2008 to build the promise of a greener, healthier future through innovation, leadership and volunteerism. To date, 80 environmental leaders-half from within Audubon and half from outside organizations-have received TogetherGreen Fellowships to protect land, water, and energy resources nationwide. For more information, visit www.togethergreen.org.

About Audubon
Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org.

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.

Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $493 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S.

For more information on Toyota’s commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/about/philanthropy.

About Citizen Group
This award-winning agency builds “citizen brands” by helping clients shape values-based brand strategies and brings them to life through compelling marketing campaigns and creative community initiatives that inspire, inform, and invite audiences to participate. Citizen serves a range of for-profit and non-profit clients and creates deliverables for all forms of media – including film, print, outdoor, online marketing, websites, social media, direct marketing, events, identity systems, and branded content. For more information and to view Citizen’s client portfolio, visit: http://www.citizengroup.com/.

Baxter Highlights Progress Toward Sustainability Priorities, Including First and Only Carbon Trust Certification for Medical Product, in New Report

Baxter Highlights Progress Toward Sustainability Priorities, Including First and Only Carbon Trust Certification for Medical Product, in New Report

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) today released its 2009 Sustainability Report – Our Priorities for a More Sustainable Future, marking the 11th consecutive year the company has released a sustainability report about its social, economic and environmental performance. The report features progress the company has made toward its sustainability priorities and goals, and its commitment to addressing global sustainability challenges through a range of initiatives, including advancing product stewardship through product carbon footprint certification and engaging employees in volunteer initiatives in their communities.

Baxter Highlights Progress Toward Sustainability Priorities
Baxter’s 2009 Sustainability Report – Our Priorities for a More Sustainable Future focuses on the company’s progress toward its sustainability priorities and goals, and features various initiatives and performance metrics.

Baxter’s sustainability priorities, grouped into the three broad categories of Our People, Our Operations and Products, and Our World, reflect issues of key concern to Baxter and its stakeholders and areas where the company is uniquely positioned to have a positive impact. Corresponding long-term performance goals demonstrate the company’s commitment, motivate continual improvement and help stakeholders assess performance. These goals include creating an inclusive workplace, strengthening math and science education, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation and water usage.

“Sustainability is an extension of our business and our culture,” said Robert L. Parkinson, Jr., Baxter’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Each of our sustainability priorities represents an opportunity to engage employees, as we collectively contribute to a more sustainable world and benefit our business.”

Initiatives highlighted in the 2009 report include:

• Decreasing water usage by 9 percent in absolute terms and 29 percent indexed to revenue compared to 2005;
• Launching the Global Supplier Sustainability Program, incorporating 20 green criteria into Baxter’s purchasing procedures;
• Achieving a third straight year of improvement in reducing cases resulting in days lost due to workplace injuries;
• Realizing environmental benefits at Baxter’s European headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, which uses nearly 80 percent less energy than a typical office building of its size due to green-building design elements such as natural lighting, roof-top solar panels and other innovative features; and
• Decreasing net greenhouse gas emissions from operations by 5 percent on an absolute basis and 26 percent indexed to revenue compared to 2005.

Links to additional information about the examples listed above are available via the online news release at www.baxter.com. Additional examples and data can be found in the company’s comprehensive 2009 Sustainability Report, which is aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines, available at http://sustainability.baxter.com. The report features in-depth reporting across key sustainability topics, including community support; employees; environment, health and safety; ethics and compliance; governance; and product responsibility.

First and Only Medical Product to Receive Carbon Trust Certification
As part of its efforts to advance product stewardship and sustainable practices in manufacturing, Baxter recently received Carbon Reduction certification from the UK-based Carbon Trust for FLEXBUMIN [Albumin (Human)] – the first and only albumin therapy in a flexible, plastic container, and the first and only medical product to receive this certification.

FLEXBUMIN represents an innovative combination of Baxter’s BioScience and Medication Delivery core competencies in bringing together a lifesaving therapy in a unique packaging system – the GALAXY container. Historically, albumin was packaged in glass bottles like Baxter’s BUMINATE [Albumin (Human)]. FLEXBUMIN received certification from the Carbon Trust based on a verification of comparative carbon footprint analyses combined with a commitment by Baxter to continue to decrease the carbon footprint of FLEXBUMIN during the next two years. The analyses were conducted in accordance with the BSI PAS 2050 Standard for product carbon footprinting and quantified the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the 50ml and 100ml FLEXBUMIN and BUMINATE container systems and transportation, from resource extraction through end-of-life.

“As the first and only medical product in the world to receive the carbon footprint certification from the Carbon Trust, it is clear that Baxter has a strong commitment to sustainable product design and manufacturing practices,” said Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust. “This certification reflects Baxter’s continuous commitment to further reduce its carbon footprint.”

The FLEXBUMIN container system offers several benefits to medical institutions and the environment. It has a 55-77 percent smaller carbon footprint than BUMINATE, depending on product size and geography, due to it requiring less energy to manufacture and its reduced weight, which decreases the energy required for transport. The product also requires 47-52 percent less storage space than albumin in glass bottles, depending on product size, saving space in both hospitals and pharmacies.

Engaging Employees in their Communities, Environment
By encouraging employees to volunteer in their communities and recognizing them for their efforts, Baxter has created a culture of active volunteerism throughout the company. During 2009, Baxter employees worldwide reported 159,000 hours of volunteer service, with more than 300 employees recording 40 hours or more, and an additional 500 Baxter employees recording 75 hours or more.

Baxter encourages employees to volunteer their time with local organizations that match their personal interests, and many choose environmental initiatives. In 2009, Baxter employees worldwide recorded more than 4,600 volunteer hours on local environmental projects. During the company’s second annual Baxter World Environment Week, held the first week of June to correspond with the United Nation’s World Environment Day, Baxter employees worldwide sponsored events that promote earth-friendly activities and sustainable living. For example, employees from Baxter’s Orth, Austria facility cleaned the river bank near the facility and held educational events that encouraged alternative forms of transportation. The global event demonstrates the integration of sustainability into Baxter’s culture and how the company’s collective efforts can make a positive impact on local and global communities.

About Baxter
Baxter’s commitment to sustainability spans three decades. The company is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and has been recognized by Corporate Knights as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World and by Corporate Responsibility magazine as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens. Baxter was also ranked first in the healthcare category of Newsweek’s inaugural Green Rankings in 2009. Baxter is a member of the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, the Business Environmental Leadership Council of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the Chicago Climate Exchange, the U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders, and the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. Baxter endorses the Ceres principles and is an organizational stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative.

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.

United Natural Foods York, PA Distribution Center Awarded LEED(R) Gold

/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – United Natural Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNFI) is pleased to announce that its York, PA distribution center has been awarded LEED® Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

The 675,000 square foot distribution facility is located at the Greenspring Industrial Park in York, PA and is the largest facility in the Company’s distribution network. Focused on efficient water and energy use as well as resource conservation, some of the steps UNFI took to achieve gold certification included:

• Over 60% of building materials sourced from regional suppliers;
• Diversion of over 95% of construction waste from local landfills;
• Building materials used during construction contained over 35% recycled content;
• Installing a cistern to store 20,000 gallons of diverted rainwater to use for facilitation of the center’s refrigeration system;
• Water use reduction of over 40% using motion-activated sensors and flow controls throughout the building.

“Our associates continue to make significant strides in reducing our impact on the environment by incorporating sustainability in all of our business practices. This LEED® certification is another example of UNFI’s commitment to utilizing environmentally-friendly design and construction practices,” commented Steve Spinner, UNFI’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“UNFI’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and United Natural Foods serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish.”

UNFI partnered with ARCO Design/Build, Inc of Atlanta, GA to provide sustainable design and site planning for the York distribution center, which commenced operations in the Fall of 2008. Jake M. Stefan, Vice President at ARCO Design/Build, Inc. commented, “UNFI and its ‘Green team’ is an incredibly dedicated and driven group that is deeply committed to extending environmentally sustainable initiatives. Their attention to detail and willingness to find the answers are what helped to make the project a success for all involved. UNFI sets an example for the industry by letting their actions speak for them.”

“Implementing new technologies both during construction and in building management is just one of the ways that we make sure we’re doing the right things for the environment even as we continue to grow as an organization,” said Tom Dziki, Vice President of Sustainable Development. “Over 70% of all electronic equipment and appliances in the York facility are ENERGY STAR rated. This and other technologies we’ve employed enable this facility to reduce lighting power density by more than 25% when compared with a typical building of the same size.”

The York distribution center is UNFI’s second LEED® certified distribution facility. In 2009, UNFI’s Ridgefield, WA distribution center was recognized with LEED® Gold certification. The Company is also pursuing LEED® Silver certification for its new headquarters in Providence, RI and LEED® Gold at a new 590,000 square foot distribution center that is being constructed in Lancaster, Texas.

USGBC is the nation’s leading evaluator of environmentally sustainable buildings. LEED® is an internationally recognized green building certification system and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

About United Natural Foods
United Natural Foods, Inc. (www.unfi.com) carries and distributes more than 60,000 products to more than 23,000 customer locations in the United States and Canada. The Company serves a wide variety of retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the food service channel. United Natural Foods, Inc. was ranked by Forbes in 2005 as one of the “Best Managed Companies in America,” ranked by Fortune in 2006 – 2010 as one of its “Most Admired Companies,” winner of the Supermarket News 2008 Sustainability Excellence Award, and recognized by the Nutrition Business Journal for its 2009 Environment and Sustainability Award.

For more information on United Natural Foods, Inc., visit the Company’s website at www.unfi.com.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding the Company’s business that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and management estimates; actual results may differ materially. The risks and uncertainties which could impact these statements are described in the Company’s filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including its annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2009 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed thereafter, and include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to successfully deploy its operational initiatives in the Canadian market; the Company’s dependence on principal customers; the Company’s sensitivity to general economic conditions, including the current economic environment, changes in disposable income levels and consumer spending trends; increased fuel costs; the Company’s sensitivity to inflationary pressures; the relatively low margins and economic sensitivity of the Company’s business; the ability to identify and successfully complete acquisitions of other natural, organic and specialty food and related product distributors; and management’s allocation of capital and the timing of capital expenditures. Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, speak only as of the date made. The Company is not undertaking to update any information in the foregoing reports until the effective date of its future reports required by applicable laws. Any projections of future results of operations are based on a number of assumptions, many of which are outside the Company’s control and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results. The Company may from time to time update these publicly announced projections, but it is not obligated to do so.

Companies Commit to Human Rights in Increasing Numbers

As representatives of over 1000 companies gather this week in New York at the United Nations Global Compact Leaders Summit, Realizing Rights and the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre have published a list of over 270 companies worldwide known to have adopted a human rights policy statement (see full list below).

During 2009-2010 Mary Robinson (President of Realizing Rights, former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) wrote to the CEOs of 100 companies, encouraging them to adopt a human rights policy if they had not already done so. The firms contacted are headquartered in: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Ghana, India, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania and Turkey. Many responded with an existing policy or intentions to develop one.

Every company human rights policy statement known to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is featured on its website:

www.business-humanrights.org/ToolsGuidancePortal/Policies

Those with policies include firms as diverse as Anadolu Efes (beverages, Turkey), Cerrejón (coal, Colombia), Ericsson (telecommunications, Sweden), Mitsubishi (automotive & other, Japan), Pfizer (pharmaceuticals, USA).

Mary Robinson said, “Business increasingly recognises the importance of respecting human rights. Human rights provide an internationally-accepted, comprehensive framework for managing a company’s impacts on workers, communities, and broader society. I congratulate those firms with policies and encourage others to follow suit.” Mary Robinson further elaborates on the importance of human rights policies in a statement issued this week, available here.

John Ruggie, UN Special Representative on business & human rights, recommends that companies adopt a human rights policy. Doing so is the first step in the “due diligence” process for respecting human rights that he has developed – followed by human rights impact assessments, implementation, and tracking/reporting performance.

The Resource Centre website links to guidance for business on developing a human rights policy, and to specially-written commentaries by experts who make the case for corporate human rights policies. They include:

Wambui Kimathi, Kenyan National Commission for Human Rights: “The KNCHR would like to see more businesses, especially those publicly listed in the Nairobi Stock Exchange, state corporations and big market leaders in various sectors, acknowledge their corporate responsibility to respect human rights by having a policy on human rights.”

Faris Natour, Director Research & Innovation, Business for Social Responsibility: “The vast majority of companies around the world still have not taken the simple first step of adopting a human rights policy. The time is right for these companies to do this, and there are many free resources to get started.”

If your company has a human rights policy statement, or adopts one in the future, please contact Business & Human Rights Resource Centre so that it can be added to the list:

• Christopher Avery, Director avery@business-humanrights.org +44 7946 147652
• Malena Bengtsson, Researcher bengtsson@business-humanrights.org +44 (20) 7636 7774

Companies known to have adopted a human rights policy statement* (as of June 2010)

*Companies participating in the UN Global Compact (UNGC) commit to ten principles, including principles one and two on human rights. On this list we do not include all UNGC participants, only companies that have a separate commitment to human rights (for example within a company code of conduct or as a stand-alone human rights policy). Incorporating human rights into company policies is one of the recommendations in the UNGC document, “Help Mark the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.

The list does not include policy statements that refer/apply only to a company’s suppliers or employees.