Every year, climate records are broken in the worst possible way. Searching for solutions can feel overwhelming, but you have a billion people to back you up. Earth Day 2022 is today - April 22 - and more than a billion people will use this day as inspiration to make a difference, to speak out and to champion worldwide change.
At onsemi, we take sustainability seriously. We supply semiconductors that help facilitate the global transition toward a decarbonized economy, enabling large scale transformational commitments to climate change mitigation. We are serious about our products and about our operations, which is why we committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. We want to be a leader when it comes to climate change and sustainability in our industry and for our employees. That is also the reason I am here. My name is Kim Luu and I recently joined onsemi as Senior Director of Sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). In addition to the key work we do in enabling a transition to a low carbon economy through development of onsemi’s products, my team and I would like to provide you with a few other ways to get engaged and make an impact this year for Earth Day. So, let’s get started:
This year’s theme is Invest in our Planet. As EARTHDAY.ORG™ explains, “Private sector innovation (with public support) accelerates the kind of rapid change we need, like nothing else.” Our world needs our help this Earth Day (and every day)!
Rio Salado Volunteers
Let’s find out what a billion motivated, inspired people can do – here are a few ideas to get you started:
The world’s forests have lost about 20% of their coverage in the past 100 years but since 2010, EARTHDAY.ORG has planted tens of millions of trees with the Canopy Project. As they explain, “Reforestation is one of the most important and accessible ways that people can contribute to solving the challenges of climate change” - learn more about the Canopy Project today.
We have a big problem with waste. We produce vast amounts, but we don’t have a plan for how to safely deal with it all. EARTHDAY.ORG’s the Great Global Cleanup, is a worldwide campaign to “remove billions of pieces of trash from neighborhoods, beaches, rivers, lakes, trails and parks” - learn more about the Great Global Cleanup today.
Internally, onsemi is providing its employees with additional engaging and impactful ways to make a difference this Earth Day. Through our giving platform, Spark, powered by Benevity, employees are encouraged to take action with gamified and easy-to-complete activities called Missions. Missions help promote awareness, build new habits and encourage socially conscious behavior. onsemi’s goal is to infuse its culture with purpose and provide a richer experience for employees to amplify their giving, volunteering and community investment initiatives. Examples of Missions onsemi employees committed to include turning their thermostat down by a degree in the cooler months to save energy, carpooling to an event or work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and turning off the water while they shampoo for one week, which can save more than 20 gallons of water (assuming it takes a minute to lather up and they shampoo daily!).
As part of onsemi’s new Giving Now program, our employees can also donate their time to address environmental challenges, improve education and meet community needs. My team organized local in-person events for our employees at our headquarters in Phoenix in partnership with previous grantees in honor of Global Volunteer Month and Earth Week 2022. The employees packed School Readiness Kits with the Valley of the Sun United Way, cleaned the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area with the Arizona Sustainability Alliance and kept public lands clean at the Lower Salt River with Natural Restorations.
In addition to these in-person events, we organized global virtual volunteer events in partnership with Visit.org, including having employees volunteer to learn more on how to make a positive impact by practicing environmentally friendly habits for one month and meeting with a climate scientist to deepen their knowledge around climate change. In one of the online sessions, onsemiemployees learned about five focus areas created by Ecochallenge using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Each focus area contains 11 actions that individuals can take daily to integrate sustainability in their lives. Below are some examples of the actions promoted during our virtual volunteer event:
onsemi United Volunteer
Basic Needs and Security
Reduce animal product consumption
Make a zero-waste meal
Take a 5-minute or less shower
Health and Equity
Learn about gender diversity
Spend time outdoors
Practice mindfulness
Education and Livelihood
Engage in active listening
Plan a staycation in your community
Volunteer to tutor
Economy and Communities
Create a readiness plan
Connect with a nonprofit
Learn about and practice sustainable fashion
Climate and Ecosystems
Calculate your carbon impact
Reduce single-use plastics
Support local pollinators
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Interested in learning more about the individual actions you can take to be more sustainable this month? Check out Ecochallenge’s Earth Month Ecochallenge!
onsemi’s Giving Now program drives positivity forward by creating meaningful change for our planet and every community where employees live and work in around the globe. We are committed to helping our employees meet the needs of their communities in innovative and effective ways. For every donation of $1 USD or more made by an employee, onsemi will match that amount dollar-for-dollar, up to a maximum of $1k USD per year, per employee, to eligible causes. And in North America, employees also receive one day of paid leave annually to support causes that matter to them and onsemi donates $10 USD per hour (up to $1,000 USD per year, per employee) to eligible causes for each employee hour volunteered. These practices enhance the impacts our employees make, compounding the ways they can create meaningful change.
We hope to see you celebrating Earth Day in whatever way best fits you interests and circumstances. By working together and taking initiative to protect our planet today, we will create a better tomorrow.
