Today is Earth Day, a day set aside to celebrate our planet and to raise awareness of the threat posed by environmental damage and the need to protect our shared home for future generations.
In line with our ethos of championing sustainability and giving back to our communities through both local and global campaigns, there are a range of events going on across Tokio Marine HCC (TMHCC) to raise awareness, raise funds, and to take direct action to keep our shared environment clean.
US and International colleagues have been taking part in a global EarthShare challenge. We have partnered with EarthShare Texas, a non-profit federation supporting environmental and conservation charities. From April 15 through April 26, employees are using the EarthShare app to log weekly green actions, such as using public transport rather than driving, reducing their power consumption in the home, going as paperless as possible or getting involved in carbon offset activities. As always, points win prizes!
US colleagues have been raising money for a range of environmental organisations, including:
In Houston, 40 colleagues are volunteering with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership in Buffalo Bayou Park later this week to help clean up trails, remove weeds, and pick up trash, all of which help keep this a vibrant natural area clean for locals and visitors alike to enjoy.
Activities have been taking place in other offices around the US as well:
Over in London, more than 30 colleagues volunteered with Hubbub, an environmental charity that brings businesses, organisations, local authorities and community groups together to inspire positive environmental action.
Colleagues braved the chilly waters of the River Thames to collect plastic and waste from the water and educated themselves on the problems of plastic pollution at a workshop when they were safely back on shore.
Elsewhere in the UK, 15 colleagues from the Bridgend office will be volunteering on Thursday, April 25 at the Amelia Trust Farm, a charity that provides support for disadvantaged and vulnerable people in a farm setting. In Leicester, on May 5, 18 colleagues will be volunteering for the Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood Charity, helping to conserve precious woodland for future generations.
Across the Channel in France, 15 colleagues are taking part in a half day workshop, delivered by Climate Fresk, to educate themselves further on the climate change challenge. This is the second such workshop the French team have taken part in.
This is just a taste of some of the activity that is taking place across our business and we are so proud to be one of the 150,000 organisations taking part across the globe today.