World Environment Center to Award 2021 Gold Medal for Corporate Sustainability to Microsoft
April 22, 2021 /3BL Media/ The World Environment Center (WEC) is pleased to announce that its 37th annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be awarded to Microsoft. The Gold Medal Award will be presented at a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.
Through a global competition, the independent Gold Medal Jury selected Microsoft’s application for integrating sustainability into the core of their business. The Gold Medal Jury selected Microsoft this year in recognition of the company’s strong sustainability record and ambitious commitments. The Jury recognized Microsoft for advancing global progress beyond its core business by its investment in carbon removal, its Climate Innovation Fund, and its public policy engagement on climate change.
In summarizing the decision of the Gold Medal Jury, Jury Chair Katherine Sierra, former Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank, stated, “On behalf of the Jury members, I extend my sincere congratulations to Microsoft for its thoughtful approach to sustainability impact. Microsoft demonstrates its strong commitment to be a carbon negative, water positive, zero waste company and its exemplary ambition to develop a Planetary Computer. These commitments coupled with a global supply chain have a far-reaching and positive sustainability impact around the world.”
In acknowledging receipt of the prestigious global sustainability award, Lucas Joppa, chief environmental officer, Microsoft said, "The World Environment Center's long-standing focus on corporate sustainability reflects the enduring nature of one of the most important issues we face. Although there is much work to be done for Microsoft to meet our 2030 commitments, I am heartened by the recognition of our ambition and progress to date, and hope that our efforts will encourage other companies to engage on sustainability. Reaching a net zero future will require a global effort; no one can go at it alone."
The World Environment Center’s Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development was established in 1985 to recognize significant industry initiatives in global environmental excellence and sustainable development. Recent recipients of the WEC Gold Medal Award are: Ford Motor Company (2020), Trane Technologies (formerly Ingersoll Rand; 2019) Ecolab, (2018), HP Inc. (2017), Jacobs – formerly CH2M (2016), SC Johnson (2015), Unilever (2013), IBM (2012), Nestlé (2011), Wal-Mart Stores (2010), The Coca-Cola Company (2009), and Marks & Spencer (2008).
The Gold Medal Jury is independent of WEC and its programs, and is composed of international leaders from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, and retired industry professionals.
About the World Environment Center
The World Environment Center, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices and operations in emerging and developed markets, is unique in its direct application of sustainable development strategies and practices to the business operations of global companies. WEC creates sustainable business solutions through individual projects in emerging markets; convenes leadership roundtables to shape strategic thinking across a range of sustainability topics with a specific focus on the preparation of business leaders to implement sustainability; and honors industry excellence through its annual Gold Medal Award. An independent non-profit organization, WEC conducts no advocacy activities. For more information, please visit www.wec.org.
