In honor of Earth Day, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) today announced the winners of its challenge to find potential solutions to climate change. The contest site on JustMeans.com received more than one million page hits, over 100,000 unique visitors, and created an online social network of nearly 30,000 stakeholders interested in "Changing Climate Change."
More than 100 nonprofit organizations from around the world submitted proposals to address climate change in four specific areas: threats to coffee-growing communities, transportation-related emissions, building political will, and empowering individual action. GMCR has named four nonprofit organizations that will each receive a $200,000 grant, payable over five years.
Threats to coffee-growing communities: The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) will use the grant to map forecasts of the impacts of climate change in coffee-growing communities and help smallholder coffee farmers identify, evaluate and implement adaptation strategies.
Transportation-related emissions: New England Transportation Institute, in partnership with the University of Vermont Transportation Research Center, will conduct an in-depth analysis of transportation patterns in the rural Northeast to help inform policy-makers on the likely adoption and ultimate effect of different transportation strategies on greenhouse gas emissions levels.
Building political will: Ceres will mobilize its business and investor partners to make the economic case for bold U.S. climate and energy legislation in 2009. These leaders will take their message to legislators and the media.
Empowering individual action: The National Parks Conservation Association will encourage and empower national park visitors to "Do Your Part" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Outreach will include dozens of national parks and their local communities, the web, and hundreds of schools.
The grants are part of Changing Climate Change, GMCR's company-wide initiative that also includes operational initiatives, employee incentives to reduce carbon emissions, and the purchase of carbon offsets.
"Working to protect the environment is one of our core company values," says Michael Dupee, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. "Long-term solutions to climate change will come from the combined efforts of all of us-nonprofits, for-profits, the government, and individuals. We're very excited by the potential these organizations and projects have to create positive change on this issue globally, as well as in our own operations."
Details of the winning proposals can be found on GMCR's web site at www.BrewingABetterWorld.com
About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR)
As a leader in the specialty coffee industry, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) is recognized for its award-winning coffees, innovative brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. GMCR's operations are managed through two business units. The Specialty Coffee business unit produces coffee, tea and hot cocoa from its family of brands, including Tully's Coffee(R), Green Mountain Coffee(R) and Newman's Own(R) Organics coffee. The Keurig business unit is a pioneer and leading manufacturer of gourmet single-cup brewing systems. K-Cup(R) portion packs for Keurig(R) Single-Cup Brewers are produced by a variety of licensed roasters, including Green Mountain Coffee and Tully's Coffee. GMCR supports local and global communities by offsetting 100% of its direct greenhouse gas emissions, investing in Fair Trade Certified(TM) coffee, and donating at least five percent of its pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects. Visit www.GreenMountainCoffee.com and www.Keurig.com for more information.
For more information please contact:
Sandy Yusen, Director of Public Relations
Green Mountain Coffee
866-968-2739
www.GreenMountainCoffee.com
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