The Foundation uses sustainability policies and practices to reduce its carbon footprint, while continuing to work with grantee partners to advance large-scale sustainable solutions to curb pollution, and advance clean energy.
The United States Green Building Council has awarded the Foundation’s Los Altos office LEED Platinum certification and the Foundation’s San Francisco office, LEED Gold. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) recognizes best building practices by assessing categories of environmental and human health impact, including water and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and sustainability of building materials.
The Foundation offers a commuter benefit program to its employees designed to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease traffic congestion by encouraging alternatives to single passenger and high-emitting vehicles. Financial incentives are provided for employees who choose low-emission options to commute to work, such as riding public transit, carpooling, or driving an electric vehicle.
The Foundation reports its greenhouse gas emissions to The Climate Registry. Measuring our emissions helps us identify ways to reduce our carbon footprint and improve our sustainability practices. To account for the emissions we generate while doing business, the Foundation purchases greenhouse gas emission offsets from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
We continue to advance sustainable work practices — recognizing that reducing our environmental footprint is an ongoing process — and support the transition to a clean energy future through our Climate and Clean Energy grantmaking.