Verizon Named to Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the Second Straight Year

NEW YORK, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second straight year, Verizon is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, which lists North America's leading companies as measured by governance, social and environmental performance.

The DJSI North America tracks the financial performance of the top 20 percent, in terms of sustainability, of the 600 biggest North American companies in the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index.  Top performers are evaluated by a variety of criteria including operational eco-efficiency, environmental reporting, codes of conduct, corporate citizenship, standards for suppliers and corporate governance.

Verizon received its highest scores for the company's work in privacy protection, corporate governance, human capital development and standards for suppliers.

"At Verizon we're focused intensely on seeing the whole picture.  That means, in this 21st century information age, ensuring that the communications innovation we bring to the marketplace is sustainable—that is, we pay attention to how our products and service can contribute to society's big issues as well as the bottom line," said Kathryn C. Brown, senior vice president for public policy development and corporate responsibility. "This focus is motivated by our deep values around doing business in a way that contributes to the prosperity of our shareowners, employees and the global, national and local communities we serve."

A responsible steward of the environment, Verizon's energy reduction and recycling measures reduced the company's CO2 emissions by more than 793 million pounds in 2009, approximately the amount of CO2 emitted by 46,700 homes in a year. The company also improved its rate of emissions per million dollars in revenue to 60.2 metric tons of CO2 in 2009, from 64.4 metric tons in 2008.

Earlier this year, Verizon's corporate responsibility efforts were recognized by Corporate Responsibility magazine, which named Verizon to its 100 Best Corporate Citizens List for the third consecutive year. Verizon is No. 27, up from No. 32 in 2009.

Verizon's latest corporate responsibility report highlights how the company's broadband and wireless technologies are tackling some of society's most pressing issues, such as education, health care, energy efficiency, accessibility and online safety.

Articles in the corporate responsibility report, the company's sixth, illustrate how Verizon is bridging the gap through innovation and creating new ways of ways of doing things that are making an enormous difference for people.  The examples cited include:

• Assistive Technology – Verizon launched TALKS™, a technology that converts text displayed on a screen into speech for visually impaired wireless customers, and launched a Nationwide Messaging Plan for deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers.  
• Education – Verizon Thinkfinity.org, a free, comprehensive educational website that offers tens of thousands of educational resources for K-12 teachers and parents to make learning fun and improve student achievement. The program emphasizes literacy, math and science.
• Health Care – To help health care providers tap the power of IT, Verizon has teamed with Cisco to deliver Verizon Telehealth Collaboration services. The system provides integrated audio, visual and video communications so health care professionals can provide care virtually anywhere, any time.
• Philanthropy – In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded nearly $68 million in grants to nonprofit agencies.  Verizon employees contributed more than 700,000 volunteer hours and donated more than $12.6 million, which was matched by the Verizon Foundation for a combined total of $26.1 million in community investments. Members of the company's legal staff also began offering free legal services to individuals in need and to nonprofit organizations.
• Smart Grid – In 2009, Verizon established an internal group to guide the growing number of initiatives across the company involving smart grids, which involves applying our network and information technology management expertise to help utilities improve the energy efficiency of the electric system. Verizon also joined a national effort to develop communications standards for smart grid deployment.

For more information about Verizon's commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen, visit http://responsibility.verizon.com/. To learn more about how Verizon is reducing the environmental impact of its operations and that of its customers, visit http://newscenter.verizon.com/kit/green-press-kit/.  

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 92 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon