Tecnologico de Monterrey Named Part of Alcoa Foundation $8.6 Million Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship Program

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Alcoa today announced that Tecnologico de Monterrey will be one of three practioner partners in the Alcoa Foundation $8.6 million Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship (CSF) program that will support the study of global conservation and sustainability issues.

MONTERREY, Mexico — Alcoa today announced that Tecnologico de Monterrey will be one of three practioner partners in the Alcoa Foundation $8.6 million Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship (CSF) program that will support the study of global conservation and sustainability issues. The Alcoa CSF program includes the funding of research by 60 Academic Fellows from around the world.


Tecnologico de Monterrey was selected to participate in the fellowship program because of their outstanding reputation in the area of environmental stewardship and long standing commitment to conservation and sustainability. They are one of three practioner partners from non-governmental organizations (NGO's).


Alberto Bustani, president for Monterrey Metropolitan Zone of Tecnologico de Monterrey said, "We are very excited about this program, as only a handful of institutions around the world were selected. This will allow us the opportunity to transfer our experiences to other regions of the world. This transfer process is a very important part of Tecnologico de Monterrey's 2015 Mission and Vision." Bustani also emphasized the importance of interaction with professionals on matters such as sustainability.


The six-year initiative, fully supported by Alcoa Foundation, is designed to advance the knowledge and support for exemplary work in the field of conservation and sustainability through 60 fellowships to outstanding practioners at select NGO's. An additional 30 practitioners from academic institutions will also be part of the research efforts. Through 2009, the program will support research activities from around the world. The research initiatives and findings plus the knowledge and information gained from the Alcoa Foundation CSF program will be made freely available and shared with any interested party.


Alcoa CEO Alain Belda lauded the goals of the program, "Sustainability has long been at the core of our business model and has tremendous influence on the way we operate, products we make, and our overall thinking," said Belda. "Our focus and success will continue to be on the triple bottom line of environmental impact, social responsibility and economic futures and this Alcoa Foundation investment in the fellowship program further highlights our commitment to these ideals."


Miguel Angel Romero, director of the Center for Environmental Quality said that "this participation confirms the commitment that as Tecnologico de Monterrey we hold on working for sustainability. Also this is a great opportunity for our Center for Environmental Quality to share knowledge with other communities around the world."


The other practitioner partners are:


-- IUCN - The World Conservation Union - Gland, Switzerland
-- Tecnologico de Monterrey -- Monterrey, Mexico
-- World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - Washington, DC


Alcoa Foundation President, Kathleen Buechel, described the Foundation's Signature Program as "A great step towards reaching the goal of advancing the field of conservation on a global scale. Conservation and sustainability is one of the key areas of excellence for the Alcoa Foundation investments. We think it is vital that we promote sound public policy, research, and linkages between business and the environment."


Moving forward, Practitioner Fellows will be recruited and selected annually through an open global competition.


More information can be found at www.alcoa.com/sustainability.


About Alcoa Foundation: Established in 1952, Alcoa Foundation is a global resource that actively invests in improving the quality of life in the countries around the world where Alcoa operates. The Foundation's grants address global and local needs in Areas of Excellence that include: Conservation and Sustainability, Global Education and Workplace Skills, Business and Community Partnerships and Safe and Healthy Children and Families. Alcoa Foundation manages Alcoa's ACTION and Bravo! programs which recognize the volunteer efforts of employees with grants to the organizations they serve. For more information about Alcoa Foundation, visit www.alcoa.com, under Community.


About Alcoa: Alcoa is the world's largest producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers.


In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap(R) foils and plastic wraps, Alcoa(R) wheels, and Baco(R) household wraps. Among its other businesses are vinyl siding, closures, fastening systems, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 131,000 employees in 43 countries and has been named one of the top three most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.


About Tecnologico de Monterrey: Founded in 1943, Tecnologico de Monterrey consists of 33 campuses throughout Mexico, a Virtual University with presence in Mexico and other countries, nine representative sites in Latin America, and thirteen liaison offices throughout the world.


A key part of Tecnologico de Monterrey's mission is to educate citizens who are internationally competitive in their professional fields, and who are committed to the political, economic, social and sustainable development of their communities. www.itesm.mx


Source: CSRwire, Business Wire, Alcoa