Alcoa creates conservation program

Aluminium producer

announced yesterday, 25 January, that the Alcoa Foundation will donate $8.6 million to create the Alcoa Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship (CSK) program.

The program will fund the study of global conservation and sustainability research by leading international academics and non-governmental organisation (NGO) practitioners over the next six years. The research findings will then be made available to companies and NGOs worldwide in an effort to spur better sustainable development practices globally.

NGO partners include the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, and Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico. The London School of Economics and Political Science Centre for Environmental Policy and Governance is amongst the academic partners.

Initial studies will span projects in China, Kenya, Chile, Zambia, Cameroon, USA and Brazil.

"The overall goal of the program is to support the Fellows as they work to further evolve and develop the field of sustainability," says Alcoa Foundation President, Meg McDonald. "Our expectations are that the advancements and innovations that come out of the program will lead to the creation of a global interdisciplinary network that will help to advance the field of sustainability and lead to the adoption of best practice polices around the area of conservation."