May 7 - Southwest Airlines Co. announced it has donated to the National Forest Foundation (NFF) in honor of the Company’s 50th Anniversary. To commemorate this special occasion, Southwest® is working with NFF to plant 1,000 trees for each of the carrier’s 50 years of service. The 50,000 trees will be will be planted throughout California, Georgia, and Oregon, in an effort to help support wildfire recovery, restore native ecosystems, improve water and air quality, and reduce soil erosion. This $50,000 donation is being funded through the Southwest Airlines Foundation, a corporate advised fund housed within the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

 

Protecting the Planet for future generations is important to Southwest, and the Company encourages Employees and Customers to support these efforts by visiting swa.is/treeplanting. For every dollar donated to the NFF, the organization will plant one tree—supporting efforts to conserve the nation’s forest, watersheds, wildlife, and recreation resources. Every donation made through this site will also count toward Southwest’s one million Acts of Kindness challenge.

 

One Report Launch

Southwest also announces the launch of its annual corporate social responsibility Report—The Southwest Airlines One Report. This integrated citizenship report highlights Southwest's three-pronged approach to the triple bottom line of People, Performance, and Planet. The One Report highlights significant social, economic, and environmental events that occurred throughout 2020, all through the lens of citizenship.

 

New this year, the One Report includes expanded citizenship reporting. Since 2009, Southwest has reported on its citizenship efforts using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards. In line with Southwest’s efforts to continue providing transparency to its Stakeholders, 2020 marks the first time Southwest has also used the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) as guides for its One Report. This is in addition to expanding its previous GRI reporting.

 

“For 50 years, Southwest has connected People to what’s important in their lives by providing friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines’ Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. “This Purpose is at the core of our citizenship efforts and drives our desire to bring People together while being a good neighbor where our Employees and Customers work and live. Our ongoing work with organizations like the National Forest Foundation demonstrates one way we put our Heart in action, and there are many other great examples shared in the 2020 One Report.”

 

To view the 2020 One Report and learn more about Southwest’s citizenship efforts, including a video message from Gary Kelly, visit southwestonereport.com.

 

 

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