Shanghai, China (October 14, 2020) – Air Products (NYSE: APD), a leading global industrial gases company serving the China market for over 33 years, has embarked on a new community program to provide safe and healthy drinking water to schools in China. A launch ceremony themed “Caring for the Younger Generation” took place yesterday at the No. 2 Primary School of Xiangyuan County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province.
Partnering with Shenzhen One Foundation, a non-profit organization in China, Air Products donated 22 sets of water purification and dispensing devices along with reusable water containers to provide purified and warm direct drinking water to more than 12,000 students at 17 schools in Xiangyuan County. The donation was made through the Air Products Foundation which works with charitable organizations around the world that share the values inherent in the company’s higher purpose including enhancing the quality of life in its host communities.
“This is a very exciting program and is the first one in China supported by a grant from the Air Products Foundation,” said Simon Moore, vice president, Investor Relations, Corporate Relations and Sustainability at Air Products. “We are very pleased that the Air Products Foundation, combined with our employee volunteer efforts, are able to support important community programs in China like this one. We look forward to supporting additional worthy community projects in the future.”
Students take water from the new water dispenser.
As part of the program, the company’s employee volunteers will also offer the students science courses relating to water and gases, aiming to plant the seeds of a passion for science in the hearts of the young generation.
Air Products operates its first coal gasification project worldwide in Xiangyuan County to supply syngas to Lu’An Coal-based Clean Energy Co. Ltd. for the production of high-value chemicals.
VIPs jointly launch Air Products Healthy Drinking Water Community Program (from left：Air Products China Vice President and General Manager of Coal Gasification Joint Ventures Zhou Yufang, Air Products China Vice President-Government Relations Feng Yan, Shenzhen One Foundation Secretary General Li Hong, Shanxi Province Commerce Bureau Deputy Chief Zhang Xiaosheng, Xiangyuan County Governor He Siyu, Changzhi City Commerce Bureau Deputy Governor Wang Wei and Xiangyuan County Education Bureau Chief Qin Jianming）
Air Products has been actively driving and participating in a variety of corporate social responsibility initiatives under its community outreach theme “Working here. Living here. Giving here.” Its LIN (Liquid Nitrogen) Ambassador program, which is aimed at fostering the next generation’s interest in science and innovation through fun and safe LIN experiments, has reached more than 5,000 students and teachers in about 60 local schools in China. Other initiatives include research and development, best practice and knowledge transfer, campaign sponsorships, scholarships, internships and donations by collaborating with customers, leading local universities and other parties.
Sustainability is at the core of Air Products’ strategy. The company has recently announced a new Sustainability goal to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) intensity (kg CO2/MM BTU) by one-third by the year 2030 from a 2015 baseline. It set this new target as it closes in on successfully attaining a series of 2020 Sustainability goals. In China, the company has been supporting the government and industries on transformation and upgrade through its gases, leading-edge technologies and innovative solutions to improve energy efficiency, productivity and environmental performance.
Source : Air Products
