AT&T increases environmental investments

An electric AT&T truck
(Photo courtesy of AT&T)

Despite the economic downturn Dallas based telecom giant AT&T says it has increased its social- and environmental commitment. The company’s 2008 Citizenship and Sustainability Report released Thursday highlights more than $865 million in investments for education, volunteerism, and environmental programs.

“America’s future depends not only on the investments that companies like ours make in our people and our communities, but also on how well those investments drive us to be more competitive globally”, said Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO of AT&T.

Indeed. The company began deploying a fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles last year, and plans to invest $565 million in 15,000 additional alternative fuel-vehicles over the next ten years. It will also work with natural gas service providers to build up to 40 new compressed natural gas fueling stations.

“This investment is a first step on our part to help boost other industries while at the same time encouraging wider use and production of efficient vehicles and domestic fuel alternatives”, said Stephenson.

It is not the only green investment AT&T has made. The company recently installed solar panels in their San Ramon, California facility, and 10% of the electricity consumed at the Austin facilities comes from wind power. Recycling and reuse has also become a big thing and AT&T estimates that 14 million wireless devices will be collected for recycling by 2011.