Citi Launches Environment-Friendly Financial Initiative

One of the world’s largest financial companies and the largest issuer of credit cards has made a serious commitment to the environment. Citi, a global provider of financial services, is running a sweepstakes with a number of “green prizes” for cardmembers who sign up for a paperless environment-friendly service offered by Citi. The press release from Citi read in part:

Citi Launches EcoSweepstakes to Promote Eco-Friendly, Paperless Online Account Management Services

In addition to the EcoSweepstakes for cardmembers, Citi will be raising environmental awareness by hosting a number of National Arbor Day and Earth Day activities, with employee participation, featuring local tree plantings and educational events:

Thursday April 24th: NYC School Tree Planting and Environmental Education program at local pre-schools. Children will get to plant their own trees in pots that they decorated themselves. Citi volunteers will be on hand to assist with tree planting and educational program.

Thursday April 24th: Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Children will get to plant their own trees in pots that they decorated themselves.

Friday April 25th: Employee events at Citi’s Long Island City, NY location.

Friday May 9th: MillionTreesNYC Event. Citi employees will plant trees in support of the MillionTreesNYC event in areas throughout NYC with the lowest tree canopy and highest asthma rates. “The trees planted through our relationship with Citi have provided multiple benefits for this and future generations,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “By planting trees, Citi is helping to make a difference in our environment.” “The Arbor Day Foundation is pleased to continue our relationship with Citi to plant trees and make a difference in the world,” said Kevin Sander, director of corporate partnerships with the Arbor Day Foundation. “The thousands of tons of paper waste reduced and the trees planted by Citi will have a tremendous impact. The EcoSweepstakes is wonderful encouragement to get people to ‘Go green.’”

Citi’s EcoSweepstakes runs from April 10 through May 14. Cardmembers will automatically be entered every time they complete the following, for a total of up to 9 entries:

Enroll in Account Online – 1 entry
Enroll in Online Bill Payment – 1 entry
Submit an Online Bill Payment – up to 4 entries
Enroll in Paperless Statement – 1 entry
Perform an Online Balance Consolidation – up to 2 entries Cardmembers are entered to win one of the following eco-prizes:

1 Grand Prize: choice of a Brand new hybrid car or a green home makeover
2 First Prizes: a trip for 2 to Lapa Rios EcoLodge in Costa Rica
10 Second Prizes: a year’s supply of organic, sustainably harvested coffee

In addition to driving overall online engagement, the EcoSweepstakes further supports Citi’s Plant-A-Tree efforts, which were initiated last year. For cardmembers that enroll in Paperless Statements during April and May 2008, Citi will plant one tree per enrolled account, up to 100,000 trees per month, through the Arbor Day Foundation. Since its launch in 2007, Citi’s Plant-A-Tree program has planted more than 1.2 million trees in national forests and communities in need.

Source: Citigroup.com