Verizon Announces New Responsible Business Plan, Citizen Verizon, to Drive Economic, Environmental, and Social Advancement

What you need to know:

• Verizon is launching its responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon, which will drive business initiatives across the company to create impact and move the world forward though action
  
   
• To deliver impact on key pillars of Digital Inclusion, Climate Protection and Human Prosperity, Verizon pledges the following actions:
  • Provide 10 million youths with the digital skills training necessary to thrive in a modern economy and provide 1 million small businesses with resources to help them thrive in the digital economy by 2030
  • Become carbon neutral in its operations by 2035 by reducing emissions, investing in renewable energy and purchasing carbon offsets
  • Prepare 500,000 individuals for jobs of the future by 2030 by enabling opportunities through skills training
    
     
• Virtual Citizen Verizon Assembly will take place on July 28, bringing together thought leaders, activists, celebrities and business leaders to address how we accelerate social change at a time when it’s never been more urgent.   

NEW YORK, July 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Verizon announced the company’s new responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon, that will empower the technology leader to deliver on its mission to move the world forward by addressing pressing societal issues through action. Taking on the role of a citizen of the world with a responsibility to drive impact, Citizen Verizon lays out how the company will leverage its resources, technology and employees to drive economic, environmental and social progress.

Citizen Verizon builds on Verizon’s long-standing commitment to corporate responsibility, which includes creating a greener world and impacting over 350,000 students in low-income schools across the country through next-gen technology. Citizen Verizon focuses on three key areas where Verizon has a deep legacy:

• Digital Inclusion: Verizon will provide 10 million youths with the digital skills training necessary to thrive in a modern economy and provide 1 million small businesses with resources to help them thrive in the digital economy by 2030.  
  
  Using next-gen technology, Verizon is creating an education platform geared towards grades K-12 that will address the new hybrid learning models emerging from COVID-19. The platform will support district leaders, teachers, parents and students; enhance teacher resources with a focus on remote learning and expert tech guidance for districts; provide parents with digital literacy training; and offer engaging content for under-resourced youth. The online resource is an expansion of the company’s commitment to provide connectivity and technology to improve the lives of those who need it most by bringing the transformative power of the digital world to under-resourced schools, low-income communities and rural populations. Since 2012, the Verizon Innovative Learning program has provided over $535M in market value towards STEM education, helping under-resourced communities bridge the digital divide. Verizon is also supporting small businesses to be digitally ready today and into the future. By 2030, Verizon will provide 1 million small businesses with resources to help them thrive in the digital economy.  
  
  
• Climate Protection: Verizon has pledged to become carbon neutral in its operations by 2035 by reducing emissions, investing in renewable energy and purchasing carbon offsets.
  
  Additionally, Verizon's solutions enabled the avoidance of 8.8 million metric tons of emissions in 2019, equivalent to taking 1.9 million cars off the road for one year. Verizon was also the first U.S. telecom company to issue a green bond with nearly $1 billion in net proceeds for renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, sustainable water management and biodiversity and conservation. From deploying 24MW of additional on-site renewable energy by 2025 to planting 10 million trees by 2030, Verizon is committed to protecting our planet for future generations.
• Human Prosperity: Verizon will prepare 500,000 individuals for the jobs for the future by uplifting individuals through skills training and job advancement tools. 
  
  The advancement of technology requires new sets of skills to succeed in a digital workforce. To help prepare the most vulnerable and under-resourced communities for the jobs of the future, Verizon is leveraging technology to create a platform that provides digital tools and services to assist individuals in their path to employment; job advancement programs that equip vulnerable populations with the skills and mentorship they need to enter the future economy; and collaborative partnerships to advance the conversation around skills based hiring. This commitment builds upon Verizon’s upskilling and tech training programs for employees.

“With Citizen Verizon, our team is making a significant commitment to move the world forward through the power of action and technology,” said Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon. “There has never been a more critical moment to demonstrate the power of purpose. To continue being one of the world's technology leaders, we must address the economic, environmental and societal issues that are most pressing.”

On July 28, Verizon will bring together business leaders, activists and thought leaders for the inaugural Citizen Verizon Assembly: Charging Social Change Forward. The hour-long virtual event will focus on the importance of corporate responsibility to address the most pressing global economic, environmental and social issues, spotlighting Verizon’s new commitments through keynotes and panels with leaders from around the globe. The event will be live-streamed on on July 28 from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. EST. Participants will be announced soon.

The launch of Citizen Verizon comes on the heels of Verizon’s efforts to support its customers, employees, stakeholders and society amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, which reinforced the company’s commitment to addressing the most pressing societal issues. To date, Verizon and the Verizon Foundation have provided over $55 million in contributions and donations to COVID-19 relief efforts in the U.S. and around the world, supporting more than one million people, from small business owners and first responders to under-resourced youth, and building a more resilient society.

To learn more about Citizen Verizon visit .

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York City, generated revenues of $130.9 billion in 2018. The company operates America’s most reliable wireless network and the nation’s premier all-fiber network, and delivers integrated solutions to businesses worldwide. With brands like Yahoo, TechCrunch and HuffPost, the company’s media group helps consumers stay informed and entertained, communicate and transact, while creating new ways for advertisers and partners to connect. Verizon’s corporate responsibility prioritizes the environmental, social and governance issues most relevant to its business and impact to society.

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Media contact:

Emily Vicker

Bernadette Brijlall