New York/Noida, April 24, 2024: Brazil-based Argilando, Canada-based No. 9 Contemporary Art and the Environment, and US-based The Longleaf Alliance have won the first edition of the HCLTech Grant Americas.
Launched in September 2023, HCLTech Grant Americas, a programme initiated by global technology company HCLTech, has committed USD 5 million in grants over five years to support Not-For-Profit organizations (NPOs) with innovative projects focused on combating climate change, restoring ecosystems and biodiversity across Americas.
Every year, three NPOs will be selected through a rigorous screening process to receive grants totalling $1 million. One NPO will receive USD 500,000, while two others will receive USD 250,000 each.
Among the inaugural edition winners, Brazil-based Argilando will receive the grant of USD 500,000 for their project Atitude Jovem. The project ignites youth-led environmental activism across Brazil's diverse biomes. Through comprehensive mobilization efforts, educational workshops and strategic planting of native trees, Argilando confronts climate challenges and promotes awareness about sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Canada-based No. 9 Contemporary Art and the Environment will receive USD 250,000 for using art and design to bring awareness to environmental concerns. Its project "Imagining My Sustainable Community" aims to increase awareness of sustainable design solutions in schools across Canada.
The Longleaf Alliance will receive $250,000 for their project, "Restoring America's Great Southern Forest through Climate Action by Empowering and Enabling Landowners" aims to restore 8 million acres of longleaf pine forests, in the US Southeast.
“Congratulations to the winners of the first HCLTech Grant Americas. Whether it is fostering sustainable design literacy or spearheading vast ecosystem restoration projects, these endeavours showcase a collective resolve to address environmental challenges with innovative solutions. We are delighted to support these projects as part of the collective effort needed to combat climate change,” said Dr Nidhi Pundhir, Vice President, Global CSR, HCLTech.
Since its launch, HCLTech Grant Americas has received a positive response from NPOs in Americas. Within 19 weeks of its launch, the program received 238 registrations and 91 eligible applications from all 10 target countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and the US. Through rigorous vetting, the top 10 applications were selected, followed by the HCLTech Grant Jury nominating the top three finalists.
HCLTech has a sharp focus on sustainability. The company is committed to becoming net zero by 2040 and reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030. Since the baseline year of FY20, the company has reduced per capita scope 1 and 2 emissions by 22%. It is the first India-headquartered IT services company to join the Water Resilience Coalition and endorse the CEO Water Mandate.
With a total of investment of over USD 175 million in CSR globally so far, HCLTech has helped transform over 6.5 million lives, brought 72,000 acres of land under green governance, harvested 76 billion liters of water and had a positive impact on 92,000 animals. HCLTech has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies 2024 and has been included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2024 for the second year in a row. Global environment non-profit CDP has recognised HCLTech with A-leadership rating for its climate change initiatives.
