In the quest for a healthier planet, ecosystem restoration offers hope

Our collective environmental footprint is not a new topic area—but it is one that deserves more attention. Not only because the current rate of climate change poses an existential threat to all life on the planet, but also because it’s a topic that matters to Zendesk employees.

Surveyed last October, employee feedback informed four deliberate areas of social impact focus for 2021: Food Insecurity, Mental Health, Digital Equity & Inclusion, and Climate Change. Before proceeding, we had to stop and consider how a technology company could address and have a meaningful impact in each of these cause areas and how they align to our corporate values.

[Related read: The fight to end world hunger can begin with gratitude]

Our long-term corporate strategy and growth relies on a stable, productive society, and climate change increases the risks of poverty, social inequities, and political instability. We owe it to our stakeholders to be a leader in addressing the reduction of Co2 in our atmosphere, and preserving natural habitats.

Our collective environmental footprint is not a new topic area—but it is one that deserves more attention.

In the complex world of climate change mitigation, Zendesk has chosen to invest its money and expertise in organizations that rebuild ecosystems and restore natural habitats, as a means to reducing carbon emissions and promoting health and social equality globally.

Our commitments

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to taking action on climate change. At Zendesk, we want to contribute to the larger global effort to tackle big issues by aligning our work to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals initiative (SDGs). In total, our products, services, and social impact strategies are aligned with eleven of the Sustainable Development Goals, at the target level.

We're dedicated to supporting country-level climate goals and are committed to powering our offices with 100% renewable energy—an achievement we reached in 2020, one year ahead of schedule—and to reaching a carbon footprint of net-zero in our hosting operations by 2022.

[Related read: Zendesk’s Global Impact Report]

We also focus on reducing the waste generated in our offices and at our events, by educating our employees on recycling and composting through our social impact programs, and making more sustainable choices for all large internal and external events. Zendesk recently joined We Are Still In, a group of over 3,750 US companies mobilized in support of the Paris Agreement.

Because we believe that healthy ecosystems are a proven method for eliminating food insecurity, poverty, and social inequalities for millions of people, our corporate foundation, the Zendesk Neighbor Foundation, has committed to further investment in ecosystem restoration work to help reverse the effects of climate change.

[Related read: How community nonprofits shift focus to solve for food insecurity]

We’ve partnered with the following organizations: American Forests, Ecosystem Restoration Camps, Bush Heritage Australia, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to solidify our commitment to this cause. These organizations have all received grants from the Zendesk Neighbor Foundation that help them support their climate initiatives.