BNP Paribas Enhances MillionTreesNYC Initiative as a Lead Sponsor of the Citywide Tree Planting Project

Bette Midler Picture & Bette Midler Images

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – April 5, 2010) – BNP Paribas, the bank for a changing world, announced its lead sponsorship of MillionTreesNYC, a citywide tree planting initiative that is a key component of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s sustainability initiative, PlaNYC. This three year sponsorship builds on the bank’s previous support of the initiative in 2008 and 2009 when it sponsored MillionTreesNYC Month.

Through its sponsorship of MillionTreesNYC, BNP Paribas is proud to demonstrate its strong commitment to New York City, the home of the bank’s North American headquarters for over 30 years. BNP Paribas’ sponsorship supports the procurement and planting of trees, youth tree education programs, community outreach activities and public service announcement campaigns.

“We are proud that BNP Paribas and its employees have played a vital role in advancing MillionTreesNYC,” said NYRP founder Bette Midler. “We are thrilled that BNP Paribas is growing its support of MillionTreesNYC by becoming a lead sponsor as their partnership is critical to this important initiative. With their help, we are that much closer to our goal of planting and caring for one million trees across the five boroughs by 2017.”

MillionTreesNYC is a public-private partnership led by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and non-profit New York Restoration Project (NYRP). The initiative’s ambitious goal of planting one million trees will ultimately result in an increase of New York’s urban forest by more than 20 percent. To date, the program has already planted over 315,000 trees citywide.

“To further support our dedication for the city of New York, BNP Paribas is proud to expand our sponsorship of MillionTreesNYC, which is closely aligned with BNP Paribas’ long-term commitment to the environment and social responsibility,” said Everett Schenk, CEO of BNP Paribas North America.

“BNP Paribas is proud to become a lead sponsor of MillionTreesNYC,” said Michele Sicard, Head of Corporate Communications for BNP Paribas Americas. “It is a great opportunity to build public awareness and encourage our employees and all New Yorkers to plant and care for trees which bring so many environmental and health benefits to our city, its neighborhoods and residents.”

BNP Paribas is part of several key environmental programs such as the UN Global Compact, the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Equator Principles. BNP Paribas is a socially responsible business that finances the real economy while helping to protect the environment and combat social exclusion and discrimination. The group’s CSR performance is recognized by the inclusion of the BNP Paribas share in the leading Corporate Social Responsibility indices.

Please see www.forachangingworld.com for further information about BNP Paribas’ environmental, goodwill and educational initiatives.

About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is the Eurozone’s leading bank in terms of deposits, and one of the 10 most important banks in the world in terms of net banking income, equity capital and market value. Furthermore, it is one of the 6 strongest banks in the world according to Standard & Poor’s. With a presence in 85 countries and more than 205,000 employees, 165,200 of which in Europe, BNP Paribas is a global-scale European leader in financial services. It holds key positions in its three activities: Retail banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. The Group benefits from its four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. BNP Paribas also has a significant presence in the United States and strong positions in Asia and the emerging markets.

BNP Paribas Press Contacts:

Edwina Frawley-Gangahar – BNP Paribas Media Relations, New York +212-841-3719
Megan Stinson – BNP Paribas Media Relations, New York +212-841-3809

MillionTreesNYC Press Contacts:

Darin Johnson – NYRP Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Marketing +212-333-2552
Vickie Karp, NYC Parks Office of Public Affairs +212-360-1311