Serving Our Planet: PG&E Coworkers Volunteer at State Parks, Outdoor Locations in April and May

By Tracy Correa Lopez 

Hundreds of PG&E coworker volunteers will help clean and preserve state parks, zoos and other outdoor locations in Northern and Central California throughout April and May. The annual volunteer campaign is part of PG&E’s longstanding commitment to the environment and serving our planet.

As part of a 25-plus-year partnership with the California State Parks Foundation, PG&E coworkers will take part in Earth Day Climate Action cleanup and beatification efforts at seven state park locations in April — from Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park in Sacramento County to Montaña de Oro State Park along the San Luis Obispo coast.

PG&E coworkers will be joined by community volunteers at the state parks events, which take place on Saturdays in April.

“PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation have been dedicated supporters of California State Parks Foundation for decades, providing millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours to protect and preserve state parks. We are thrilled to partner once again for 2024 Earth Day Climate Action and make a significant impact in building climate-resilient parks,” said Rachel Norton, executive director, California State Parks Foundation.

Last year, more than 150 PG&E volunteers rolled up their sleeves and volunteered at state parks — and that number does not include the additional family and friends that joined them. The volunteers spruced up trails and walkways, cleared trash, removed invasive habitat, and added native and beneficial plants.

PG&E’s Jason Glickman, executive vice president, Engineering Planning & Strategy, is an annual volunteer.

“Climate change is affecting our state in significant and often devastating ways, and our treasured state parks are not immune. At PG&E, we are focused on serving our planet and have a long history of programs and partnerships to protect and restore species and their habitats, and we also strive to be responsible stewards of the land we own. As part of our commitment, we are proud of our 25-plus year partnership with the California State Parks Foundation and working with them to preserve our historic parks so that generations to come can continue to enjoy their beauty,” said Glickman, who is also a California State Parks Foundation board member.

PG&E will also host 10 additional volunteer events exclusively for its coworkers through May 30 — extending what is typically the company’s monthlong Campaign for the Environment by an extra month. These events include joining Save the Bay supporting the nursery at Martin Luther King Shoreline in Oakland (PG&E’s hometown headquarters) to volunteering with Friends of the Dunes in Arcata (Humboldt County) for a project to remove invasive European Beachgrass and restore the beach.

Helping to heal the planet

Maintaining and preserving the natural beauty of state parks is just one way PG&E is helping to heal the planet. The company is committed to leading an equitable and viable clean energy transition that leaves no one behind.

In 2022, PG&E unveiled breakthrough commitments to help reduce carbon emissions and reverse the impacts of climate change as part of its comprehensive Climate Strategy Report

The report outlines the company’s path to become “climate positive” by 2050 — going beyond net zero emissions and actively reducing and removing more greenhouse gases from the environment than it emits.

Along the way, PG&E plans to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, five years ahead of California’s current carbon neutrality target, and has outlined clear milestones it plans to meet by 2030 in reducing emissions, adopting renewable energy, investing in clean transportation infrastructure and transitioning its natural gas system.