The Nature Conservancy Thanks Audi for its Support of Voluntary Carbon Offsets Program

Through July 23, Car Company Will Donate $1 for Each New Supporter of the Conservancy’s Facebook Cause

ARLINGTON, VA — June 24, 2009 — The Nature Conservancy announced today that Audi has committed to help reduce carbon emissions by donating $1 to The Nature Conservancy’s voluntary carbon offset program for every Facebook user who joins The Nature Conservancy’s cause (up to $25,000).

The donation will directly benefit the Conservancy’s work to restore the Tensas River Basin, a project that counterbalances carbon emissions by reforesting private lands to capture and store carbon, as well restoring critical habitats to native species. Located in the Lower Mississippi Valley, the project will help to buy land, plant trees and monitor the carbon benefits of these actions.

"Reducing carbon emissions through protecting and restoring forests plays a critical role in fighting climate change," said Zoe Kant, manager of carbon markets at The Nature Conservancy. "Audi’s contribution will provide necessary support to our voluntary carbon offset program’s reforestation and forest protection projects, but it will also help us to bring the benefits of the project to a new audience of supporters."

Audi’s donation to the Conservancy augments the car manufacturer’s broad public awareness campaign in the U.S.

"Our engineers are always innovating to reduce our vehicles’ carbon emissions, and we’ve taken a giant leap forward with the introduction of the Audi Q7 TDI clean diesel this year," said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. "But our commitment doesn’t stop with our products; we want to promote reduced emissions through support of organizations like The Nature Conservancy, and also to spread the word about the benefits of reduced emissions."

To join the Cause and trigger a $1 donation to The Nature Conservancy, courtesy of Audi, visit www.causes.com/natureconservancy.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.