With the growth of online access worldwide, child exploitation has become a multi-billion dollar industry and among the fastest growing businesses on the Internet. The ability to use a variety of payment methods to purchase child pornography has made it easier than ever to exploit children. As one of the world’s largest payment processors, First Data is taking a major step toward helping to prevent this illegal activity.

In 2011, First Data partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and its sister organization, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), to launch a payments industry education initiative. Launched in 2012, the effort seeks to help the payments industry identify, develop, and implement best practices with the aim of reducing the incidences of commercial child pornography over the Internet.

With nearly 1,200 employees in Bad Vilbel and Nuremberg, First Data has a significant footprint in Germany.  To cover current energy demand for the two locations in an environmentally responsible manner, First Data is drawing exclusively on renewable energy produced from water power to provide all the electricity to its buildings. Through this renewable power supply, First Data saves the planet from more than 4,512 tons of carbon dioxide emissions at its Bad Vilbel location alone to improve and enhance environmental sustainability for the site.

First Data’s power delivery is validated by the European Energy Certificate System (EECS), a European regulatory framework for creating, measuring, and transferring electronic documents proposed by the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive.  With climate protection in mind, the goal of the directive is for EU member states to reach at least 20% of total energy consumption from renewables.

In September 2007, First Data became a portfolio company of KKR & Co. L.P. The following May 2008, KKR announced a ground-breaking partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) – a leading national non-profit organization with more than 700,000 members.

Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, known as the Green Portfolio Program, First Data pledged to measure and improve the environmental performance of our business. In 2010, First Data began actively measuring and managing energy consumption in our United States-based data centers and established a 2009 performance baseline.

In absolute terms, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from data centers in the U.S. have decreased approximately 4% compared to a 2009 baseline, while efficiency has improved approximately 15% (GHGs/transaction) during the same time period. The improvements in efficiency have helped First Data to avoid approximately $1.3 million in costs and an estimated 15,400 metric tons of GHG emissions since 2009.

More than 1,200 First Data employees live and work in Basildon, a community to the east of London. Conscious of energy usage and waste at their workplace, the employees of First Data established an Environmental Management System (EMS) in 2009 to improve and enhance environmental sustainability for the site.

In recognition of the newly implemented EMS system, First Data received ISO 14001 certification, which is an internationally accepted standard designed to address the delicate balance between maintaining profitability and reducing environmental impact. The EMS system includes the use of multi-function printers, placement of recycling bins in common eating areas, and installation of hand dryers in the lavatories.

Additional efforts around the globe include the use of electronic statements for all First Data employee cardholders of American Express; managed print systems in the U.S. to reduce energy, paper and ink cartridge usage; and the development of the First Data payroll card, which reduces paper usage by replacing paper paychecks in envelopes with reusable and reloadable cards.

As part of our commitment to invest in the people who make our company and country strong, First Data recognizes the sacrifices of our service members, as well as the values, leadership, dedication and unique skills that each individual brings to First Data.

First Data’s Corporate Veterans Program focuses on hiring, retaining, and supporting service members. Our military pay policy exceeds the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) requirements, in part by continuing employee and enrolled family members’ medical and life insurance benefits during deployments.

Throughout the years, First Data has been honored with numerous awards and recognition, including the 2009 Freedom Award, which is the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for the outstanding support shown to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

More recently, U.S. employees demonstrated their personal commitment to our service members and veterans by donating over $9,000, including a corporate matching gift, to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that helps injured service members and their families.

The INROADS program has placed over 60 interns at First Data offices throughout the United States to develop the diverse business leaders of tomorrow. Many of these internships have lead to employment opportunities at First Data in Omaha, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; and Melville, New York. Our partnership with INROADS expanded placement to Atlanta, Georgia in 2010.

First Data received several awards by INROADS Rocky Mountain Region office, including the Platinum Corporate Conversion Award, Platinum Intern Placement Award, Corporate Plus Award, Friends of INROADS Award, and the Executive Champion Award. These awards reflect our exemplary commitment to sponsoring high-quality student internships, providing full-time job placement of graduates, and donating office space, resources, and monetary gifts to support the mission of INROADS. Since 1970, INROADS has helped more than 38,000 high-performing, ethnically-diverse students prepare for success in their future careers through hands-on internships.