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Listening, learning, and engaging are important acts of corporate evolution—a fact that's especially true on the environmental front, where issues are complex, interconnected and countless.

In developing our renewed environmental commitment we paid careful attention to comments received here on the Environmental Forum, as well as feedback solicited directly from our customers, senior leaders and team members. We also worked with Ceres to seek contributions from its team and its network of investors, environmental organizations, and thought leaders. All these opinions were necessary—after all, we wanted to be sure that our commitment was right for our customers, meaningful and forward-looking.

As promised earlier this year, this post highlights all the input we received while developing our commitment. The following table, developed largely with the help of Ceres, summarizes our dialog for you to review. We hope it's an indication to you that your input is important to us and that we're listening.

We hope you continue to share your thoughts, questions, and constructive criticism with us. As always, please let us know what you're thinking about the intersection of environment and finance in the comment section. Thank you!

Environmental Forum readers, you may have seen our Sept. 13 announcement about being included in Carbon Disclosure Projects's (CDP) Carbon Performance Leadership Index. The index recognizes companies for excellence in carbon disclosure reporting as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction performance.

We're certainly proud to be in the index, and congratulate all the other companies that are in the index with us. As a CDP signatory, we also appreciate the companies that have responded to the CDP questionnaire. According to CDP, 81% of corporations from the Global 500—the largest companies by market capitalization included in the FTSE Global Equity Index Series—and 69% of the S&P 500® companies responded to the CDP questionnaire this year.

Completing the CDP questionnaire is no easy task, but it's very worthwhile because it provides a framework for thinking about how climate change can affect your business. When I'm working on it, I can't help but think about how the questions are also applicable to individuals.

With that in mind, I'd like to take this opportunity to pose some of the survey questions to YOU. I've paraphrased a sampling of questions for individuals versus businesses.

Have you heard about the Wells Fargo Community? It's a great online forum that brings students, parents, college counselors, and financial advisors together so they can share their knowledge, advice, and experiences.

It doesn't matter what point you're at in the process—you can find all sorts of relevant tips and conversations about saving for college, finding the right college, choosing a major, or getting ready to join the "real world" after college. It's an easy and convenient way to get information, and no paper is exchanged. That means it's not only efficient, but environmentally friendly ... no more glossy brochures in the mail!

Today I'd like to introduce Billy Butler—a Wells Fargo online banking customer, member of WellsFargoCommunity.com and incoming freshman at University of California Santa Cruz—and Nathan Coles—vice president with Wells Fargo Digital Channels Group. Billy will share what influenced his college selection, while Nathan will offer tips to help parents reduce paper from the financing process. (—SR)

Billy Butler

I chose UC Santa Cruz because it is one of the most sustainable and eco-friendly campuses in the nation. UC Santa Cruz reduces waste through composting and, by so doing, diverts 50 tons of food scraps per month from the landfill and turns it into beneficial nutrients for the 25-acre organic farm on campus. The produce from the farm is used in the dining halls throughout campus, which feature Meatless Mondays, Beefless Thursdays, and Farm Fridays as a way to minimize the school's carbon footprint.

It's estimated that 20 percent of all produce served on campus is organic, and of that 65 percent comes from local farms. In 2008, all plastic trays were removed from the school's dining hall, which reduced cleaning-water usage by 1,000,000 gallons per year.

I like that there are water bottle filling stations positioned throughout the campus so kids don't need to use disposable plastic. And all of the information, including billing, is done through an online portal, eliminating all paper in what normally is a very paper-intensive process.

Billy was among a handful of teens across the United States who was invited to perform this past summer at The Kennedy Center as part of the organization's "What's Going On NOW" competition, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's album that focused on issues of the day, including war, race relations and the environment. You can watch Billy performing his original piece titled "Californian Summers" that resulted in his being named one of The Kennedy Center's 2012 Brave New Voices.

Environmental Forum readers: In case you didn't see the news from our ATM group earlier this week, we wanted to share it with you here.

In just a little over two years after introducing an e-receipt option at our ATMs, customers have used the service more than 100 million times! With this show of support from our customers, we've expanded our e-receipt capabilities making e-receipts an option in our stores nationwide.

From an environmental perspective, certainly reducing waste and minimizing potential litter related to receipts is important, but what's also important is the bigger opportunity this represents. With nearly half of our customers choosing e-receipts or no receipt at all, we're at the pivotal point where digital can soon be considered the norm and paper the exception. For as long as I can remember, paper has always been the default. Now that we're closing in on the 50/50 mark—with nearly half our customers choosing digital and half choosing paper—we have the opportunity to redefine the norm.

For example, paper statements, loan documents, disclosures, and brokerage materials can all be delivered digitally automatically. Customers who want paper can select it if they choose, but otherwise they would receive information digitally. And why not? Making the switch has the potential of saving vast amounts of paper in addition to all the environmental and economic costs that go along with manufacturing, printing, warehousing, distributing and then recycling it.

We're at a pivotal point and I'm excited about the opportunities ahead! You can help us gain momentum and help us tip the scales by choosing digital options whenever you can.

Earlier this month, digital news website Mashable released an infographic report proving that women are the primary social networking users in the U.S.—56% in fact. The post demonstrates that women are more likely than men to use Twitter and Facebook, and even to engage in online games. Women are also blogging more than men, which is certainly true of our contributing team here at the Environmental Forum, where about 70% of our bloggers are women.

Wells Fargo is supporting this trend by joining with BlogHer—the largest online community of women bloggers—and helping harness the talents of that engaged and influential group at their 2012 BlogHer conference, being held August 2-4 in New York City! We're thrilled to be a part of this event alongside all these talented women, many of whom seek and share savvy advice and expert-like recommendations online daily.

If you're attending BlogHer '12, please come say "Hello!" at our booth (provide number/location)! In the meantime, learn more about all the great things we have planned for the event on our sister blog, Beyond Today.

And we'll see you in New York!

Today, Wells Fargo celebrates the 5th anniversary of its mobile banking service. To commemorate this milestone, we invited Brian Pearce, senior vice president and head of the retail mobile channel in Wells Fargo's Digital Channels Group, to share how mobile banking can help us all be a little "greener." (—SR)

I am constantly amazed at how much things have changed in the past five years. When Wells Fargo launched mobile banking in 2007, the iPhone had just been introduced and mobile access was spotty.

Today, mobile technology is much more sophisticated. We see a proliferation of mobile devices. According to Pew Research, nearly half the country uses a smartphone, and mobile access has improved significantly. This affords us the opportunity to develop more mature mobile banking products, such as bill pay, alerts and money transfers.

Not only does this kind of banking innovation help customers achieve their financial goals, it also helps them reduce their environmental footprint. Before this, customers had to drive to a Wells Fargo store to conduct transactions, fill out a deposit slip, and collect a receipt—steps that all have an impact on the environment.

Now, customers can conduct these transactions from their mobile devices, saving time and money on gasoline and paper, for example.

I still remember my first mobile banking "Aha moment": I was on a road trip with my wife nowhere near a Wells Fargo store when I remembered I hadn't transferred money to cover a scheduled payment. I was able to login through my mobile device and transfer funds between accounts—no detour to a store required.

Since then, I conduct as many transactions through mobile and online banking as possible in order to be more efficient and greener.

Customers often share similar stories with me. Take Curt Fissel, a Wells Fargo online banking customer and award-winning videographer and photographer who frequently travels for work. Curt's job has taken him to far-flung places like the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda where he interacted with rare Silverback Mountain gorillas—their population is estimated at less than 800 worldwide.

For Curt, mobile and online banking allows him to pay bills, check transactions, and receive alerts from virtually anywhere in the world, giving him peace of mind so he can focus on producing documentaries and images that capture the beauty of our planet.

I encourage everyone to think about how they can incorporate mobile banking into their lives to stay on top of finances and help the environment.

Tell us how you use mobile banking to stay "green." What is your favorite mobile banking feature?

The summer travel season is a time to unplug from the real world but it doesn't mean you have to come unplugged! With online and mobile banking, it's easy to keep track and manage household bills and track your money on the go while feeling good about the steps you are taking to help preserve the planet you are off exploring.

With that in mind, please allow me to introduce today's guest blogger, Luke Johnstone! As the vice president of our Product Marketing for Online Services in the Online Sales and Marketing Group, Luke criss-crosses the globe regularly, and uses online and mobile banking to stay on top of his finances while being sensitive to his environmental footprint. (—SR)

Over the course of my career, my full-time job as a banker as well as my side-job as a DJ has taken me to all corners of the world. I have had some great experiences and an opportunity to see some amazing places. But like any job that requires a lot of travel, it doesn't leave much time to take care of the day-to-day stuff, like managing finances, which is why being able to manage my money on the go is so important.

I use Online Banking and Bill Pay almost exclusively. Not only does it mean I don't have to order checks, buy stamps, or use paper unnecessarily, but it's so convenient and I am constantly amazed the places I can now get access to my account.

On a recent trip to Bhutan in the Himalayas, 3 days into a 5 day trek we were camped at 8000 feet above sea level and I suddenly remembered that I hadn't left enough money in my account to cover my credit card bill. I was amazed that I had reception on my phone and so grateful I was able to connect to mobile banking and transfer the money.

Lately I've been having a lot of bird's-eye view conversations about Wells Fargo's LEED® Standardization program and realizing that we've been so focused on the grindstone that we haven't taken a moment to truly assess our progress.

Well, today I'm going to share with you where we've been, where we're heading, and how we're doing it.

The big picture view is that, over the past five years, we have standardized a robust sustainable development, operations, and maintenance program that spans our entire branch network. We've already shared with you several stories about our efforts here, specifically around our new construction and existing building projects. We've also introduced you to some important Wells Fargo team members who have contributed to these initiatives, whether through education or advocacy.

And let's not forget the prestigious leadership recognition awarded to us by the U.S. Green Building Council.

In the meantime, you might have also heard about our recent integration with Wachovia Bank, the largest in U.S. banking history that took three years and concluded on December 1, 2011. Well, what we haven't shared is that many of the Wells Fargo team members who were most essential to the development and growth of our LEED Standardization program were also deeply involved in the physical conversion of our stores as part of that integration—virtually an all-hand's-on-deck effort. Are these people super human? In my opinion, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

Readers, I'm pleased to announce that Wells Fargo's 2011 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report is debuting on the Wells Fargo Environmental Forum. The report highlights our broad sustainability efforts, including environmental accomplishments on pages 29-34.

Here to introduce the report is Jon Campbell, who heads up our Social Responsibility Group. Without further ado, I'll turn the Forum over to him. (—MW)

At Wells Fargo, we work hard to help our customers and communities succeed because when they succeed, so do we. We have demonstrated that belief throughout our 160-year history of providing for our customers, employing a strong and diverse workforce, and helping our communities find solutions to social, economic, and environmental issues.

I'm proud to share that today we have issued our sixth CSR Report, Community commitment. Unchanged vision (PDF*). It provides updates on Wells Fargo's progress and performance in addressing critical social, economic, and environmental issues in the communities where we live, work, and do business. Wells Fargo's CSR efforts are focused on five strategic focus areas: ethical business practices, product and service responsibility, team member engagement, environmental stewardship, and community investment.

Here are a few examples of our achievements, which are described in the report in more detail:

• We invested $213.5 million in 19,000 nonprofits, including $67.8 million to educational programs and schools, and $63.2 million to nonprofits focused on community development in distressed communities, including affordable housing, homeownership counseling, financial education, workforce development and job creation.
• Our team members increased their giving to more than $63.9 million, and their volunteer hours to 1.5 million for more than 28,000 nonprofits and schools.
• Our new Consumer Council, made up of senior business leaders, monitors and ensures we are offering responsible financial solutions, and truly meeting the needs of all communities, across all of our consumer products, advice and services.
• We completed 740,359 mortgage loan modifications for customers since January 2009. We launched Leading Forward for Home OwnershipSM, a series of initiatives to help new borrowers better prepare for homeownership, make fully informed borrowing choices, and effectively manage their finances after they've purchased a home.
• We provided more than $2.8 billion in finance to support environmentally beneficial business opportunities, with more than $1.5 billion in loans to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®)-certified commercial buildings and community development projects.
• Our team members delivered financial education lessons to 111,975 individuals and families during the American Bankers Association's Teach Children to Save and Get Smart About Credit campaigns, an 87% increase over 2010.
• Our 48 market reputation committees across the country help us better understand community concerns and coordinate community outreach. Wells Fargo values the input of internal and external stakeholders in the development of new policies, products, and approaches to serving our customers and communities.

While we've made good progress, we will continue to remain open, transparent and accountable as we work to be known as one of the world's great companies. The report also includes new targets for the company through 2020 that will help further our progress. Most noteworthy are our commitments to:

• Invest and lend $15 billion in community development projects by 2016
• Lend $35 billion to borrowers in 10 to 15 cities challenged with foreclosures through our new NeighborhoodLIFT™ program by 2016
• Provide $30 billion in environmental finance by 2020
• Develop a human rights statement by 2013

Again, we are so excited to share our 2011 CSR Report with all of you today. What do you think? We always welcome your questions and comments.

* You will need Adobe® Reader® to view PDF files. Download Adobe Reader.

What better time to pick for Bike Month than May? The weather is starting to warm up and everyone is eager to shed their winter coats (not to mention pounds) and enjoy outdoor activities.

Biking isn't just a great way to enjoy the outdoors, it's an environmentally-friendly alternative to commuting to work by car. So as Wells Fargo celebrates National Bike to Work Day this May 18th, we want to share the experiences that two team members, Lorraine Jarvis and Eric Kurnie, have had biking to work, and give some advice on how you can get started too!

Lorraine

My husband and I are serious bike enthusiasts. We like all types of riding: mountain biking, road riding, and even racing on the velodrome.

My commute takes me from Marin County north of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and into downtown San Francisco. Not only am I lucky enough to enjoy one of the most scenic rides in the country, my commute is good for the environment and lets me avoid the frustrations that come with driving to work, save money on gas and public transportation, and help me stay in shape and train for upcoming races.

In fact, it was the daily training of my commute that helped me win the 2009 500 meter time trial at the Track Cycling Masters World Championships in Sydney, Australia, and the same event in Anadia, Portugal, in 2010. Right now, I'm training for the National Championships coming this July. (—LJ)

Eric

Cycling has always been part of my life. Starting in elementary school all the way through college it has been my primary means of local transportation, my ride to freedom (well … to school and friends' houses).

My work bike commuting started several years ago during a Bike to Work Month. With an inspirational group from the Risk & Compliance and Fraud teams, we challenged ourselves to see how many days in May we could bike to work instead of driving. I'm happy to say I was able to bike to work the entire month.

Since then, I regularly bike from my home on the San Francisco Peninsula to work, with the aid of the commuter train. When I get home at the end of the day, I've ridden 16 miles, and my ride helps me focus on my way to work and clears my head on my way back. Not to mention it always gives me great pride to do something for the environment.

Cycling is a friendly community that's especially active in the Bay Area—I hope Bike Month can inspire more people to join us!
(—EK)

Whatever your inspiration to get on your bike and ride to work may be, here are some tips on getting started:

• Start slow. Don't feel like you have to start biking to work every day right off the bat. Try it a couple of times, allowing yourself a public transit option one-way just in case.
• Develop a routine. Once you feel comfortable riding to work often, find a routine that works for you. Some people like to keep a week's worth of clothes at work, others like to bring their clothes for the day in a backpack. Find what works best for you, but pack light when you're riding.
• Give yourself time. Biking to work can make your commute longer than you're used to or it might even be a shorter commute! For your first few times biking to work, give yourself enough time to get to work and change.
• Pick the safest route. There are probably direct routes to your work, but you want to make sure your route is safe for bikes. A number of cities have “bicycle boulevards” specifically designated for bike travel because they are less traveled by cars, but still get you to your destination quickly.
• Learn the rules of the road. Bicyclists are expected to obey all the same traffic laws as a car—but there are some differences that you should know. For a good list of Bicycle Rules of the Road, click here.
• Have fun!