MetLife and Haas School of Business, University of California,
Berkeley, today announced that MetLife has sponsored the Cleantech
to Market (C2M) accelerator program. MetLife is providing financial
support for the school’s 2022 C2M program, which creates and
coaches interdisciplinary teams of Berkeley graduate students to
assist entrepreneurs from across the country in commercializing the
most promising climate tech innovations. MetLife will also award
Climate Solution prizes to the top three teams during C2M’s Annual
Climate Tech Summit in early December. The monetary prizes will
support the growth of the winning teams’ solutions.
In addition, MetLife employees will lend business development
and management expertise to the C2M program by serving as guest
speakers, mentors, and coaches throughout the semester, while also
learning about cutting-edge clean technology solutions.
“MetLife’s commitment to environmental stewardship is directly
aligned to our company’s purpose to build a more confident future,”
said MetLife Chief Sustainability Officer Jon Richter. “This new
sponsorship of the Cleantech to Market accelerator program is one
way we’re continuing to invest in a more resilient planet, as we
recognize the important role that tech entrepreneurs can play in
delivering climate-related solutions.”
The C2M sponsorship further advances MetLife’s 2030 Climate
Goals, which include developing products and partnerships that help
drive climate solutions. MetLife’s other climate commitments
include reducing location-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by
30 percent from 2019 to 2030, originating $20 billion of new green
investments and planting five million trees by 2030, and reaching
net zero emissions for the company’s global operations and its
general account investment portfolio by 2050.1
MetLife has long been an industry leader on sustainability and
climate change. For example, in 2016, MetLife became the first
U.S.-based insurance company to achieve carbon neutrality, a status
it has consistently maintained since. In 2020, Metropolitan Life
Global Funding I issued a $750 million green bond, the industry’s
first note secured by a green funding agreement.
“We’re so thrilled to welcome MetLife as a C2M sponsor and
supporter,” said Brian Steel, co-director of the C2M program since
2012. “For the past 14 years, C2M has taught the real-world
commercialization skills required to build successful startups that
address critical energy, environmental, and climate change issues.
Our C2M alumni now comprise a ‘who’s who’ in climate tech
leadership and we’re excited to see how this year’s cohort
leverages the added support from MetLife.”
Each spring, the C2M program works with its nationwide ecosystem
of accelerators, incubators, national labs, and other top-tier
universities to identify entrepreneurs with promising climate
technologies. Graduate student teams are then created to bring the
best mix of skills and experience to these projects. In the fall
semester, C2M guides these teams through a structured process of
assessment and discovery, connecting them to leading professionals
who bring deep subject matter expertise. The program culminates
with the annual climate tech summit, where the students present
their findings and recommendations and compete for awards. This
year’s summit will take place at Berkeley Haas on December 2,
2022.
Since its founding by students in 2008, C2M has paired more than
300 researchers and entrepreneurs with student teams. The majority
of the technologies C2M teams have supported have become startups,
which have collectively raised more than $250 million in disclosed
funding and employ nearly 400 people.
More information about the C2M program is available here:
https://haas.berkeley.edu/c2m/.
To learn more about MetLife’s commitment to sustainability,
visit MetLife.com/Sustainability.
1 The net zero commitment applies to greenhouse gas emissions
from MetLife, Inc.’s owned and leased offices across the world,
automobile fleets, employee business travel, and assets in
MetLife’s general account investment portfolio, which includes the
general accounts of MetLife, Inc.’s wholly owned insurance company
subsidiaries, where data and methodologies are available. Emissions
are tracked and reported in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas
Protocol. Read more about MetLife’s climate commitments. Additional
information about MetLife’s general account investment portfolio is
available online. MetLife is committed to identifying, measuring
and analyzing climate data, as well as risks and opportunities, as
measurements and standards evolve. While the exact technologies,
policies and strategies to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions
are not known at this time and many uncertainties remain, MetLife
will continue to strive to be a force for good in the world.
About MetLife
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and
affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the world’s leading financial
services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee
benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional
customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife
has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading
positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe
and the Middle East. For more information, visit
www.metlife.com.
About Haas
As the second-oldest business school in the United States,
Berkeley Haas has been questioning the status quo since its
founding in 1898. It provides research, thought leadership, and
talent development to lead the way to a more inclusive and
sustainable future.
Forward-Looking Statements
The forward-looking statements in this news release, such as
“commitment,” “originating,” “reaching,” “reducing,” “will,”
“2030,” and “2050” are based on assumptions and expectations that
involve risks and uncertainties, including the “Risk Factors”
MetLife, Inc. describes in its U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission filings. MetLife’s future results could differ, and it
has no obligation to correct or update any of these statements.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220809006060/en/
Media For MetLife: Meredith Hyland (212) 578-9415
Meredith.Hyland@metlife.com
For Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley:
Kim Girard (415) 298-6336 kim_girard@haas.berkeley.edu
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