Learn more about the National Geographic and RBC partnership

Royal Bank of Canada (RBC),has a history of philanthropy and community involvement dating back to the 1890s. In late 2007, water became a priority for RBC's community and environmental programs, with the launch of the RBC Blue Water Project. RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and environmental leaders and is included on the Dow Jones World and North American Sustainability Indices, the Jantzi Social Index, the FTSE4Good Index, and the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations ranking and contributed $99 million to community causes worldwide in 2008 through donations and sponsorships.

In 2009, RBC became a founding partner of the National Geographic Freshwater Initiative. Through their RBC Blue Water Project, RBC is seeking to contribute to the future of sustainable water resources worldwide. The RBC Blue Water Project showcases RBC’s longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability, which makes it a natural fit for National Geographic and its mission of “inspiring people to care about the planet.”

With RBC’s support, National Geographic was able to lay the foundation for the multi-year Freshwater Initiative. The first step was the appointment of renowned water expert and author Sandra Postel as National Geographic Freshwater Fellow to lead the initiative. Since her appointment, Ms. Postel has spearheaded the development of the multi-year initiative across all National Geographic divisions, including Education, Media, Science and Research, Communications and Development. As part of her main objective, the freshwater portal was developed as the primary source of information for public outreach with a host of media assets to help raise awareness.

Additionally, Ms. Postel is developing relationships with other key partners and thought leaders who share this vision of sustainability, promoting involvement in solution-based thinking to create a lasting impact. At the grassroots level, National Geographic joined RBC in providing support for and participated in Alexandra Cousteau’s Expedition Blue Planet 2010, a 138-day, 14,500-mile interactive exploration of critical water issues across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

As an RBC Blue Water Project grant recipient, National Geographic was featured in RBC’s Blue Water documentary shorts featuring Sandra Postel, and highlighting the Society’s efforts in finding solutions leading towards water footprint reduction around the world. As the partnership between RBC and National Geographic grows, this multi-year initiative will continue to inspire, educate, and empower communities and individuals, moving them from awareness to sustained interest and engagement.

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