Airgas acts for a sustainable future and builds meaningful relationships in our workplaces and with the communities and customers we serve
Our commitment to social and climate responsibility focuses on helping our customers environmentally optimize their processes while reducing our own carbon footprint; ensuring a reliable, efficient, local supply of essential molecules to all customers, including healthcare providers; engaging a diverse and inclusive workforce; acting safely with business integrity and making a meaningful difference by creating a sustainable future.
Airgas is taking climate actions now
With our customers, we are acting for a clean industry by developing low-carbon solutions, helping customers reduce their direct emissions, boosting customer processes to achieve better energy efficiency and providing gas and other products that have been produced and supplied using a lower carbon footprint.
In our company, Airgas is reducing our emissions and contributing to Air Liquide’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050, with key milestones in 2025 and 2035, by increasing the share of renewable electricity in our energy purchases, improving the energy efficiency of our production units and reducing the carbon footprint of our operations, assets and product transportation.
For our planet, we are contributing to the development of a new, low-carbon society with acceleration in hydrogen development, contributing to the decarbonization of industry ecosystems, developing a circular economy with Air Liquide through biomethane production and usages and developing carbon-free hydrogen usages, for clean mobility, renewable energy storage and industrial processes.
Increasing the share of renewable electricity in our energy purchases:
- Airgas Air Separation Unit in Cleburne, Texas Adds Wind Energy to Power Mix Learn more
Helping customers reduce their direct emissions, boosting customer processes to achieve better energy efficiency:
- Producing a sustainable future for the food industry Learn more
Converting to a lower-carbon fleet:
- Airgas is accelerating its transition to alternative fuels and more efficient vehicles and trailers while optimizing routes
Recent and ongoing Airgas efforts
- Airgas is working to reduce its carbon footprint at an accelerated pace on the path to carbon neutrality by 2050
- Airgas won a 2023 Compressed Gas Association Environmental Excellence Award and was named a finalist for the 2022 Chemical Week “Best Sustainable Product” award for our ECO ORIGIN™ certified low-carbon gas offer for Nitrogen and Oxygen Bulk Gases
- In 2021, the New York Power Authority, EPRI, General Electric, Airgas and others began a renewable hydrogen demonstration project to test using hydrogen blended with natural gas to generate power at the Power Authority's Brentwood Small Clean Power Plant on Long Island. The New York Power Authority and EPRI released initial findings, demonstrating decreased carbon emissions and continued reliability of thermal plant operations, providing valuable information to help decarbonize power generation
Community engagement and corporate governance
Airgas takes an entrepreneurial approach to community engagement efforts. Company-wide initiatives include our Citizen at Work program, our High School Welding Education Initiative, and our ongoing support of Operation Homefront.
- Airgas associates volunteering through the Citizen at Work program contributed over 1,100 hours to activities in their local community last year
- As of 2023, the Airgas High School Welding Education Initiative has supported over 110 schools throughout the United States
- Celebrating 15 years of support for Operation Homefront in 2023
- 100% of ethics complaints are investigated and closed
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Citizen at Work
Airgas’ Citizen at Work program empowers all associates to engage in volunteer activities and give back to their communities. With a focus around four themes — Professional Integration and Entrepreneurship; Youth Education; Healthcare and Safety; Access to Energy and to a Clean Environment — Airgas associates have the opportunity to volunteer and organize local activities to make a positive impact on their community.
High School Welding Education Initiative
While the welding industry is currently facing a shortage of skilled labor and STEM graduates, the field of welding is also undergoing a rapid transformation and evolution in manufacturing technologies. According to the American Welding Society (AWS), there are 336,000 new welding professionals projected to be needed by 2026 and an average of 84,000 welding jobs to be filled annually between 2022 and 2025.
Since the start of the Airgas High School Welding Education Initiative in 2012 with a pilot program in Philadelphia followed by a national expansion in 2019, Airgas has assisted 72 schools, 4,200 welding students and nearly 450 teachers across the nation. In this time, over 250 students have obtained careers in welding after graduation from these high schools and tech programs. For the 2023 academic year, 14 returning schools and 41 new schools from 22 states have been selected to be part of the program. Participating programs receive a customized mix of hands-on professional development training or continuing education for welding teachers, welding consumables or equipment, safety PPE and other resources.
- Media coverage: Roswell Daily Record, Warwick Online, Daily Gate City
- School coverage: Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, The Reminder, Page High School
- If you are interested in your school being nominated to the Airgas High School Welding Education Initiative, please talk to your local Airgas branch or email us‑weldingeducation@airgas.com
High School Welding Education Initiative
Report card — cumulative view (2019–2022)
Operation Homefront
Since 2008, Airgas has supported Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization providing military families with programs that offer relief, resiliency and recurring support during difficult periods. The company has donated nearly $1.5 million in the 15 years of partnership. In addition, thousands of Airgas associates across the country have been involved in local activities and fundraisers to support the organization, including donation drives, golf and bowling tournaments, and more.
- 84,892 Back-to-school Brigade Backpacks
- 5,852 family members impacted by the Critical Financial Assistance Program
- 12,733 meals serving 52,205 family members through Holiday Meals for Military
- ~$1.5m 2008 to date Airgas Lifetime Giving Cash and In-kind donations
Messages of Thanks
Through our "Message of Thanks" campaign with Operation Homefront, Airgas associates can send messages of gratitude to the military service members and their families who are supported by the program. This campaign is one way our associates can share appreciation for our 900+ Airgas military and veteran associates and all military families.
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Notices, policies and forms
