UNUM
I maintained earlier that being viewed as a company that always does the right thing is important, but never more so than at this time. Today, that defines your "brand" perhaps more than anything else, including financial results. Throughout its history, Unum has fostered a culture of responsibility, starting with what we do to serve our customers during their time of need and extending to the role we play in our communities, the commitment we have to protecting the environment, and the work we do to foster cooperation between the public and private sector.
We strongly believe that high-performing companies can and should take an active role in giving back to their communities, and last year Unum donated more than $6.6 million to charitable organizations throughout the U.S. and the U.K., including more than $1.2 million of employee contributions through our matching gifts program. In addition to giving generously, our employees also lent countless hours of their time to thousands of needy organizations.
These benefit a wide array of organizations, with a special focus on disabilities, health and wellness, the arts and, most significantly, public education. In the past year alone, our public education efforts have helped thousands of individuals through organizations like South High Community School in Worcester, Mass., the Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands in Columbia, S.C., Principal Leadership Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Jobs for Maine's Graduates.
We are also conscious of the environment in all that we do. In 2009, we made further reductions in our carbon footprint by recycling more than 3.3 million pounds of paper and cardboard, adopting a green cleaning program and reducing our overall electricity usage by more than nine percent—all of which helped earn us a place on Newsweek magazine's inaugural list of the top 100 "Greenest Companies in America."
Today it's essential that all companies take a more active role in the political process, and we have certainly risen to the call. Our commitment has taken many forms but has been especially targeted toward educating policymakers in both the U.S. and U.K. on the role our industry plays in protecting people's financial well-being. Working people today face dangerous gaps in their financial security, and we at Unum are advocates for continued cooperation between the public and private sectors to address this critical need. Many individuals who have protection against financial uncertainty acquire that protection through the workplace, and we commend employers for the critical role they play in providing this access to benefits. We are proud to be in this business and will continue to work closely with policymakers to help them recognize its importance. Decisions in Congress and Parliament can have a significant impact on our markets and our customers, and I can assure you we are engaged in the process.