Alcoa
Foundation announced today in partnership with Earthwatch
Institute that 27 Alcoa (NYSE: AA) employees have been selected to
research environmental challenges in Brazil, Canada and China.
Earthwatch is an environmental organization, whose mission is to promote
the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment,

“Our long-term partnership with Earthwatch Institute strategically
combines two Alcoa priorities: environmental excellence and employee
engagement,” said Tricia Napor, Principal Manager for Environmental
Programs, Alcoa Foundation. “This program is a great opportunity to
reward employees who have an interest in the environment and equip them
with knowledge, a network and support from leadership to become true
environmental ambassadors in the Company and their communities.”

The three week-long expeditions to Guyrá Farm in Brazil, the Arctic’s
edge in Canada and Dinghushan National Nature Reserve in China include
world-class research on climate change, carbon sequestration, and other
ecosystem services.

The data is collected using an assortment of techniques, from the
identification of birds collected in mist nets in Brazil’s tropical
forest to measuring greenhouse gases in the Arctic permafrost. The
expeditions are:

• Conserving Brazil’s Atlantic Forest: Understanding the response
  of tropical rainforests to various human pressures, including how
  those pressures change species composition and structure, and how they
  alter the forests’ contributions to the ecosystem.
• Climate Change on China’s Dinghushan Forest: Monitoring the
  structure and fruiting phrenology of mushrooms and understanding the
  change of mushroom biodiversity as it relates to changes in climate.
• Climate Change at Canada’s Arctic Edge: Gathering data on the
  impacts of melting permafrost and the shift of trees in northern
  ecosystems, which demonstrates significant changes to a fragile
  ecosystem.

Upon returning home from the expeditions, the Fellows will lead
sustainability action plans at work and in their communities. For
example, last year an employee in Australia coordinated a beach clean-up
with 13 co-workers. To recognize the volunteer service, Alcoa Foundation
awarded a grant to a local nonprofit organization where students learn
about the importance of protecting shorelines and marine habitats.

Crucial in facilitating these connections is the timely visit of an
Alcoa Environment, Health and Safety expert to each expedition. The
presence and expertise of these sustainability leaders allow Alcoa
Fellows to participate in stimulating discussions on sustainability
initiatives at Alcoa and brainstorm creative solutions to society’s
biggest environmental challenges.

“We are delighted to be a part of Alcoa’s pioneering professional
development program,” said Larry Mason, CEO of Earthwatch Institute.
“From daily life, to community outreach, to business practices, we are
thrilled that our partnership with Alcoa Foundation helps engage a
diverse array of employees in so many aspects of sustainability.”

Meet
the 2013 Alcoa Earthwatch Fellows, and follow the blog on www.alcoa.com/earthwatch.

Over the past 11 years, 170 Alcoa employees representing 21 different
countries have contributed more than 10,500 hours of research to help
find solutions to a range of sustainability challenges.

About Alcoa Foundation

Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the
U.S., with assets of approximately $460 million. Founded 60 years ago,
Alcoa Foundation has invested more than $570 million since 1952. In
2012, Alcoa Foundation contributed more than $21 million to nonprofit
organizations throughout the world, building innovative partnerships to
improve the environment and educate tomorrow’s leaders for careers in
manufacturing and engineering. The work of Alcoa Foundation is further
enhanced by Alcoa’s thousands of employee volunteers who share their
talents and time to make a difference in the communities where Alcoa
operates. Through the Company’s signature Month of Service program, in
2012, a record 60 percent of Alcoa employees took part in more than
1,050 events across 24 countries, benefiting more than 450,000 people
and 2,050 nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit alcoafoundation.com
and follow @AlcoaFoundation
on Twitter.

About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary and fabricated
aluminum, as well as the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of
alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry,
Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace,
automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial
transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the
past 125 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled
products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels,
fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building
systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as
titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral
part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and
engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for 11 consecutive years and approximately 75
percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in
active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 30
countries across the world. For more information, visit www.alcoa.com,
follow @Alcoa on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Alcoa
and follow Alcoa on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Alcoa.

About Earthwatch Institute

Founded in 1971, Earthwatch is an international environmental
organization whose mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific
field research and education to promote the understanding and action
necessary for a sustainable environment. Our vision is a world in which
we live within our means and in balance with nature. Earthwatch
currently supports 60 environmental research projects in 30 countries by
providing funds and paying volunteers who work alongside leading field
scientists and researchers. In the past 40 years, Earthwatch volunteers
have contributed over 10 million hours to essential fieldwork. For more
information about Earthwatch, visit www.earthwatch.org.

Alcoa Foundation
Malika Harrison, 212-836-2610
Malika.Harrison@alcoa.com
or
Earthwatch Institute
Patrick Manchon, 978-450-1210
pmanchon@earthwatch.org