Last year Intel Corporation’s Brad Biddle received a grant to study whether emissions from one of the company’s plants could be used to grow algae, which in turn could reduce the facility’s overall carbon footprint. What may be surprising is that Biddle is not an Intel engineer—he’s a lawyer.

Funding for Biddle’s study came from Intel’s sustainability in action program, which is designed to drive the notion of sustainability deep into Intel’s corporate culture. It’s one reason why Intel, the world’s largest manufacturer of semiconductor chips, is recognized as a frontrunner in the advancement of clean technology initiatives.