Canada's Greenest Employers (2022) by Canada's Top 100 Employers

t This year marks the 15th edition of

Canada’s Greenest Employers, an editorial competition organized by the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.

N.HANSEN/GETTY

2022

CO-PUBLISHED BY MILLENNIALS + GEN Z:

MEDIACORP

Sustainability and an employer’s culture

LIST OF WINNERS:

Canada’s Greenest Employers (2022)

METHODOLOGY:

How the winners were selected

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CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

2022

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022 Magazine Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER

Editorial Team:

Richard Yerema, MANAGING EDITOR

Kristina Leung, SENIOR EDITOR

Stephanie Leung, Juliane Fung,

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

Chantel Watkins, JUNIOR EDITOR

Jing Wang,

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Advertising Team:

Kristen Chow,

MANAGING DIRECTOR, PUBLISHING

Ye Jin Suhe,

CLIENT EXPERIENCE LEAD

Vishnusha Kirupananthan, JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Sponsored Profile Writers:

Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

Brian Bergman Abigail Cukier Lisa Day Mary Dickie Jane Doucet Chris Fournier Steve Frank Don Hauka Patricia Hluchy D’Arcy Jenish Bruce McDougall Kelsey Rolfe Nora Underwood Barbara Wickens

UNBC

ASSISTANT EDITOR

 At the University of Northern British Columbia, the university provides an annual $50,000 seed grant

program (UNBC Green Fund) to help kickstart projects that contribute to a more sustainable campus.

t’s often the little things that make a big difference when it comes to Canada’s Greenest Employers. For many years, we’ve seen employers across the country adopt incremental changes that put them on a path towards sustainable futures. It could be installing an apiary on an office rooftop to make honey, or creating a monthly inventory of waste disposal items that couldn’t be recycled – the most effective sustainable initiatives are often taken in small steps. But small initiatives almost always speak to a larger culture of sustainability – where you see these initiatives, you’ll usually discover a culture that supports it. The reverse is unfortunately true as well: an organization that can’t support small sustainability initiatives or doesn’t bother is almost always one where environmental awareness is not part of its guiding ethos. Another important aspect is the ‘multiplier effect’ we see at sustainability leaders. When organizations pay attention to environmental awareness in their own operations, their employees, suppliers and even customers take note and begin adopting some of these practices. This morning, our editorial team also released detailed reasons for selection explaining why each of this year’s winners was chosen. These form a ‘catalogue of best

practices’ not only for job-seekers interested in sustainable employers, but also for other organizations interested in raising the bar when it comes to environmental awareness. You can find these reasons via our competition homepage: www.canadastop100.com/greenest

Canada’s Greenest Employers is an editorial competition that recognizes employers that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness. Winning employers, selected by editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, are evaluated using four main criteria: (1) unique environmental initiatives or programs they have developed; (2) whether they have been successful in reducing their own environmental footprint; (3) whether their employees are involved in these programs and contribute unique skills; and (4) whether their environmental initiatives have become linked to the employer’s public identity, attracting new employees or customers. (Read our full selection methodology on p. 12.) This year marks our 15th edition of Canada’s Greenest Employers and our 2022 list of winners is our largest and most comprehensive yet. To have your organization considered for next year’s edition, I encourage you to contact our editorial team at: ct100@mediacorp.ca – Tony Meehan

Introduction Sustainability is a competitive advantage for

Canada’s Greenest Employers 2022 by Mediacorp

s the world evolves towards a low-carbon economy, sustainability is a “must have” for any organization. That’s something Canada’s Greenest Employers 2022, selected by Mediacorp Canada Inc., have taken to heart. Being “green” is ingrained in their DNA, with a commitment to the environment backed up by exceptional sustainability programs and initiatives. It’s also increasingly important as today’s job seekers are asking tough questions about a company’s environmental policies. Millennials and Gen Z are especially keen to work for an employer that cares about creating a more sustainable world, and whose corporate values align with their own. And it’s not just employees – an organization’s sustainability is increasingly important to customers who are concerned and value the environment. All the winners of Canada’s Greenest Employees 2022 by Mediacorp share ambitious targets regarding their own ecological footprint. Each has formalized sustainability strategies to identify areas within their operations where they can make a difference, often with groundbreaking initiatives. Software developer SAP Canada is just one example. As part of an international firm, the company aims to be carbon neutral by 2023 and has instituted numerous measures to help reduce and mitigate its environmental impacts, including creating a “green” cloud powered by 100-per-cent renewable electricity. That, in turn, helps customers reduce their own operational carbon emissions. Winning companies also promote a collaborative culture of sustainability and encourage employees to make environmentally responsible choices, both at home and in the workplace, including sustainable modes of transportation. Typically, this is done through initiatives like transit subsidies, preferred parking for carpoolers, electric vehicle charging stations, facilities for cyclists and more. For instance, BlackBerry hosted its first “Team BlackBerry” bike ride to help new cyclists develop confidence when riding to work. Building in sustainability makes sense from a business point of view, as lower energy consumption significantly lowers operating costs. For instance, Canon Canada’s head office features a number of cost-saving environmental features including an onsite “digester” that converts all food and organic waste into grey water, as well as window shades that automatically adjust to temperatures and the sun’s position. For more inspirational ideas regarding sustainable business practices and policies, read on. Being “green” isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also a competitive advantage; and Canada’s Greenest Employers 2022 by Mediacorp know how to do it right. –Diane Jermyn

CANON CANADA

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

q Canon Canada offers a volunteer

initiative (‘Branch Out’) that provides employees with an opportunity to create green spaces and sustainable environments around the communities where they work and live.

BC PUBLIC SERVICE

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

2022

2022 WINNERS

 BC Public Service recognizes individual employees who show leadership in advancing sustainability in core government operations through its annual ‘SAIL’ award

for Sustainability, Action, Innovation and Leadership. The award includes funding for a specific project that advances sustainability in the public sector.

BB CANADA, Saint-Laurent, Que. Engineering and technology; 2,938 employees. Provides preferred parking for carpoolers and those driving hybrid vehicles as well as secure bicycle parking. ACCENTURE INC., Toronto. Professional services; 5,471 employees. Increased investments in virtual collaborative technology to help reduce unnecessary employee travel. AET GROUP INC., Kitchener, Ont. Environmental consulting; 25 employees. Features a new naturalized front garden with native plant species that eliminates the need for pesticides at its head office. ASSINIBOINE CREDIT UNION, Winnipeg. Credit union; 394 employees. Partnered with Bullfrog power to offset

natural gas consumption in its 10 branch locations and purchased carbon offsets.

C HOUSING MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, Burnaby, B.C. Housing programs; 887 employees. Launched a “Garden to Table” kit program for tenants, featuring farm fresh produce harvested from a local community garden. BC HYDRO, Vancouver. Hydroelectric power generation; 5,850 employees. Works to ensure renovations align with LEED Gold standards and that all new facilities are built to LEED Gold standards. BC PUBLIC SERVICE, Victoria. Provincial government; 32,368 employees. Considers environmental interests alongside social and financial considerations when assessing properties for development.

BELL CANADA, Verdun, Que. Communications; 36,412 employees. Introduced combined diesel hybrid and solar systems at nine Northwest Territories remote work sites. BLACKBERRY LTD., Waterloo, Ont. Secure software and services; 1,791 employees. Developed a commuting action plan that involved surveying employees about their commuting patterns annually and designing programs to encourage sustainable transportation. BLUEARTH RENEWABLES INC., Calgary. Renewable power generation; 111 employees. Manages fish habitats to help manage fish spawning, rearing and growth of fish populations impacted by eight of the company’s hydroelectric facilities. BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP CANADA ULC, Toronto. Management

consulting; 425 employees. Introduced numerous waste reduction initiatives, including removing all disposable water bottles and stocking cafes and lounges with reusable mugs, cups, plates and utensils.

ADILLAC FAIRVIEW CORP. LTD., Toronto. Real estate management; 1,341 employees. Introduced numerous energy-saving initiatives across its building portfolio, including LED lighting and automatic lighting sensors. CANON CANADA INC., Brampton, Ont. Imaging equipment and information services; 816 employees. Partnered with Earth Rangers in support of its initiative to teach school children about the importance of pollinators such as bees and butterflies. CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT, THE / CRD, Victoria. Municipal government; 652

Continued

L.BERMAN/CVC

2022 WINNERS

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

employees. Supports an employeeorganized recycling working group that helped establish in-office recycling programs to capture soft plastics, e-waste and other mixed recycling. CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 36,744 employees. Cultivates a culture of environmental sustainability, encouraging employees to connect and engage on environmental topics through a formal online Workplace Environment Group. CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA CO., Toronto. Computer and equipment manufacturing; 2,017 employees. Supports grassroots employee groups who champion green ideas at their specific office locations. CO-OPERATORS GROUP LIMITED, THE, Guelph, Ont. Insurance; 6,571 employees. Encourages employees to pursue alternate methods of getting to work, including transit discounts, partnerships with local cycling co-ops and telecommuting. CREDIT VALLEY CONSERVATION AUTHORITY / CVC, Mississauga, Ont. Environment, conservation and wildlife organizations; 219 employees. Has committed to move its fleet to 100-per-cent electric by 2035 and installed two electric vehicle charging stations at its head office.

ENTONS CANADA LLP, Edmonton. Law firms; 1,286 employees. Introduced numerous energy-saving features, including LED desk lighting and motion sensor lighting in common areas.

PHOTOS (FROM TOP): 1. An employee of Credit Valley Conservation is ready to sell maple syrup and treats at Terra Cotta Conservation Area’s annual Maple Syrup Festival in Halton Hills, Ont. 2. A Durham College employee displays produce harvested from the college’s agricultural fields at a farmer’s market.

DESJARDINS GROUP / MOUVEMENT DESJARDINS, Lévis. Que. Financial institution; 43,105 employees. Launched an ambitious carbon reduction plan with the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040.

DIVA INTERNATIONAL INC., Kitchener, Ont. Personal hygiene products; 48 employees. Introduced the world’s first free menstrual cup recycling program in partnership with international recycling partner TerraCycle. DURHAM COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY, Oshawa, Ont. College; 791 employees. Is home to the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food,

DURHAM COLLEGE

DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC., Toronto. Architecture; 283 employees. Is a leading advocate for the use of living walls and timber in major construction projects, highlighting the advantages of natural materials.

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Continued

R.DUFAULT/EDC

2022 WINNERS

featuring an agricultural growing field, honeybee apiary, arboretum, pollinator garden and an apple orchard.

FFICIENCYONE, Dartmouth, N.S. Energy conservation advocacy; 145 employees. Encourages fellow Nova Scotians to reduce energy consumption and make green living choices through its unique line of business. EMTERRA GROUP, Burlington, Ont. Recycling and waste management; 813 employees. Has made significant infrastructure investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its fleet operations, including compressed natural gas trucks representing over one-third of its fleet. ENMAX CORP., Calgary. Electric power distribution; 1,483 employees. Is a leading public advocate of energy conservation and alternative energy production in Alberta. EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CANADA, Ottawa. International trade financing and support; 1,891 employees. Manages a comprehensive recycling program that includes paper, metals, plastics and waste.

ARM MUTUAL REINSURANCE PLAN INC. / FARM MUTUAL RE, Cambridge, Ont. Insurance; 96 employees. Installed three honeybee apiaries that are managed by a professional beekeeper. FIRST CAPITAL REIT, Toronto. Real estate development and management; 340 employees. Appointed its first senior director of sustainability back in 2010 and recently updated its formal sustainability plan. FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD., Oakville, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 6,851 employees. Along with its parent company worldwide, reduced manufacturing carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent from 2010 to 2017, ahead of its original 2025 goal.

ATCH LTD., Mississauga, Ont. Engineering; 3,534 employees. Recognizes Earth Day through an annual Sustainable Development Week, held virtually during the pandemic. HEMMERA ENVIROCHEM INC., Burnaby, B.C. Environmental consulting; 196 employees. Sets up employee workstations with a special three-way waste bin that lets employees efficiently sort their recycling.

p The Ottawa head office of

Export Development Canada features a rooftop garden where free vegetables are available to employees in season.

HEMMERA

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): 1. An employee of Burnaby, B.C.-based Hemmera Envirochem canoes on Widgeon Creek for a field work assignment.

FIRST CAPITAL

3. All locations of IKEA Canada across the country are now home to EV chargers, with some retail stores also featuring large rooftop solar electricity installations.

IKEA

2. One of the many beehives that sit atop First Capital properties, this one in Liberty Village, Toronto.

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

2022 WINNERS

Continued

HOME DEPOT CANADA, Toronto. Retail; 14,485 employees. Helps Canadians make greener choices through its Eco Options line that includes a variety of products that offer lower environmental impacts. HP CANADA CO., Mississauga. Computer technology and services; 488 employees. Maintains a long-standing partnership with WWF Canada, supporting and volunteering in many initiatives, including the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. HUMBER COLLEGE, Toronto. College; 1,701 employees. Maintains extensive waste reduction efforts, including collection programs for e-waste, batteries, used furniture, light bulbs and HVAC filters. HYDRO OTTAWA, Gloucester, Ont. Electric power distribution; 650 employees. Continues to expand its hydroelectric capacity as well as invest in alternative energy for the future.

KEA CANADA LP, Burlington, Ont. Retail; 3,750 employees. Has numerous programs focused on sustainable sourcing, from the WWF’s Better Cotton initiative to sourcing certified food products to its own IKEA forestry standard.

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 28,962 employees. Introduced a new model of packaging reuse to Canada, enabling customers to buy some popular products and brands in durable packaging that can be returned and reused.

first Quebec campus to be certified as a Fair Trade Campus.

LOWE’S CANADA, Boucherville, Que. Retail; 13,572 employees. Has extensive waste management programs at all of its store locations, capturing a wide range of store and customer waste.

METROLINX, Toronto. Public transit; 4,374 employees. Encourages alternative transportation with preferred parking for carpoolers, along with programs to reduce single car trips in favour of transit, walking, cycling and alternative work hours.

LOYALTYONE, CO., Toronto. Marketing consulting; 817 employees. Designed and built its new head office to LEED Gold standards and has since achieved LEED Platinum certification.

CGILL UNIVERSITY, Montreal. University; 7,138 employees. Is the first campus in Canada to receive certification from the Marine Stewardship Council and the

MEDTRONIC CANADA ULC, Brampton, Ont. Electromedical apparatus manufacturing; 688 employees. Hosted a clean-up crew to pick up litter around the office and surrounding neighbourhood (on company time).

MOHAWK COLLEGE, Hamilton. College; 1,016 employees. Manages an online Sustainability Leadership Program for students covering a range of topics including local food, waste, green jobs, and living sustainably at home. MOTT MACDONALD CANADA LTD., Vancouver. Engineering; 231 employees. “Walks the green talk” with employees volunteering in the field and removing

invasive species in support of the Stanley Park Adopt-an-Acre program.

ATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION, Ottawa. Federal government; 487 employees. Hosted an Urbanism Lab Speaker Series that was open to the public, featuring presentations by leaders in urbanism, design, heritage and conservation, sustainability and placemaking. NATURE’S PATH FOODS, INC., Richmond, B.C. Food manufacturing; 190 employees. Has a longstanding “Envirobox” program as part of its focus on reducing waste and adverse impacts wherever possible. NIGHTINGALE CORP., Mississauga, Ont. Furniture manufacturing; 113 employees. Completed renovations to reduce overall energy consumption, introducing upgraded LED lighting and HVAC systems.

qToronto-based Keilhauer designs furniture with components and materials that can be replaced as they reach the end of their useful life, offering a more sustainable approach to their industry.

IVANHOÉ CAMBRIDGE INC., Montreal. Real estate investment and management; 898 employees. Installed approximately 200 electric vehicle charging stations at its properties that serve a growing number of electric vehicles every year.

EILHAUER LTD., Toronto. Furniture manufacturing; 259 employees. Allows customers to return some used furniture items for disassembly and recycling through its Take-Back program. KILLAM APARTMENT REIT, Halifax. Property management and development; 650 employees. Established apartment renovation guidelines including energy-efficient appliances, water-efficient fixtures, programmable thermostats and low-odour paints.

ABATT BREWING CO. LTD., Toronto. Breweries; 3,595 employees. Introduced “The Sister Brewery” program to formalize the exchange and implementation of environmentally focused practices and ideas across its many brewery locations.

KEILHAUER

KPMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 8,467 employees. Announced its worldwide intention to become a net zero carbon business by 2030 and is implementing a series of new climate actions in support of this goal.

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

1. Nearly all the staff at Vancouver-based Perkins&Will Canada Architects are LEED accredited – the firm employs over 1,100 LEED accredited professionals around the world. 2. An employee from Rogers Communications taking time to keep his community green and clean.

RECYCLESMART

ROGERS

3. Based in Richmond, B.C., RecycleSmart Solutions publishes a monthly report on waste diversion efforts at its own head office.

K.MUISE/P&W

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP):

2022 WINNERS

Continued

ACIFIC BLUE CROSS, Burnaby, B.C. Insurance; 761 employees. Partnered with Winnipegbased Alvéole in the installation of two urban rooftop beehives that are home to 10,000 honeybees.

YMCA GTA

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

PCL CONSTRUCTION, Edmonton. Industrial, commercial and institutional building construction; 2,554 employees. Encourages employees to share their best ideas on building sustainability into all aspects of its operation. PERKINS&WILL CANADA ARCHITECTS CO., Vancouver. Architecture; 215 employees. Is the first Petal-certified building in Vancouver under the Living Building Challenge, which calls for buildings to have a positive impact on their surroundings. PRINTING HOUSE LTD., THE / TPH, Toronto. Printing; 452 employees. Has a longstanding partnership with Forest Partner to plant a tree for every new Printing House account opened.

RED RIVER COLLEGE, Winnipeg. College; 1,444 employees. Launched a disposable mask recycling program in partnership with Terracycle’s extensive recycling program, collecting over 13,500 masks in its first two months. RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, Toronto. Real estate investments; 584 employees. Became the first Canadian REIT to launch a Green Bond Framework and has since issued two green bonds, raising $850 million to fund eligible green projects.

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): 1. Staff from the YMCA of Greater Toronto preparing fresh vegetable bags at the Y’s Cedar Glen organic farm. 2. Ashley Migwans of the Indigenous Health Program at University Health Network helps plant a new Indigenous Healing Garden. 3. For over 15 years, the annual TELUS Day of Giving sees employees giving back to their communities, including cleaning public spaces.

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, Toronto. Banking; 59,098 employees. Introduced numerous green building features across the bank, including green roofs, solar electricity panel installations, rainwater collection and LED lighting retrofits.

TELUS

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Toronto. Telecommunications, cable, sports and media; 21,066 employees. Created a unique waste management program named “Get Up and Get Green” to help employees sort their waste properly at centralized waste stations.

UHN

ECYCLESMART SOLUTIONS INC., Richmond, B.C. Waste treatment and disposal; 67 employees. Monitors ongoing waste generation and recycling rates, publishing a monthly Waste Diversion Report for its head office.

2022 WINNERS

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Continued

AP CANADA INC., Vancouver. Custom computer programming services; 3,316 employees. Aims to be carbon neutral by 2023 and has instituted numerous measures to help reduce and mitigate its environmental impacts. SASKTEL, Regina. Telecommunications; 2,699 employees. Established an Energy Management Committee in 2017 that meets quarterly to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and evaluate effective monitoring and management strategies. SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC CANADA INC., Mississauga, Ont. Industrial automation and controls; 1,830 employees. Revamped its Sustainability Team with initiatives ranging from updating the company’s recycling program to creating Sustainability Champion/Ambassador roles. SHAW COMMUNICATIONS INC., Calgary. Communications, cable and subscription programming; 8,219 employees. Introduced two rooftop bee apiaries at its downtown head office – home to approximately 100,000 bees that are managed by an employee volunteer beekeeping club. SHERIDAN NURSERIES LTD., Georgetown, Ont. Nursery and garden centre; 222 employees. Tackles the impact of its operations directly through a large pot recycling program, including programs to ensure the return and reuse of growing pots and trays. SIEMENS CANADA LTD., Oakville, Ont. Engineering; 2,252 employees. Has a longstanding partnership with Tree Canada that has seen employee volunteers plant over 14,500 trees since 2012. SODEXO CANADA LTD., Montreal. Food service contractors; 5,462 employees. Has gathered chefs for training on expanding plant-based menus, along with sourcing egg products from cage-free and free-run farming operations. SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE, Toronto. Hospital; 6,707 employees. Operates waste sterilization systems to treat biomedical waste onsite as well as anesthetic gas capture technology. SURREY, CITY OF, Surrey, B.C. Municipal government; 2,051 employees. Partnered with Surrey Schools to develop an Integrated Sustainability Education Program geared to students in grades two through 10.

SURREY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 36, Surrey, B.C. Schools; 10,258 employees. Introduced a school gardens program in 2017 that encourages individual schools to apply for the installation of garden beds that are maintained by staff and students. SYMCOR INC., Mississauga, Ont. Data processing and support services; 1,227 employees. Offers a bicycle loan program so employees can borrow bikes for commuting as well as providing transit subsidies, EV parking and preferred parking for carpoolers.

D BANK GROUP, Toronto. Banking; 55,292 employees. Has a formal program to purchase renewable energy credits equivalent to 100 per cent of the electricity used in both Canada and the United States. TELUS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Vancouver. Telecommunications; 25,014 employees. Encourages employees to work from home through its formal Work Styles program, designed to assist employees in adopting flexible work arrangements. TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION / TTC, Toronto. Public transit; 14,830 employees. Launched a paper reduction challenge that led to a 16-per-cent drop in paper use. TORONTO ZOO, Toronto. Zoos and botanical gardens; 273 employees. Is committed to raising awareness for the protection of endangered species and biodiversity. TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING CANADA INC./ TMMC, Cambridge, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 9,854 employees. Has hosted a unique Environmental Kaizen Awards competition to encourage employees to share their environmental ideas for improvement. TRANSLINK (SOUTH COAST BRITISH COLUMBIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY), New Westminster, B.C. Public transit; 7,742 employees. Signed a contract to purchase 15 battery-electric buses with approval to add another 57 battery-electric buses to its fleet.

BC / UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, Vancouver. University; 14,477 employees. Adopted the LEED Gold certification standard for all new construction and major renovations of institutional buildings. UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK, Toronto. Hospitals; 12,407 employees. Conducts regular energy and waste audits

to address specific ongoing environmental impacts of its varied operations, including addressing physical and hazardous waste. UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, Edmonton. University; 8,229 employees. Manages a zero-waste program with the goal of diverting 90 per cent of waste from landfill and includes the collection of batteries, e-waste and more. UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA, Prince George, B.C. University; 569 employees. Encourages students moving out of residence to recycle their unused electronics and donate useable items for reuse in the community. UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Toronto. University; 10,429 employees. Is a leader in the study and application of new sustainable building design, including its new Green Roof Innovation Testing Laboratory. UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, Victoria. University; 3,224 employees. Offers secure bike parking for more than 230 bikes, a bike kitchen, gear lockers and benches and has a bike repair and loan program managed by volunteers.

ANCOUVER, CITY OF, Vancouver. Municipal government; 7,648 employees. Has numerous formal health ecosystem initiatives, from reduc-

ing water use in parks to native habitat planting and stormwater runoff mitigation. ATERLOO NORTH HYDRO INC., Waterloo, Ont. Electric power distribution; 121 employees. Provides water bottle refilling stations along with providing each employee with a reusable water bottle to encourage a shift from using disposable water bottles. WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, Waterloo, Ont. University; 1,684 employees. Supports a unique Sustainable Hawk Fund which dedicates up to $30,000 annually towards student-led sustainability projects.

MCA OF GREATER TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 2,884 employees. Has installed seven electric vehicle charging stations in partnership with Opus One Energy that feature a solar-powered component. YORK UNIVERSITY, Toronto. University; 4,897 employees. Has adopted a range of environmental principles that encourage design efficiency, broader use of daylighting, energy conservation and performance, green construction practices and more. – Diane Jermyn

Methodology

Canada’s Greenest Employers, selected by Mediacorp Canada Inc., is an editorial competition recognizing employers that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness. Applicants for the award are compared to other employers in their industry and must pay a fee to enter the contest. Each employer is evaluated by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers using four main criteria: (1) the unique environmental initiatives and programs they have developed; (2) the extent to which they have been successful in reducing the organization’s own environmental footprint; (3) the degree to which their employees are involved in these programs and whether they contribute any unique skills; and (4) the extent to which these initiatives have become linked to the employer’s public identity, attracting new employees and clients to the organization. Any employer operating in Canada may apply for the Canada’s Greenest Employers competition. Employers of any size may apply, whether private or public sector. The Globe and Mail is not involved in the judging process. – Diane Jermyn

TD BANK

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

 TD Bank Group offsets 100% of its electricity use in Canada and the USA by purchasing renewable energy credits.

Turning a Deeper Green

Canada’s Greenest Employers are doubling down on sustainability

here’s a buzz around the locations of many of Canada’s Greenest Employers for 2022. That’s because so many of them in recent years have added beehives, usually for environmentally threatened honeybees, to their rooftops or corporate campuses. On the face of it, it may seem a little out of sync with what you’d expect from a business-minded company. But it’s all part of a dramatic intensification of sustainability efforts by Canadian organizations and their employees. For some, the apiary on the roof is a largely symbolic item, though it definitely helps pollinators, notes Richard Yerema,

managing editor for Mediacorp Canada, which runs the competition. “These actions may seem little, but collectively, they are a reflection of the values that people are bringing to work and the things they want to see,” he says. “This is a competition where employees are very much involved. It’s an outgrowth of community, where people can make a difference collectively with their colleagues, to have an impact and do some do some of those little things that form part of a broader picture.” And in that bigger picture, there is also a lot more buzz – in the form of buzzwords. Many organizations now have a

person with the newly minted title of, say, vice-president, environment, or director of sustainability. That person or a team of employees may work with their company’s recently developed EMS – for environmental management system, a set of practices and often a database that helps the organization monitor its efforts to reduce its environmental impact. And then comes the biggest new buzzword of all – ESG. That one is three adjectives in search of a noun, standing for environmental, social and governance. Some organizations speak of their commitment to ESG “standards”, others “considerations”. Many, again, have a

vice-president, ESG, or similarly titled official, whose domain covers a whole set of ideas about corporate responsibility that were barely discussed a decade ago. All of which points to how seriously Canada’s best employers are now taking the cause of sustainability, and how much they want to be seen to be doing so. Yerema says the applicant pool for Canada’s Greenest Employers is the fastest-growing specialty category among the competitions run by Mediacorp Canada. “The interest level increases every year, and I think that’s a reflection of organizations implementing policies and programs where they feel they have some-

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

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2022

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

thing to share,” he says. “We’re hearing from organizations with stories to tell.” Many organizations, especially large ones, have been motivated by Canada’s participation in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate, which calls for an immediate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to keep the global temperature rise to less than two degrees C above pre-industrial levels and to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Many of Canada’s Greenest Employers have set the 2050 goal for their own operations, and many also have set specific goals for becoming carbon neutral, by 2030 or sooner. TD Bank Group, which has had a chief environment officer since 2008, proudly notes that it has been carbon-neutral for the past 12 years. There’s another factor driving employers to make sure they have strong sustainability policies – recruitment. At B.C.’s TransLink transit system, Derek Stewart, a 19-year veteran, is now director of safety, environment and emergency management for Coast Mountain Bus Company. He observes: “When I started as an environmental officer, it wasn’t a mainstream idea – we really had to push to get people to buy in to our recycling and energy-saving programs. Now, people want to know how sustainable you are as an organization before they come to work for you. It’s been a beautiful shift.” Yerema echoes that perception. “Employers are making sure that people they’re recruiting understand that they actually care and that they’re trying to improve their processes and their impact on the community, the local environment and the planet,” he says. “I think that becomes a great selling feature for a generation that has been raised with the idea that we are responsible for the environment, and we should not only mitigate our individual impacts, but act collectively. An employer that’s actually walking the talk is very attractive to a lot of people coming of age and looking for work.” So don’t count out the bees. Well beyond the traditional office recycling efforts, companies these days are also busy installing electric vehicle charging stations in their parking lots and holding “green meetings” – conferring without plastic water bottles on the table or wasting uneaten snacks. In their business lines, manufacturers are trying to reduce plastic packaging and take back their used products for refurbishing, while banks are increasingly stressing sustainable finance to support green firms. Across the Canadian employment hive, in other words, there is now a lot more honey. – Berton Woodward

TRANSLINK

Cont.

 TransLink / South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority has purchased 15 fully electric battery-powered buses, and has received approval to buy 57 more – each saves over 100 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually.

M.SOUSA/EMTERRA

A DEEPER GREEN

 Emterra employees sorting recyclables at the company’s material recovery facility in Kamloops, B.C.

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Responsible practices drive progress at ABB Canada

hy would a leading global technology company like ABB Canada have beehives and an urban farm at its head office in Montréal? “Why not?” says Jennifer Dumoulin, environment, health, and safety specialist for ABB Canada’s electrification business. “We have green spaces at our Montréal campus, which is a LEED construction, and we are constantly encouraging these kinds of initiatives in all our Canadian offices. Even small initiatives like beehives help biodiversity in the area because the bees pollinate trees and flowers.”

We have never been collectively in a need for more creativity and innovation as we have before to deal with the challenges facing our planet. — Said Elaissi Director, National Health, Safety & Environment

Local businesses take care of tending the beehives and farm, but employees collaborate over which varieties of vegetables and herbs to plant and they enjoy the honey from the hives. “Typically, the produce is used for meals prepared at our onsite cafeteria, but while it’s closed due to COVID-19, we offer the products to employees to enjoy

 ABB is working towards fulfilling their sustainability strategy and goals, which includes zero waste to landfill and carbon neutrality by 2030.

at home,” says Dumoulin. “It’s another way we continue our efforts to make things greener and more sustainable. The beekeepers and farmers offer workshops on topics such as planting or making beeswax candles so there’s also a great social engagement component for our employees.” While the pandemic and varying restrictions created new challenges, Dumoulin says they’ve been successful at adapting and keeping everyone aware of health and safety measures. Concerned about the waste aspect of disposable masks, Dumoulin recently optimized wasted management for PPE at ABB’s operations across

Canada. “Going forward, we’ll keep these optimized waste management practices onsite after the pandemic. We have that reflex of always thinking about sustainability and environmental aspects and making sure we engage the right people in those discussions, including supply chain, health and safety, environmental and communications.” Dumoulin is also committed to identifying projects key to fulfilling the company’s 2030 sustainability strategy and goals, including zero waste to landfill and carbon neutrality by 2030. “As somebody who is naturally engaged on the sustainability front,

it touches my core values as a human being,” says Dumoulin. “I’m happy my position allows me to be heavily involved in those types of projects.” Said Elaissi, director, national health, safety & environment, says people are very concerned about the environment, especially the new generation who are looking to make an impact. Accordingly, they want to work for a company that aligns with their values and is also making a difference. “As a technology leader, ABB focuses on areas where we can make the biggest impact – reducing carbon emissions, preserving resources and promoting social

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Supports customers and suppliers in reducing emissions and achieving carbon neutrality Building footprint includes green roof and EV charging stations

Embeds circularity across the value chain

Committed to reduce waste, increase recycling and foster reusability

 ABB's head office in Montréal includes an urban farm and beehives to help biodiversity in the area.

progress,” says Elaissi. “We serve businesses that have a huge challenge in terms of climate change and carbon footprint. “People understand we’re making a large contribution in the electrification of transport and in different industries, including mining, building and infrastructure.

They can see the purpose of ABB and want to contribute directly with their own touch. We have never been collectively in a need for more creativity and innovation as we have before to deal with the challenges facing our planet.” Health and safety is another top priority, based on ABB’s culture

of health, safety, environment and sustainability and a “by choice, not by chance” approach. “We have a robust management system with a plan for risk assessment, risk management and implementation of control measures,” says Elaissi. “At the same time, we’ve created an

environment with an interdependent culture of safety and sustainability, where management and employees collaborate together. “It’s not a top-down approach. Employees have a bigger impact when they feel that their voice is heard.” 

— A better world begins with you FIND OUT MORE

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

BC Housing builds sustainability from the ground up

C Housing has discovered that to unlock its vision of a green, sustainable future, you need to build it from the ground up with a team that shares that mission. One of the province’s biggest developers, BC Housing is at the forefront of building state-of-theart, energy-efficient housing as well as retrofitting existing buildings. Headquartered in Burnaby, B.C., the provincial Crown agency provides a range of housing to serve people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, victims of domestic violence and many other vulnerable people across the province. It also manages and administers multiple subsidized housing options, helping over 116,000 households in more than 200 communities.

The work we do and knowing we make a positive difference is what keeps people here. It really means something to our employees. — Owen Philip Senior Manager, Capital Planning Development and Asset Strategies

Sustainability is woven into the fabric of how BC Housing operates, starting with its employees. Bike purchasing and subsidized transit programs encourage them to keep the car parked when heading to work. Skills development and leadership training also

 BC Housing team member enjoying some greenery at a directly managed site.

encourages employees to do their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). “BC Housing is a leader and takes a very holistic, integrated approach to sustainability – we’re not just looking at green buildings anymore,” says Leigh Greenius, senior strategic advisor, sustainability and resilience. “Sustainability is part of our culture. I love to see that reflected in the work we do and we have lots of champions across the organization making it happen.” The volunteer-led Livegreen Employee Council is an engine that drives sustainability initiatives.

Every aspect of how employees can live a greener life at work, home and in the community is on the table, including workshops on how to move to a vegetarian diet or repairing your bike. Community buy-in is also critical. BC Housing’s tenants contribute to the sustainable vision by participation in programs like People, Plants and Homes, in which employees work with tenants to create rooftop and other garden plots that produce some of their own food. Recycling and organic waste programs also help to build a shared sense of mission. The blueprint for BC Housing’s

overall green strategy is the new Sustainability and Resilience Framework, which provides a comprehensive guide that informs every aspect of the Crown agency’s activities. For Owen Philip, it’s a guiding foundation that he builds on. “It helps us integrate sustainability into our daily work and aids us in making long-term decisions,” says Philip, senior manager, capital planning development and asset strategies. “The plan is an anchor point to make sure we’re orienting ourselves in the right direction in the long-term.”

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Building footprint includes Passive House, LEED Gold and energyefficient buildings Green Rewards program for employees to reward sustainable behaviours People, Plants and Homes program for tenants led by a full-time horticultural therapist

Carbon neutral since 2010  BC Housing staff sharing gardening tips and tricks with one another.

Philip is responsible for assessing and reporting on the condition of the social housing portfolio across the entire province. When teams go in to retrofit existing buildings to make them more energy efficient, they go above and beyond the B.C. Building Code to shrink their carbon footprints.

That makes Philip and the BC Housing team feel great. “The work we do and knowing we make a positive difference is what keeps people here. It really means something to our employees,” he says. The careful, comprehensive construction of BC Housing’s

sustainability mission has come a long way in the 10 years that Greenius has been with the Crown agency. But it’s far from complete and just keeps on building. “We’ve expanded our definition of sustainability and are approaching it much more comprehensively by including equity pieces in

the social sustainability side. Compared to 10 years ago, it’s night and day to what we’re doing now,” says Greenius. “I see a lot of excitement among employees and we feel like we’re at a tipping point where sustainability is totally integrated into our work.” 

We’re proud of our professional,

compassionate, forward-thinking employees who make a positive difference in this province every day.

bchousing.org

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

For Bell, sustainability brings opportunities to innovate

atherine JacquesBrissette joined Bell Canada almost 10 years ago as a consultant in the company’s pension and actuarial services group. As a qualified actuary, she managed long-term financial risks for the company. “I personally felt a need to do something I was more passionate about, and that drew me to the environment, which has always been close to my heart,” she says.

That commitment to the environment drives internal opportunities. It builds on innovation and gets team members engaged in identifying energy reduction initiatives. — Marc Duchesne Vice President, Corporate Security and Responsibility

As Jacques-Brissette discovered, Bell has been reducing the environmental impacts of its activities for over 25 years. The company has been setting increasingly ambitious environmental performance targets, which are overseen through its certified ISO 14001 environmental management system. When she joined the company, environmental leadership was already a critical tool in its long-term competitive strategy. “That commitment to the

 Catherine Jacques-Brissette, senior analyst, business intelligence, corporate responsibility and environment, at Bell Canada.

environment drives internal opportunities,” says Marc Duchesne, vice-president of corporate security and responsibility. “It builds on innovation and gets team members engaged in identifying energy reduction initiatives.” In 2021, Bell launched Bell for Better, a long-term commitment to create better outcomes for all stakeholders, including Canadian communities everywhere, employees and customers. The company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership is integral to the corporate culture. Bell’s commitment to

sustainability extends throughout the company and to its customers and suppliers as well – aiming to produce a more sustainable future. In the last five years, for example, Bell has exceeded its e-waste targets and has recovered millions of phones, TV receivers, modems and mobile phones. More recently, it has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund Canada to donate the proceeds from its recovery programs to help with the fund’s climate-change initiatives. “We’re committed to becoming carbon neutral in our operations by 2025,” says Duchesne. “For 2030,

we have set science-based GHG emissions reduction targets that are consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, in line with the most ambitious temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.” Bell’s environmental initiatives correspond with the concerns and priorities of its employees and other stakeholders. In a survey conducted last year, they identified climate change as the most important environmental issue facing the company, followed by energy conservation and the adoption of electric vehicles. Jacques-Brissette moved

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Bell technologies enable carbon abatement that is 4.5x Bell’s operational carbon emissions 1st communications company in North America to have its energy management system ISO 50001 certified Transitioning to a circular economy model, furthering ambition to send zero waste to landfill

Building footprints include green roof and rainwater collector

 Marc Duchesne, vice president, corporate security & responsibility, at Bell Canada.

from Bell’s pension group to its corporate responsibility and environment team as a business intelligence senior analyst. “I learned how actuarial science can contribute to fighting climate change,” she says. “I discovered that this is an area where I can use my actuarial expertise to make a

positive impact.” To minimize the company’s carbon footprint, Jacques-Brissette analyzes data collected by Bell’s environmental coordinators throughout the country and converts it into carbon emissions. “Then we set ambitious carbon reduction targets and build the

business case for executive approval.” From the board of directors to the technicians installing network equipment, Bell takes its environmental commitments so seriously that the company has now embedded sustainability into its strategic imperatives.

“It’s a double opportunity,” says Duchesne. “We already operate in a sector that doesn’t emit a lot of carbon, but we also create and sell technology that enables people to reduce their carbon footprint. Not only can we do the right thing, but we also create products that help other people to do it too.” 

Give your career a boost. Join a team committed to creating a thriving, prosperous and more connected world. bell.ca/careers

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Sustainability is a foundation for Cadillac Fairview

ince Cadillac Fairview (CF) introduced its national sustainability program, Green at Work, in 2008, the real estate company has seen blockbuster results. But CF has no plans to rest on its laurels. Green at Work helps employees apply leading global sustainability practices to reduce the environmental impacts of CF properties. The program, which grew out of the success of an employee-led green tenant engagement program at a Vancouver office property, has reduced greenhouse gas emissions across CF’s holdings by 56 per cent, energy usage by 48 per cent and water usage by 77 per cent, and produced an 80 per cent diversion in waste to date.

Cadillac Fairview is focused on continuous improvement and integrating sustainability into the fabric of what we do. — Karen Jalon Vice-President of Sustainability, Energy and Smart Technology

“In order to achieve this, it means every property team is doing their part,” says Karen Jalon, the company’s vice-president of sustainability, energy and smart technology. “They are engaged leaders driving real sustainable change.” That level of engagement comes from an understanding that sustainability initiatives are

 Karen Jalon, vice-president of sustainability, energy and smart technology, Cadillac Fairview.

business-critical, Jalon says. “What has really landed with people is they have the opportunity to do something that supports our future, has a very strong positive impact on our communities, and at the same time has a clear business value by driving down operational costs like utilities, reducing risk and really aligning with our stakeholders’ views and needs.” Green at Work is a combination of smaller optimizations and major innovative projects, like CF’s in-progress solar panel installation at CF Chinook Centre in Calgary. The panels will allow for power

generation for the building itself and power that can feed back into the local grid. The company, wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, has also been expanding its national electric vehicle charging program that began in 2018, and now has chargers at all of its properties nationally. Moreover, it has a total of 350,000 honeybees across seven properties in Ontario, including CF Toronto Eaton Centre and CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa. At CF Lime Ridge Mall, a CF property in Hamilton, Ont., a

recent change to replace the mall food court’s 16 waste stations in October 2021 with an attendant-staffed sorting station has already proved its weight in, well, trash. Within the first two months, CF Lime Ridge’s organic matter doubled, diverting a significant amount of food waste from the landfill. The station itself is constructed from 50 per cent recycled material. CF Lime Ridge, which has received numerous awards and certifications from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) in the past year, will

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Formal employee-led green initiatives

Established waste diversion targets for all properties

Addresses environmental impact through five “Green at Work” pillars Expansion of electric vehicle charging program  Catherine Dubois, operations manager at CF Shops at Don Mills.

soon have an on-site composter to break down the increased organic matter, and work with local farmers who can use it in their fields. “We’re moving towards more sustainable practices and diverting more away from landfills,” says Catherine Dubois, the former operations manager at CF Lime

Ridge who was heavily involved in the sorting station’s roll-out. Dubois is currently operations manager for CF Shops at Don Mills in Toronto. She says it’s heartening to see the company’s “systems in motion and the direct impact we have within our community.”

Jalon says the sorting station is part of the company’s commitment to ongoing progress. “Cadillac Fairview is focused on continuous improvement and integrating sustainability into the fabric of what we do.” Now, in her new role, Dubois says she’s on the hunt for more

green opportunities at CF Shops at Don Mills, which is due for a BOMA recertification this year. “We’re always looking at energy usage, waste removal data, and water usage,” she says. “Anywhere we can apply a more sustainable practice, we’re looking out for that.” 

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Canon has long made the environment its top priority

hat Diana Kouril loves most about her job as the environmental affairs specialist at Canon Canada Inc. is that it’s never done. “It’s continuously evolving, continuously improving. It’s about how we can do better,” says Kouril, who has worked at Canon for almost four years. Canon has been making the environment its No. 1 priority for almost 35 years. In 1988, it adopted the corporate philosophy of kyosei, meaning “all people regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future.”

If you can’t contribute to the Earth, you are going to lose your foundation. We are responsible for what we make and what we use. — Nobu Kitajima President and CEO, Canon Canada

This commitment includes a toner return and battery recycling program, eliminating single-use plastics in cafeterias, and offering Energy Star-certified products. In 2021, Canon Canada turned its attention to a pandemic-made crisis – personal protective equipment (PPE). “Single-use PPE junk has increased in our backyards and our streets,” says Kouril, who

 Canon Canada's Branch Out program includes tree planting and protecting shorelines.

went to university for fine arts, but switched to environmental studies after taking a few electives and realizing that is where her passion lay. “We implemented a program that collects PPE – gloves, masks, shoe covers, face shields – from our offices, and the Green Circle Salons environmental organization incinerates it, turning PPE waste into renewable energy.” Last year, Canon Canada also held successful curbside recycling events for staff, says president and CEO Nobu Kitajima, saving more than 565 kilograms of consumer electronics from landfills. But Canon goes beyond recycling, says Kitajima, who has worked for the company for more

than 40 years. Canon’s headquarters and most of its owned office properties are certified ISO 14001, which sets out a framework for organizations to follow to create environmental management systems. Additionally, Canon’s Brampton, Ont., headquarters is LEEDcertified to the Gold level. “If you can’t contribute to the Earth, you are going to lose your foundation,” Kitajima says. “We are responsible for what we make and what we use.” Canon’s corporate philosophy is ingrained into every aspect at Canon to ensure what the company is doing minimizes its impact, which is important to staff and their customers, Kitajima says.

“People are concerned about the future. We are working for a common goal.” Kouril agrees. “We view it as a shared responsibility, a corporate entity that includes being a good corporate citizen and creating positive environmental impact.” Helping the environment is a team effort, Kouril says. Canon Canada offers its Branch Out program, which pre-pandemic meant staff volunteered to plant trees and remove invasive species. With stay-at-home orders, Canon had to be creative, Kouril says. Last year, Kouril created a scavenger hunt for staff, encouraging families to do things together. For example, staff were encouraged to

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

In-house waste reduction and recycling

Toner cartridge return and recycling program

Phasing out disposable plastic water bottles and straws at all locations Headquarters rainwater collector expected to save 20% of water usage per year

 Canon Canada held a successful curbside recycling event for its staff.

up-recycle materials to make bird feeders and to check out their local parks. More than 100 employees took part and completed more than 5,500 tasks. “It was a way to engage them in the corporate philosophy, get outside and enjoy nature,” says

Kouril. The scavenger hunt, she says, will continue this year as one of their legacy projects. Canon Canada also donated to organizations’ projects that aligned with its values. In Greater Toronto, for example, Canon donated to the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, funding the rebuilding

of a boardwalk to make nature accessible to everyone. “I am really proud of that one,” Kouril says. Canon also donated to Trout Unlimited Canada, Nature Conservancy of Canada, and Earth Rangers. New for 2022 is a partnership with the National Wildlife Centre,

which is opening a new headquarters in Caledon, Ont. Canon will help with photography and imaging including donating products to fundraising initiatives. “What sets Canon apart is our ability to evolve and address issues. We hustle and reflect and improve the environment,” Kouril says. 

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

The CRD engages its communities in climate action

s senior manager of the environmental protection division of the Capital Regional District (CRD), Glenn Harris oversees an ambitious climate action strategy. Its goals include achieving carbon neutrality and reducing emissions and waste across the CRD’s 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Harris is optimistic about the CRD’s potential to meet those goals, partly because the plan has been embraced throughout the organization as well as in the communities it serves.

We need to put a climate lens on everything we do, every decision we make and all the purchases we make. — Glenn Harris Senior Manager, Environmental Division

“Environmental stewardship and climate action are top priorities, and our leaders, staff and board are aligned,” he says. “We’re also engaging citizens and businesses in the region to make sure we’re all working toward sustainability, whether it’s how we recycle, deal with liquid waste, look after our parks or manage our greenhouse gas footprint.” The principle of sustainability is embedded in everything the CRD does, from building affordable

 CRD field staff can use ebikes as their mode of transportation when making site visits.

housing to greening the transit fleet and protecting the landscape. “We need to put a climate lens on everything we do, every decision we make and all the purchases we make,” Harris says. CRD climate action analyst Chris Moore is also optimistic about the strategy. “Yes, it’s ambitious, and it’s going to take a concerted effort,” he says. “But it was unanimously approved, which shows that it’s a priority and everyone’s on board.”

The CRD aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Since about half of those emissions come from vehicles, transitioning to electric buses is a major focus. “We released a Green Fleet policy that lets us look holistically at all the benefits when we’re purchasing vehicles,” Moore says. “It’s not just the sticker price, which can make electric vehicles seem expensive. We look at life

cycle costs and carbon costs. We can use BC Hydro clean energy to power them so they’re nearly zero-emission. And we’re planning to install a lot more EV chargers for corporate and public fleets.” The other main source of emissions is buildings. The CRD, which has won LEED (Leadership in Environmental Excellence and Design) awards for its projects, strives to further reduce its footprint and improve sustainability by conducting energy audits of

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

LEED-certified headquarters (rainwater collection, green roof, geothermal, EV charging, etc.) Environmental planning and initiatives program

Hosts educational workshops as part of climate action strategy

Zero-emissions fleet initiative  CRD staff charging one of their fleet vehicles at an onsite EV charging station.

all its buildings and applying high environmental standards to new builds. “We’re developing a Green Building policy that will guide both retrofits and new construction,” says Moore. “It’s similar to the Green Fleet policy in that we’re thinking big picture – not

just upfront costs but long-term cost benefits, social benefits and environmental benefits to give us the best value in the end.” The CRD’s new housing projects are being built to a higher standard of energy efficiency than the BC Building Code requires. “Affordable housing that’s built to

green standards is the intersection point between housing affordability and the climate crisis,” says Moore. “It’s a great example to show that you can tackle multiple issues with one solution.” The organization’s suppliers will also be expected to meet those high standards. “We want

to be leaders in this field, and we’ll require those we do business with to come along with us,” says Harris. “We also report on all the things we do. We make ourselves accountable in a transparent way so everybody understands that we’re making progress – and that’s important.” 

Join our team! www.crd.bc.ca/careers

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

CIBC helps create a platform to spur the carbon market

et ready for Carbonplace – a new global sustainability initiative being championed by CIBC in partnership with other major international banks. “It’s an innovative solution,” says Matthew Kielek, associate, sustainability advisory in CIBC Capital Markets. ”What we’re looking to do is build a reliable and secure record of ownership for voluntary carbon credits and provide a settlement layer to support the participants of the voluntary carbon market.”

Sustainability is a journey that takes commitment to reach net zero emissions. — Matthew Kielek Associate, Sustainability Advisory, Global Investment Banking

Companies trying to get their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by a certain date can buy credits that will help them cover the last mile of reduction – after they have followed all possible sustainable practices in their own operation. Voluntary carbon credits are offered by entities whose activities actually reduce emissions – a nature organization, for example, or a carbon storage company. Carbonplace will facilitate transactions and allow the owners of such credits to maintain a book of ownership. It will also provide settlement infrastructure for exchanges. As part of its broad commitment

 Bindu Dhaliwal, vice-president, environmental, social and governance for CIBC.

to sustainability across the bank, CIBC teamed up with the U.K.’s NatWest Bank PLC, National Australia Bank and Itaú Unibanco of Brazil in 2021 to begin creating the Carbonplace platform, and recently welcomed UBS, Standard Chartered and BNP Paribas, all based in Europe, as additional members. “The most exciting part of this project is the joint effort of banks working together to solve a global issue,” says Kielek. “The voluntary carbon markets have actually existed for over 20 years, but it’s been very difficult to navigate.

This platform will overcome the friction that exists today.” In the other part of his job, Kielek is actively involved in helping business clients reduce their carbon footprints on the way to net zero. He cites advising a construction and engineering company about using more environmentally friendly materials or a meal preparation outfit offering more vegan options. And he encourages more transparency across all industries, helping clients publish their sustainability targets and metrics. “Sustainability is a journey that

takes commitment to reach net zero emissions,” says Kielek. “So we’re actively working with clients to focus on decarbonizing their own operations and doing what they can to reduce their emissions as much as possible.” Eventually, he says, they can turn to Carbonplace. Bindu Dhaliwal, vice-president, environmental, social and governance, says helping clients transition to a lower carbon economy illustrates CIBC’s strong support for sustainability. The bank’s own goal is to reach net zero in its operational and financing activities

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Sustainable finance target of $300 billion by 2030

Environment-themed Ideation Challenge for MBA associates

Dedicated Capital Markets Sustainable Finance team Established a new Energy, Infrastructure and Transition Investment Banking group

 Matthew Kielek, associate, sustainability advisory for CIBC helps clients reduce their carbon footprints.

by 2050, with their operations targeted to be carbon neutral by 2024, including 100 per cent of the bank’s electricity derived from renewable sources. CIBC has also ramped up its commitment to sustainable finance to $300 billion by 2030, to back sustainable business solutions and

transition activities. CIBC currently ranks in the top 10 in financing for the renewable energy industry across North America. It has also set aside $100 million for investments in climate tech innovation. Dhaliwal says the bank sees its own role as critical in tackling

climate change and environmental issues. “We think that as enablers – as a bank that finances and makes investments – we can facilitate change by financing and investing in the technology and business models that are required.” She notes that these investments, from Carbonplace to other

innovations, are designed to support a future that is still unfolding. “We’re developing strategies today, in a world in which the technology solutions haven’t all been created yet,” she says. “CIBC has the drive to play a leadership role, making it an exciting time to be part of our bank.” 

A supportive environment that supports the environment Come work with CIBC, where we’ve been recognized as one of Canada’s Top Green Employers. Join us today at cibc.com/careers CANADA’s TOP 100 EMPLOYERS and ELUTA are registered trademarks of Mediacorp Canada Inc. All rights reserved. The CIBC logo is a trademark of CIBC.

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Desjardins makes climate action a top priority

or an organization as large and diversified as Desjardins Group, being environmentally responsible is no small challenge. It’s a commitment with a direct impact on everything from Desjardins's infrastructure and operations to the financial products and services it offers. But ask why it’s important to Canada's leading co-operative financial group to champion action on climate-related risks and opportunities and the answer is straightforward.

We hear regularly from our members and clients and 79 per cent of them expect us to be a leader in sustainability. — Gildas Poissonnier Director, Sustainable Development and Responsible Finance

“Sustainability is a part of our DNA,” says Gildas Poissonnier, director, sustainable development and responsible finance. “For over 120 years, we’ve been improving our members’ lives. “We hear regularly from our members and clients and 79 per cent of them expect us to be a leader in sustainability. The message is loud and clear.” Founded in 1900, Desjardins has a democratic, member-run governance structure dedicated to the well-being of its members, clients and communities. The

 A 65-metre living wall located in the Cité de la cooperation Desjardins in Lévis, QC.

Québec-based organization had already been taking action to minimize its environmental impact for decades when it launched a plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its own operations (buildings, business travel, paper) to 20 per cent below 2018 levels by 2024. Having met and surpassed many of its goals, Desjardins revised its target for operational GHG emissions to a 41 per cent reduction from 2019 levels by 2025. This commitment is part of an ambitious climate strategy to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 not only in its extended operations, but also in its lending activities and own investments in three key

carbon-intensive sectors: energy, transportation and real estate. Senior sustainability advisor Charles Bernardi says that number puts the environment first. “We asked ‘what do we need to do to contribute to achieving the Paris Agreement’s climate targets and limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees C?’ The answer is based on science.” As well as reducing its own carbon footprint, Desjardins offsets remaining emissions by purchasing certified carbon offsets. And in partnership with Tree Canada, a national not-for-profit organization, Desjardins has planted some 25,000 native trees in the past year.

It’s one of a growing portfolio of partnerships that Desjardins has formed with like-minded charitable and educational organizations. Poissonnier says this reflects an evolution in the company’s strategy from focusing on matters it can control to extending its sphere of influence. Desjardins helps its members and clients to have a positive impact as well. The company offers over 40 investment product options for individuals and businesses that want to support companies committed to environmental issues. This includes Desjardins's first sustainable bond, which its Finance and Treasury Group issued in September 2021.

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

In-house waste reduction and recycling program

$250M GoodSpark Fund that supports community initiatives

Building footprint includes rainwater collector

Rooftop honey-bee apiaries at multiple locations  An electric vehicle charging superstation at Complexe Desjardins in downtown Montréal.

“The power of co-operative action can lead us farther along the way to sustainable development and responsible consumption than any of us acting alone,” says Poissonnier. “With the tools we’re providing members, we’re helping them multiply the power of the co-op.”

Desjardins makes climate action a priority when investing its own assets as well. All of its direct investments in energy infrastructure, for example, are in renewable energy. The decisions about which companies to invest in are made by integrating traditional financial

We’re not just a potential employer. We’re the employer of choice for over 52,000 people. There’s a difference.

analysis with reviews of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. Now Desjardins is preparing to move ESG beyond the executive suite and extend it to the grassroots. To ensure ESG factors are applied to all its business decisions, Desjardins launched a mandatory

ESG training program in early 2022. The goal, Bernardi says, is for 85 per cent of employees to complete the training by 2023. “We have a lot of people in a lot of different divisions and we want every employee to be involved,” says Bernardi. “That’s a lot of business decisions every day.” 

Find out for yourself! Join the Desjardins team. desjardins.com/careers

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Sustainability is a way of life at Durham College

oug Crossman’s job is one that is always evolving. As director of facilities management at Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology, Crossman oversees the retrofits of the college’s buildings at its campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Ont., many of which date back to the 1970s. “Our commitment to sustainability has certainly grown over the last 15 years,” he says.

Our geothermal field at the Oshawa campus was a significant project that has taken us most of the way towards our 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. — Doug Crossman Director of Facilities Management

On the more basic level, that has meant installing bottle fillers across both campuses to reduce the use of plastic; installing low-flow water systems in bathrooms; changing lights on campus to LED; and installing charging stations for electric vehicles. Horticulture and food and farming programs at the Whitby campus focus on sustainable farming, which includes a vertical farm in a shipping container that produces 700 heads of leafy greens weekly and uses 90 per cent less water than traditional farming

 Doug Crossman, director of facilities management, at the Energy Innovation Centre at Durham College.

methods. Durham College is also developing an organic regeneration system, which will produce waste compost for use in the college’s agricultural growing fields – “field to fork and back to field again,” as Alan Dunn, associate vice-president of facilities and ancillary services, notes. In Oshawa, the Centre for Collaborative Education – a certified gold LEED building – was built to replace a legacy facility on that campus. When the old building was demolished, Dunn explains, it left the college with a vacant site, which was replaced with a landscaped quad.

Beneath that is a geothermal field – the college’s third – which supplies heated and chilled fluids for HVAC systems in one of the main buildings. “Our geothermal field at the Oshawa campus was a significant project that has taken us most of the way towards our 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction goals,” says Crossman. The campus community can observe the geothermal system in use at the Energy Innovation Centre. “This system is mostly buried underground,” says Dunn. “But there are significant pumping and monitoring systems that we’ve

put into what might have been just a traditional pumphouse, and created an exhibit-like space with audio and video so students can learn how the system works.” Over the next couple of years, the college will introduce a significant battery energy storage system – BESS for short. Designed to work in conjunction with the local utility, BESS will allow the college to draw on it when the demand on the electric grid system is at its peak and recharge when demand on the grid is low. Another initiative is a combined heat and power facility (CHP) at the Whitby campus. “It’s a gas

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STARS program participant

Green procurement strategy

LEED Gold certified learning spaces On-campus geothermal field saves enough energy to power an average home for 136 years

 Durham College’s planting fields provide fresh food for its teaching-inspired restaurant.

turbine engine that allows us to provide both electricity and heat,” Dunn explains. “In the winter, it’s an additional heat source for the campus buildings and in the summer, it’s primarily providing electricity, again, taking some load off the electrical grid.” Another benefit of the

geothermal fields, the CHP and BESS is the future potential for islanding the campus. “In the event of a significant outage, like an ice storm, they assist us in keeping some of the campus up and running,” Dunn says. Any new project Durham College undertakes – from

heating to plumbing to building construction – is as efficient as possible. “We take sustainability very seriously,” says Dunn. “It’s important for students and our employees as well, to be contributing not just to Canada’s stated goal, but globally.” And that means Crossman

still has a long list of things that need to be done. “By the time we upgrade the older systems, there will be new advanced technology to implement across the college,” he says. “It’s exciting knowing that this job is making a difference, and that the possibilities for sustainability are endless.” 

LEADING THE WAY TO A GREENER FUTURE WE ARE #DCPROUD TO BE NAMED ONE OF CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS FOR SIX CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

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There’s a buzz around First Capital’s green strategy

ees are big at First Capital REIT. The real estate company that’s focused on grocery-anchored, mixed-use assets has been busy expanding its pollinator program. It has already placed 11 beehives on building roofs, and plans to install another five this year – in tandem with boosting its use of native landscaping. “The combination of the pollinators and providing landscaping that is pollinator-friendly helps to revive the biodiversity in our neighbourhoods,” says Melissa Jacobs, senior director, environmental, social and governance (ESG). And there’s an added bonus: “Our tenants and employees seem to really love them.”

We definitely see it as something that helps us to attract the best talent, especially the younger generation. — Melissa Jacobs Senior Director, Environmental, Social and Governance

Promoting biodiversity is part of the company’s popular goal of making its properties environmentally sustainable – which in turn is integral to the company’s overarching strategy of building thriving urban neighbourhoods, Jacobs says. “Sustainability initiatives, whether they focus on creating a healthier indoor environment, reducing our carbon emissions or

 First Capital has a wide portfolio of projects, including Mount Royal Village, one of their urban mixed-use neighbourhoods, in Calgary, AB.

developing communityengagement programs, all further our company’s purpose of having a positive impact on our tenants and communities,” she says. Toronto-based First Capital REIT, or FCR, has been in the forefront of environmental awareness in the real estate space for over a decade, building out green programs, and regularly rethinking and upgrading its policies. The sustainable programs benefit the planet, and the company too. “We definitely see it as something that helps us to attract the best talent, especially the younger generation,” Jacobs says. FCR’s sustainability thinking has evolved over the past decade,

says Maryanne McDougald, senior vice president of operations. In 2006, she says, FCR became the first Canadian retail developer to commit to build its projects to LEED standards, a globally recognized designation of environmentally responsible construction practices. “Making that commitment created a real foundation for us,” says McDougald, who has been at FCR for almost 19 years. From there, the company turned to retrofitting its portfolio, gathering data to further improve operations, and engaging its teams in sustainability initiatives, she says. These days, FCR engages employees through training and

sustainability-themed special events. It also uses its companywide town hall meetings to keep everyone up to date on green initiatives. And it runs quirky programs, like the Print Wise Challenge, which encourages employees to cut back on the use of paper. In 2018 alone, paper use was reduced by 30 per cent, McDougald says. In the public realm, FCR just completed a five-year initiative to convert its parking-lot lighting to energy-efficient LED. And it’s currently installing electric vehicle charging stations across its portfolio, targeting completion by 2024. Last year it installed 90, bringing the number to 250, McDougald

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125 projects certified to LEED

Over 250 electric vehicle charging stations Rooftop beehives at 11 properties, expanding to 5 more by year end

 First Capital is installing EV charging stations with a goal of 250 across Canada by the end of 2021.

says. FCR is spreading its sustainability efforts into local communities too. Its employee-led, nonprofit Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation formed a partnership with Second Harvest to help fundraise and support the food-rescue organization in major cities. FCR

TSX: FCR.UN

also provides employees time off to volunteer in community events. McDougald says the greening of FCR has hardly peaked and needs constant refining. “Sustainability is a journey,” she says. With that in mind, in 2020 the company launched on its website a detailed five-year ESG Roadmap

that aligns a series of actions and measurable goals. “There’s not a lot of companies that have put that detailed a strategy out into the public realm,” says Jacobs, who has worked in sustainability for 15 years, including four at FCR. “By making it public we’re holding ourselves

$281,000 raised by employee-led foundation to support Second Harvest

accountable.” What makes the roadmap more powerful is that it’s integrated into each area of the business, Jacobs says. “We’re moving together more cohesively now,” she says, “and that’s going to allow us to continue to have a bigger impact.” 

Building Greener Communities TORONTO | MONTRÉAL | EDMONTON | CALGARY | VANCOUVER

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The Home Depot Canada hammers away at emissions

very year, stores of The Home Depot Canada donate millions of dollars of slightly used or unsold products to the Habitat for Humanity Canada ReStore program. Habitat ReStores sell donated home furnishings, appliances and other renovation materials at low prices, with all proceeds supporting construction of Habitat for Humanity homes.

This commitment is important because, when we reduce our impact on the environment, it strengthens our business and our communities. It is part of us being a responsible company. — Joanna Caners Senior Manager, Sustainability

“Our partnership with ReStore helps us divert products from landfill,” says Joanna Caners, senior manager, sustainability. “In 2020, we donated about nine million lightly used or unsold products to Habitat for Humanity. That helps the environment and also helps people in our communities. So it is a double benefit.” The Habitat for Humanity partnership is just one of the ways The Home Depot Canada focuses on environmental sustainability. For example, its global parent company has announced a goal

 Employees at The Home Depot Canada volunteered more than 60,000 hours last year to help charitable groups across Canada.

to have 100 per cent renewable energy in all its facilities by 2030, worldwide. The Home Depot has also pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2035. Over the last decade, The Home Depot Canada has reduced electricity usage by 43 per cent. In 2020, the Toronto-based company installed LED lighting, building-automated systems, and energy-efficient heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems, which led to an eight per

cent electricity reduction in its stores. “This commitment is important because, when we reduce our impact on the environment, it strengthens our business and our communities. It is part of us being a responsible company,” Caners says. “Operational changes and the LED lighting upgrades are a big part of it, but it also includes how each store and its associates take steps to minimize energy consumption as much as possible.”

The Home Depot Canada encourages associates to take ownership of this commitment, Caners adds, offering an example of an associate who held a Lunch and Learn on how to improve waste management in the break room. The Home Depot Canada also has significant goals regarding product packaging. “Packaging has a significant impact on the environment and we are working very deliberately on reducing the amount of waste that comes from

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Longstanding preference for FSC-certified wood products

Eco Options brand of everyday home products

Works with suppliers to improve chemicals in categories with the greatest potential impact on indoor air quality

LEDs in all store interiors

 The Home Depot volunteers shared their expertise to help choose the right products to make Yonge Street Mission’s garden shine.

our product,” says Pam O’Rourke, vice-president of merchandising. O’Rourke says the company is well on its way to meeting its pledge to exclude expanded polystyrene (EPS foam) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in all of its private brand packaging by 2023. “Although foam is protecting

products, it’s difficult to recycle and takes more than a century to break down,” O’Rourke says. “So we’re replacing it with innovative materials, like wood pellets or moulded pulp and paper.” PVC is also difficult to recycle and takes a long time to biodegrade, so The Home Depot Canada is working

on replacing that and encouraging some of its partners to do the same. “We recognize that the biggest impact on the environment comes from the products we sell. So anything we can do to reduce that impact is just the right thing to do,” O’Rourke says, adding that the views of its customers and

BUILDING COMMUNITIES AND CAREERS

associates are crucial. “If it is important to our customer and to our associates, it’s important to us. We’re guided by what our customers and associates are telling us regarding waste and the impact that we’re having. So we view that as one of our obligations. 

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Hydro Ottawa powers up environmental benefits

n 2019, Hydro Ottawa began construction on one of its largest municipal transformer stations, situated on 24 acres of land. The station only required five acres of the property, so Hydro Ottawa partnered with the City of Ottawa, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and Canadian Wildlife Federation to create a 15-acre pollinator meadow to support pollinators, like Monarch butterflies and bees, which are in decline due to pesticides, climate change and a lack of pollinator habitats.

We realized a long time ago that since we are in the business of working with customers to help them reduce their energy consumption, we had to look at reducing our own impact on the environment. — Lyne Parent-Garvey Chief Human Resources Officer

While planning this project, a Hydro Ottawa employee, who is a beekeeper in his spare time, volunteered as lead caretaker of an outdoor space for honey-bee hives at one of its facilities near the pollinator meadow. These seven hives supply the city with more pollinators and produce a lot of honey. Some of this honey is auctioned as part of Hydro Ottawa’s annual United Way campaign.

 Solar energy generation at Hydro Ottawa’s new facilities.

“It is very holistic,” says Lyne Parent-Garvey, chief human resources officer. “These projects tie in the environment, our community focus and the well-being of our employees. They are all connected to each other and to our ESG [environmental, social and governance] goals and our strategic direction.” Environmental sustainability is a large part of the organization’s strategic direction. Hydro Ottawa, which delivers electricity to more than 346,000 homes and businesses in Ottawa and the village of Casselman, developed its first five-year roadmap for reducing its impact on the environment in 2009. The organization is now

working on its third five-year roadmap and has publicly committed to net-zero operations by 2030. “We realized a long time ago that since we are in the business of working with customers to help them reduce their energy consumption, we had to look at reducing our own impact on the environment,” Parent-Garvey says. In 2019, Hydro Ottawa moved into two new operations centres and a new main office. All of the facilities are designed and built to LEED Gold standards, a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership in healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.

The facilities’ features include solar energy generation, which offsets about 18 per cent of the energy demand at its East Campus and 100 per cent at its South Campus; a four-stream waste collection system that consistently diverts more than 90 per cent of waste from landfill; a rooftop rainwater recovery system that reduces water consumption by more than 1.6 million litres per year; and water bottle filling stations, the use of which eliminated the equivalent of 104,000 plastic water bottles in 2019. It is initiatives like these that led Hydro Ottawa to earn the Sustainable Electricity Company™ designation from the

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Ontario’s largest municipally owned generator of green energy More than 90% of waste diverted from landfill

Three new facilities designed and built to LEED Gold standards

40% of fleet vehicles have environmental benefits  Hydro Ottawa recognized with the CEA Sustainable Electricity Company designation.

Canadian Electricity Association. The designation is based on 10 criteria related to ESG principles. Three focus specifically on the environment: environmental stewardship; climate change mitigation and adaptation; and electricity demand, efficiency and conservation; while the remainder

address other key organizational sustainability factors, such as employee and public health and safety; stakeholder engagement and transparency; and economic value and community investments. “While three of the criteria specifically focus on the environment, all of the criteria

interrelate and speak to good corporate citizenship,” says Bruce Lang, director, health, safety and environment. “The key to our success is that we never forget that how our employees, our customers, our shareholders and our regulator feel about how we operate matters a great deal.

“Good corporate citizenship is fundamental to our ongoing sustainability and to our ability to safely and effectively provide power to the nation’s capital, help other businesses generate their own green power, protect the environment and support our community.” 

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KPMG takes action to achieve net zero emissions

n 2020, KPMG in Canada committed to becoming a net zero carbon business by 2030. Since this goal was set, it has become a core mission for KPMG people and leaders, which is no small feat in a major national firm with more than 10,000 people in over 40 locations across Canada. “This is a huge priority for KPMG, not just in terms of mitigating our impact at work and at home, but also in terms of employee engagement and really inspiring others outside of KPMG to go green and do more,” says Arundel Gibson, family advisor, philanthropy and impact.

This is a huge priority for KPMG, not just in terms of mitigating our impact at work and at home, but also in terms of employee engagement and really inspiring others outside of KPMG to go green and do more. — Arundel Gibson Family Advisor, Philanthropy and Impact

In order to mobilize the energy and passion of the KPMG community at the grass roots level, the firm has launched several initiatives. “We’ve started a people’s network that connects Green Champions across the regions,” says Alexandra Findlay,

 Arundel Gibson, family advisor, philanthropy and impact at KPMG, and her family are committed to land and water conservation for future generations.

sustainability specialist with KPMG social impact. “When we come together, we can build on each other’s learning and really make an impact.” As dedicated volunteers, Green Champions act as the liaison between their local sustainable committee and the KPMG social impact team, enabling successful initiatives to be replicated in other offices, says Gibson, who stepped up to serve as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Green Champion. Several other promising initiatives have started rolling out, such as the new policy around corporate travel. With COVID-19

restrictions easing and employees returning to the office, the goal of the new policy is to reduce the firm’s total greenhouse gas emissions, including those from travel, to 50 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. Findlay adds that employees will strike a balance between working at home and at the office, reducing commuting and, simultaneously, reducing emissions related to personal travel. As for home offices, she says there are several steps employees can take to make their in-house operations more efficient while still ensuring people fulfil client and

team needs. KPMG is focused on ensuring its teams can move seamlessly across different environments and still continue its green mission. For instance, videoconferencing without video (saves 96 per cent of emissions from a streamed call), and turning off personal computers and monitors when they’re not in use. KPMG is also exploring opportunities to make its offices more energy efficient to actively reduce emissions. This means working with the landlords who own the firm’s corporate locations. “Buildings are a slower transition than travel, but conversations have

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Global green initiative to reduce net global greenhouse gas emissions

Green procurement strategy

Formal workplace of the future program

 Alexandra Findlay, sustainability specialist with KPMG social impact, a passionate advocate for the outdoors, skiing in Golden, BC.

started,” says Findlay. “Our targets are aggressive but by 2030, we need to be at net zero.” “It’s important to note how much our environmental commitments are driven and supported by leadership at KPMG,” says Gibson. Green Champions are supported by local leadership,

while the CEO is very much involved in the overall strategy and committed to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles as a top priority. Over the past year, these committees have sponsored lunch-and-learn sessions to help promote KPMG’s commitment

to becoming a net zero carbon business. These sessions involved external speakers and other in-house leaders, with more activities planned for this year. For instance, the GTA committee is considering a community cleanup in conjunction with Earth Day. In addition, the Greater Vancouver

Bringing together diverse perspectives that make a difference. home.kpmg/ca

Annual energy consumption evaluation

Area (GVA) office planned a vegan cooking workshop to promote a more sustainable diet. “One thing that has been really exciting about the Green Champions network is hearing what our offices are doing,” says Gibson. “Sharing ideas is really a catalyst for what’s to come.” 

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Labatt clips away single-use plastic rings

f you drink beer from cans, you’re probably used to buying them as a six-pack held together with single-use plastic rings that you feel guilty about throwing away. But increasingly, you’ll find the cans from Labatt Brewing Company Limited are held together with guilt-free, sustainable paperboard. Labatt has gone all-in on a trademarked item called the Keel Clip, explains Alexandre Gosselin, innovation implementation specialist. It involves a length of light but sturdy paperboard across the top of the six cans, with downward edges, round indents and a central “keel” that hold the cans in place with no metal or plastic. There are also convenient finger holes.

We jumped right on it. Labatt has a very pragmatic approach. — Alexandre Gosselin Innovation Implementation Specialist

“This adds to our company’s commitment to sustainability,” says Gosselin. “All our packaging will be either circular, like bottles coming back to be refilled, or recyclable – cans being recycled and cardboard or paper sent to the recycling facility, put in bales and turned into new fibres to make new packaging.” The Keel Clip, invented by Graphic Packaging International, a longtime partner of Labatt’s parent company AB InBev, is 100 per cent recyclable and contains

 Innovation implementation specialist, Alexandre Gosselin, contributes to Labatt’s sustainability efforts.

only paper. It is already visible on Labatt products in some stores in Ontario and Québec, and is being rolled out across Canada. The pandemic slowed down the process, but Gosselin hopes there will much more available by late 2022 and into next year. Canada’s ban on single-use plastics, including the “hi-cone” can rings, is expected to come into effect around 2023 or 2024, but Gosselin believes Labatt is ahead

of its competitors in finding an effective replacement. “We jumped right on it,” he says. “Labatt has a very pragmatic approach. If we want to reduce our energy consumption, we invest money in better machinery, we change out the lights so everything is LED, we reduce paper usage, we make brand new packaging that eliminates plastics. We don’t just wait for legislation.” Labatt estimates that by 2024,

the Keel Clip packaging system will eliminate some 242,000 kg of single-use plastic from Canadian landfills – the equivalent of some 186 midsize cars. The new packaging is just the latest in a continuing trend of green innovation at Labatt, says Alexandre Martel, senior general manager of the Labatt brewery in London, Ont. The company has made continuous improvements in recent years in water usage,

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In-house and external environmental audit

94% recycling rate for industry standard bottles

Green procurement strategy

 Labatt drives innovation through using the Keel Clip, which is 100 per cent recyclable and contains only paper, on its products in Ontario and Québec.

recycling and agriculture, he notes. It is also working to fulfill global sustainability goals for 2025 set out by AB InBev in the areas of smart agriculture, water stewardship, circular packaging and climate action. At the London brewery, Martel says, the team was able

to overcome what amounted to a crisis in 2021 when there was a shortage of the carbon dioxide used to inject bubbles into beer and other drinks for what’s known as “mouthfeel”. Much of the CO2 for beer comes from the malt fermentation process, but it is supplemented by external tanker

deliveries that were suddenly unavailable. “So we had to roll up our sleeves,” says Martel. “And our team was able to reduce our consumption by about 25 per cent through a variety of initiatives driven by a lot of different people. Everybody collaborated, and there

Building footprint includes EV charging stations

was no change in the quality of the product.” The brewery has shared its techniques with others in the wider company and, naturally, continues to use them. As with the Keel Clip, notes Martel, “those initiatives were very, very positive from a better world perspective.” 

OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY IS SIMPLE Improve every day and every way

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Lowe's Canada reduces waste and promotes sustainability

n 2018, Lowe’s Canada became the first major home improvement retailer in Canada to charge customers a fee for plastic bags. In only three years, this resulted in a 62 per cent reduction in store-wide usage — representing the elimination of 34 million plastic bags. Starting in June 2022, Lowe’s Canada will build on this achievement by progressively withdrawing these bags from its stores altogether – the company is the first in its industry to commit to stop using plastic bags entirely.

More than ever, people want to work for a company that connects with their values. — Jean-Sébastien Lamoureux Senior Vice President, RONA Affiliates, Wholesale, and Public Affairs

“Like all of our sustainability initiatives, what’s so rewarding about this undertaking is that it has a real and tangible impact,” says JeanSébastien Lamoureux, Lowe’s Canada senior vice president, RONA affiliates, wholesale, and public affairs. “Everything we do is one more step in contributing to a better environment and society.” Lowe’s Canada’s sustainability initiatives are focused in three key areas – reducing the environmental footprint of the company’s operations; helping customers reduce their own environmental footprint; and supporting and engaging employees and communities where Lowe’s Canada operates.

 Jean-Sébastien Lamoureux, senior vice president, at Lowe's Canada.

The company has embraced an ambitious goal of reducing its overall greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2025, compared to a 2016 baseline. By 2030, the goal is to achieve an overall 60 per cent reduction. Improving energy efficiency is key to reaching these goals. Since 2019, Lowe’s Canada has invested nearly $30 million in energy efficiency measures. This includes installing business management systems in 173 corporate stores to allow for improved management of lighting needs and temperature

fluctuations. It also includes retrofitting 193 corporate stores with LED lighting systems. Lowe’s Canada encourages recycling by making it easier for customers to drop off products that need careful handling when no longer useful. The items are then safely disposed of or given new life. In 2021, this program collected 125 tons of household batteries, 1,861 tons of paint and 95 tons of bulbs and fluorescent tubes. Another major initiative is the ECO pictogram that appears on over 5,000 products identified by

Lowe’s Canada as environmentally -friendly alternatives for home improvement or construction projects. Marie-Ève Charest is a Lowe’s Canada merchandising manager who oversees the selection of products in the lawn and garden area and is committed to bringing in more ECO products to help customers reduce their environmental impact. When she looks at potential ECO products, Charest considers two key questions: does it meet a customer need and does it work? Whenever

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

In-store take-back program for paint, batteries and light bulbs First home improvement retailer to commit to the withdrawal of plastic shopping bags in Canada

Over 5,000 ECO products

Nearly $30M invested in energy efficiency initiatives  Lowe's Canada RONA associate advising a customer on ECO paint.

possible, preference is also given to Canadian-made products. One product introduced in stores across the country last year that proved particularly popular was a plant fertilizer made with chicken manure. Another recent innovation: offering clover as a substitute or supplement for grass

seed, since clover requires less water and tending. For Charest, finding and distributing these products is a personal as well as professional passion. “I try out all the products myself,” she says. “My yard and driveway are like a lab.” She also enjoys visiting stores

and talking with associates about promoting eco-friendly products. “We have many millennials among our staff and a lot of them are just as passionate as I am about this stuff.” In fact, Lamoureux finds that one of the biggest values Lowe’s Canada derives from its focus

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on sustainability is employee engagement. “More than ever, people want to work for a company that connects with their values,” says Lamoureux. “This is something all of our 26,000 associates can take ownership of and feel they are making a positive difference.” 

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Medtronic embraces environmental stewardship

s a recent university graduate with degrees in mechanical and biomechanical engineering, Shona Kamps was looking to launch her career in the health-care sector. When she read about how Medtronic Canada ULC is committed to combating climate change, it ticked another box. “I am aware that the health-care industry is responsible for nearly five per cent of global carbon emissions," Kamps says. “I was really attracted to Medtronic because it’s a leader in greening health care.”

Twenty years ago, we never thought about sustainability. Now it’s just automatically part of our calculations. — Donna Wong Commercial Leader, Interventional Neuroradiology & Stroke Neurology

Kamps, who started working on contract, landed a full-time position in October 2021 as a business analyst in Medtronic’s Integrated Health Solutions team. Her responsibilities include working with hospitals to evaluate and help optimize their systems and patient pathways. Medtronic, the largest medicaldevice employer in Canada, has a spectrum of initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint. This includes

 Medtronic employee, Shona Kamps, enjoying outdoor adventures at Moraine Lake in Alberta.

measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of being carbon neutral by 2030. The company also works to minimize its environmental impact through product stewardship initiatives such as recycling medical devices where practicable and reducing packaging waste. Kamps applauds all these undertakings, but she was also keen to make a personal, hands-on contribution toward sustainability issues and efforts at Medtronic. A little networking, she says, soon connected her to a large community of employees also eager to do their share.

By November 2021, Kamps and two colleagues had co-founded the Medtronic Environmental Action Group, a volunteer alliance dedicated to changing individual behaviour and to creating systemic change through employee education, engagement and empowerment. In just four months, the group grew to nearly 700 members in North America, Europe and the Middle East, encompassing a broad range of ages and Medtronic business units. Now organized into teams, they’re planning projects, organizing events and hosting digital talks on topics ranging from

sustainable design to composting. The action group also has its own internal communications channel where employees can post questions, listen to podcasts and access a knowledge centre, among other things. Kamps describes the group’s initial accomplishments as bare-bones, but in light of members’ zeal and the goals they’ve set, she expects that to change. “Everyone’s passion is so clearly evident,” she says. “Medtronic has the opportunity to drive the green transition in the healthcare industry and contribute to human health in conjunction with our mission to alleviate pain, restore

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Over 800 employees trained in responsible supply management

No-cost charging stations for employees at head office campus in Brampton Collected over 6 million products in 2020 and diverted 250 metric tons from landfill

In-house waste reduction and recycling  Medtronic employee, Shona Kamps, at Gap Lake in Alberta.

health and extend life.” As it turns out, Medtronic has a long-standing culture of empowering employees to drive change in the workplace. Just ask Donna Wong, Medtronic Canada’s Montréal-based commercial leader of interventional neuroradiology & stroke neurology, who knows what

it’s like to pursue a passion project. Wong says that when she saw how much waste was being generated, she looked at ways to incorporate sustainability in programs within her sector. In decades past no one recycled medical devices. In 2021, Medtronic Canada recycled over 10,000 used

medical devices, says Wong, who’s most familiar with the process for pacemakers and defibrillators. Other divisions have the flexibility to devise methods that suit their particular needs, she adds, but the goal is the same. “From design and manufacturing to packaging, distribution and

disposal, we take ownership and do what’s right,” she says. That’s in keeping with Medtronic’s overall approach to being a good environmental steward. “Twenty years ago, we never thought about sustainability,” says Wong. “Now it’s just automatically part of our calculations.” 

We believe that people can only live their healthiest lives on a healthy planet.

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Green is a mindset at Pacific Blue Cross

or John Crawford, CEO at Pacific Blue Cross (PBC), adopting a green mindset isn’t just the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense. The Burnaby, B.C.-based insurance company has already reduced its emissions levels 55 per cent since joining the Climate Smart Certification Program in 2014. That includes slashing the amount of paper it uses to the point where more than 90 per cent of its 25 million claims last year were processed electronically. That’s good for the environment but it also allows PBC to process the claims more quickly for its members.

It’s part of our philosophy. You want to make sure you’re not damaging your community. — John Crawford CEO

In addition, PBC reduced the number of physical cheques it issued last year by more than half to about 400,000. That represents better service for clients and lessens the amount of paper that ends up in the landfill. “It’s a lot more efficient, and it has less of an impact on the environment,” says Crawford. “It drives down costs, so it’s selfish as well.” The mindset is about looking for smaller wins too. Crawford says PBC decided to retrofit 500 desktop computers at a cost of

 Pacific Blue Cross staff taking a look at their beehives on their rooftop, home to 10,000 honeybees.

$400 each. Rather than buying new ones, the old ones were refurbished with faster components and newer software. These are the PCs that employees now use to work from home. And they’ll last another five years. “They’re no longer end of life,” he says. “To me, it’s the right thing to do.” Repurposing is a big part of the game at PBC. Once a week, an employee collects all the used newspapers and, rather than dumping them in the bin, takes them to a gardening centre where

they’re used to wrap plants. Similarly, it’s agreed with contractors that any materials left over after renovations are taken to organizations that help build homes for the homeless. Crawford has even learned from peers in the industry how to run “green meetings.” “You don’t buy bottled water because you have to deal with the plastic. You want the big glass containers of water. You also ask what happens with the sandwiches that aren’t used. Can they go somewhere?” David Durango wasn’t as

environmentally conscious before he joined PBC late last year as facilities manager. But now, in addition to his responsibilities looking after the six-storey, 120,000-square-foot office building, he’s also chairing the Green Team – a committee of half a dozen employees that seeks out ways for the company and its staff to lower emissions and reduce its environmental impact. “I’m very happy to be part of an organization that takes the environment so seriously,” says Durango. “Not many companies do as much as Pacific Blue Cross

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

In-house waste reduction and recycling Two urban rooftop beehives that are home to 10,000 honeybees Received Climate Smart Seal and environmental award (2014) Moisture sensors to reduce outdoor watering  Pacific Blue Cross's corporate head office in Burnaby, BC.

does. It helps me learn and influences the way I do things in the office and even outside the office.” He’s most excited about the possibilities for encouraging the use of electric vehicles, such as installing charging stations on the property. He plans to network

with other Green Team leaders at neighbouring businesses to see what solutions they’ve arrived at. “EV is one of the biggest things we can do,” he says. “In the future, more and more people will have access to that technology, and we need to be ready.” Crawford, who drives a hybrid

BC's #1 Health Benefits P r ovider

car, agrees that EV offers some exciting possibilities for reducing emissions. He says management is looking at the potential for a public-private model, where local people could plug in overnight at charging stations in the company’s parking lot. But he thinks the big longer-

term opportunity will be in the new hybrid model of working, where employees only come to the office part time – so-called “hotelling.” “It’s part of our philosophy,” he says. “You want to make sure you’re not damaging your community.” 

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

PCL is building a more sustainable future

s the employees at PCL Construction have shown, saving the planet sometimes requires a little

ingenuity. That was certainly needed when the construction giant took on a project in Saskatoon to renovate facilities at the University of Saskatchewan’s Huskies football field. The construction team had hoped to send the old turf to be recycled, but soon found out a local company wouldn’t accept the old rubber because it was mixed with sand.

Just like operational excellence, safety and quality, sustainable construction practices are ingrained in our people and operations. — Mark Wiegers Project Manager

“So instead of sending it to landfill we asked the university to reach out to alumni and community partners to see if they wanted a piece of the old field as memorabilia,” says Mark Wiegers, a Saskatoon-based project manager. The plan worked, allowing PCL to divert 375 tons of waste. In another case, a team working on a big-box store renovation rescued tons of perfectly good ceiling tiles and donated them for re-use in local public schools. “Stories like this are happening

 Mark Wiegers, project manager and sustainable construction advisor at PCL Construction.

all over the company,” Wiegers says. “It really inspires us all to do better every day.” Across its operations, which span North America and Australia, PCL has worked with project partners to achieve diversion rates of 90 per cent or greater. In 2020, for instance, it reached a 91 per cent recycling rate for all projects in its home base of Edmonton. Waste diversion is just a small part of PCL’s overall sustainability program, which covers its own operations and extends to the projects it builds. It has been expanding those efforts by promoting its Sustainability Strategic Plan, which aims to create better environmental awareness among staff and external partners.

“Just like operational excellence, safety and quality, sustainable construction practices are ingrained in our people and operations,” Wiegers says. One of the keys to success is the company’s network of “sustainable construction advisors.” The SCAs – who include Wiegers as the rep for Saskatoon – work with local teams to provide expertise on sustainability for company offices and construction projects. To further spread the message and support PCL’s learning culture, the company offers all staff “Sustainability 101” training, an in-house program that teaches the technical aspects of sustainability, says Mike Wieninger, chief operating officer, Canadian operations.

He says PCL already has over 260 staff who have LEED certification, a globally recognized designation of environmentally responsible construction practices. That’s helped give PCL the expertise to work on some impressive projects. Wieninger points to Limberlost Place, being built for George Brown College in Toronto. The building will be a 10-storey tall-wood, net-zero carbon emissions structure on the city’s waterfront. “The knowledge, the size of our organization and the experience we have allows us to build these pretty spectacular innovative projects for forward-looking clients,” Wieninger says. PCL has also pushed heavily

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Sustainability education sessions

Sustainability community of practice

Network of sustainable construction advisors

 PCL Solar has worked on more than 40 major solar projects across Canada, creating many career opportunities.

into renewable energy. PCL Solar has already worked on more than 40 major solar projects in Canada, is expanding into the U.S. and Australia, and will have powered over 500,000 homes and businesses by the end of 2022, he says. PCL’s green drive has led to the use of some significant innovations,

pcl.com/careers

including a cloud-based system that uses sensors to monitor and regulate such things as temperature, humidity, vibration and sound. PCL uses Job Site Insights, a smart construction platform, during and after construction to make buildings “a little bit greener,” Wieninger says.

Company leaders have encouraged PCLers, as they’re known, to partner with local organizations to make a difference in their communities and build a better future. In addition to monetary contributions, employees have donated thousands of hours to events like tree planting, adopt-a-

261 LEED-credentialed staff

highway cleanups and recycling events. “There’s certainly a strong focus on community involvement,” Wiegers says. “Being socially responsible is both good for business as well as for the communities where we all live and raise our families.” 

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

RecycleSmart gets creative in diverting waste

efore he became CEO of RecycleSmart some two years ago, Rob Duthie was a longtime Calgary-based senior manager with companies providing high-tech services to industries including oil and gas. Some might have seen his migration from the oil patch to a sustainability-focused firm as rather odd. But for Duthie it’s been an exhilarating opportunity to bring his skills to the burgeoning sector – and to help tech-focused RecycleSmart continue its vigorous growth.

Coming here, I do feel a strong sense of higher purpose. And the bulk of our team members are here for that higher purpose. — Rob Duthie CEO

“When I talked about my new job opportunity to the guys I play hockey with – all senior executives in oil and gas – every single one of them said it’s the best move you can make,” he recalls. “It was clear to them, and to me, that the writing’s on the wall for fossil fuels. “I often joke that working at RecycleSmart has been like carbon offsets for my soul after about 25 years in the energy industry,” he continues. “I would never disparage that sector – it’s still necessary. But coming here, I do feel a strong sense of higher purpose. And the bulk of our team members are here

 RecycleSmart improves waste diversion and recycling for their customers through better data & decisions.

for that higher purpose.” Established in 2008, Richmond, B.C.-based RecycleSmart installs its own ultrasonic and camera-based wireless sensors in clients’ waste bins across Canada to collect and leverage data related to their recycling and garbage needs (the company contracts out the collection of waste while providing customer service, billing and technology platforms). It serves industries ranging from hospitality and restaurants to manufacturers, property managers and multi-location retailers. The

upshot of its data is that there are fewer recycling or garbage trucks on the road, which means fewer emissions, not to mention more diversion of waste. Duthie says RecycleSmart has been growing at a rate of 30 per cent a year and the staff has doubled in each of the two years of his tenure. In the past five years, the number of sites the company manages has almost tripled, to 6,000, and top-line revenue has doubled, to close to $40 million in 2021. “We get to help save the world

while operating a phenomenal business that has been resilient to all manner of economic turndowns,” he says. “Our corporate theme this year is purpose-driven growth.” For Allison Bell, a Kingston, Ont.-based service co-ordinator, working for RecycleSmart has been a dream come true. Passionate about the environment, the 24-year-old has a degree in environmental sustainability from Dalhousie University. “There’s this belief that economics and sustainability are at odds

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Carbon neutral since 2012 Supporter of national and local community organizations, including Shoreline Cleanup and Tree Canada LEED-certified office building maintains 88% energy optimization and supports EV charging Educates customers on incorporating environmental considerations

 RecycleSmart offers a pet-friendly, open-concept space for employees and their pets to collaborate.

with each other,” she notes. “But RecycleSmart makes it easy for our clients: with our services they can do right by the environment and their bottom line. That really fires me up. “We’re working with our clients, in a way that best meets their needs, to have a meaningful impact

on the environment ,” she says, “one that we can all be proud of. I know that I am. Every client works together with an account manager to discuss their situation, she adds. “Whether it's furniture or recycling or waste or organics, we really do get creative about the ways that we

find solutions to divert their waste from landfill.” Bell is also inspired by Duthie’s green commitment. “Rob can often be heard saying, ‘You know, we need to make sure we’re not greenwashing and our efforts towards sustainability are something we can really hang our

hat on.’ How refreshing is that, coming from the CEO?” RecycleSmart has established an all-department committee to determine how to measure its green successes. “We want to make sure our people know that they're making a difference,” says Duthie, “not just collecting a paycheque.”

Be The Change The World Needs Changemakers Wanted. Join Our Team. www.recycle-smart.com

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

Small actions have a big impact at Rogers

ometimes, simple measures can yield big results when it comes to promoting sustainability and good environmental stewardship. Case in point: the Get Up and Get Green waste management initiative, which has been introduced throughout workplaces at Rogers Communications Inc. When the company replaced individual waste baskets with centralized disposal bins for paper, organics and waste, recycling increased by 70 per cent in some workplaces and as much as 90 per cent in others.

We look at everything we have control over to see where we can make an impact. There’s a lot we’ve done and can continue do to minimize energy use and reduce emissions at our corporate locations, our retail space and our data centres. — Patrick Thomsen Senior Director of Planning and Strategy

“We look at everything we have control over to see where we can make an impact,” says Patrick Thomsen, senior director of planning and strategy, who

 Rogers employees participating in community tree planting.

leads the company’s 10-member sustainability team. “There’s a lot we’ve done and can continue to do to minimize energy use and reduce emissions at our corporate locations, our retail space and our data centres.” Over the past several years, the company has been redesigning its corporate workplaces, which has also yielded big wins environmentally. Enclosed offices and personal cubicles have been eliminated in favour of shared, activity-based spaces. There are meeting rooms of various sizes, depending on the number of participants, booths for private telephone conversations and common work desks in open areas. “We’ve reduced our footprint

and our total space per person,” says Thomsen. “Reduced space per person becomes reduced emissions due to reduced energy.” Transforming workplaces has also resulted in a remarkable amount of recycling. Abena Burrowes, manager of wireless order management, was part of the transition. “We recycled thousands of pounds of paper,” she says. “We got rid of all our filing cabinets and desks as part of our new ways of working.” She and her colleagues scanned and digitized 8.8 million sheets of paper, which had been stored in filing cabinets. The cabinets were among $360,000 worth of office furniture and equipment that were donated to other organizations. By

the time the project was complete, over 3,550 tons of materials were recycled, repurposed or donated. Rogers has adopted a similar approach – recycle, repurpose or donate – when doing renovations at any of its several hundred retails locations scattered across the country. Thomsen says the company is constantly upgrading its stores to new standards. “We’ve become very diligent about renovation waste,” he says. “We’ve achieved over 90 per cent in terms of waste that would have gone to landfills that we’re diverting through donations or recycling.” The company is also encouraging consumers to return used phones when they are upgrading.

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

In-house waste reduction and recycling

Paid day off to volunteer in community

Formal energy assessments of sites

Sites include EV charging stations  Rogers team members giving back to their local community.

Devices turned in are inspected and, providing they are still working and in pristine condition, can be re-packed and sold as certified pre-owned phones. This led to another seemingly small initiative that has produced big results. Last September, Burrowes had an idea to create

Make your possible Visit jobs.rogers.com to learn more

a program to collect cell phone charging cables that were turned in by customers. The cables were shipped to a central warehouse where they were tested and inspected. In the space of four months, 96.8 per cent of the 19,000 cables tested were in pristine condition and could be

reused rather than ending up in a landfill. To support communities where employees live and work, Rogers grants employees a paid day off to do volunteer work under its annual Give Together campaign and matches employee donations up to $1,000. In recent years,

green initiatives have become increasingly popular. Last fall, Burrowes’ team spent a day uprooting invasive shrubs at a Scarborough, Ont., park. Other groups have taken part in shoreline clean-ups, tree planting events or collecting neighbourhood trash to help make a positive impact. 

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

RBC embraces the challenge of reaching net zero

hroughout months of meticulous planning, Rachel MacLeod and her enthusiastic cross-functional team at RBC worked hard to ensure the bank’s first Virtual Earth Day Challenge would be a success. RBC is committed to helping build a sustainable economy for future generations and the team wanted the Challenge to be a fun and inspiring step on that journey for their co-workers worldwide.

RBC believes that capital can be a force for positive change, and governments and corporations will play a critical role. But raising awareness overall is also critical and individual actions matter, and that means everyone at the bank has a part to play. — Alex Boulos Vice President, Climate

Still, MacLeod, senior manager, corporate citizenship communications, says it’s always difficult to predict how any global engagement initiative will turn out. Adding to the uncertainty was how the pandemic and its attendant disruptions meant people had lots of other things on their minds. As luck would have it, in the days ahead of the 2021 launch of

 RBC employees celebrated Earth Day virtually in 2021.

the three-week event, employees from many RBC business units contacted the team to request a preview of the Challenge’s planned activities. They wanted to make sure they’d have content ready on Day 1, Macleod says. In all, more than 10,500 RBC employees from 19 countries completed over 45,000 activities. RBC rewarded participants with up to $150 each to direct to the eligible charity of their choice, so those who took part also unlocked more than $800,000 in charitable donations. “RBCers enthusiastically embraced all aspects of the Challenge, doing something together from afar,” says MacLeod. “The workplace culture here is really something special.”

Calling climate change one of the most pressing issues of our time, RBC has made helping clients and communities through an inclusive and orderly transition to a net-zero economy by 2050 a core business priority. Enabling employees to learn about RBC’s far-reaching sustainability and climate initiatives and ensuring they understand what it all means for them as part of the company was at the core of the Challenge. “People don’t necessarily associate banks with addressing climate change,” says Alex Boulos, vice president, climate. “But RBC believes that capital can be a force for positive change and governments and corporations will play a critical role. But raising awareness overall is also critical

and individual actions matter, and that means everyone at the bank has a part to play in contributing to a more prosperous future.” In 2019, RBC introduced its Climate Blueprint, a comprehensive strategy with short- and long-term actions and commitments supporting its net-zero goal. One key undertaking, providing $100 billion in sustainable finance by 2025, was so successful, so quickly, that RBC upped its target to $500 billion by 2025, the largest such commitment in Canada. In another significant undertaking, Tech for Nature, RBC is bringing together universities and not-for-profit organizations and leveraging its own capabilities in areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and app development

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

In-house waste reduction and recycling

Building footprint includes PV solar panels

Environmental management system to regularly measure progress

 Rachel MacLeod, senior manager, corporate citizenship communications at RBC.

in the pursuit of innovative, technology-based solutions to pressing environmental challenges. The program supports over 110 partners, with more than $27 million invested since 2019. To present the depth and breadth of all those commitments without overwhelming Challenge

participants, MacLeod and her team turned to myCommunity, RBC’s global platform that facilitates employees taking positive action and supporting their communities. Options for them to accommodate differences in learning styles included reading relevant articles

and the RBC Climate Blueprint, listening to podcasts, and watching videos, MacLeod says. Participants were then encouraged to make donations or volunteer at work, home and in the community to protect the planet. In the final step, they shared photos of their experiences as well as their own ideas for

Smart Prosperity initiative to accelerate Canada’s transition to a cleaner economy

combating climate change. The employee feedback has kept the momentum going throughout the year and is helping to inform planning for the next Earth Day Challenge, MacLeod says. “RBCers’ passion for taking action and sharing what they’ve learned is really inspiring.” 

We’re proud to be one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. We are dedicated and committed to supporting new ideas, technologies, and partnerships to solve global and pressing environmental challenges to positively sustain extraordinary solutions.

Learn more at rbc.com/techfornature

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

TD Bank Group builds on a history of sustainability

n 2009, Danielle Quenneville walked into her local branch with her resumé to apply for a customer representative role at TD Bank Group. She submitted her application and crossed her fingers. A few days after her 18th birthday, she got the job. “I wanted to work where I knew I’d have career opportunities,” says Quenneville, who at the time was preparing to study communications science at Université de Montréal. “I connected to TD’s values, especially around the environment, and it felt like a good fit.”

I’m proud that as a member of the global community, the Bank is bringing its resources to bear to help tackle the climate challenge. — Nicole Vadori Vice President, Head of Environment, TD

Three years later, Quenneville left the Bank to study in Switzerland for a semester. When she came home, she returned to TD in Montréal, this time as an insurance broker. Several years and promotions later, she is now a regional manager with the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) team. Quenneville spoke with her manager about her interest in a position related to environmental

 Danielle Quenneville, regional manager at the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

initiatives at TD. “My manager helped me identify what skills I needed and helped me build a network by encouraging me to join relevant employee committees,” she says. “I’ve been lucky to have been mentored by a number of leaders who have helped me achieve my goals.” Currently, Quenneville enjoys reviewing grant applications from local charitable organizations, then providing her recommendations to the local TD FEF Regional Advisory Boards, which decide which projects receive funding. She has also volunteered for TD

Tree Days, where TD and TD FEF employees and their families and friends meet on a weekend to plant native trees and shrubs in the Montréal area, including at Mount Royal Park. “It’s a great way to get to know people within the enterprise,” she says. Now, working on a master’s degree in environment and sustainability, Quenneville aims to develop her knowledge about environmental initiatives – and she appreciates her employer’s support during her studies. “I’ve been given flexibility in my schedule if I have to leave early for a class,”

she says. “Everyone helps each other at work, making it a very collaborative environment.” In 2012, Nicole Vadori read in an article that TD had become carbon neutral in 2010. That same year, armed with an engineering degree, an MBA and experience in environmental consulting, she was hired as a management associate at the Bank. She is now vice president and head of environment at TD and was promoted to that position in 2021. “My heart has always been with the environment, and I was lucky to be mentored for many years

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

2010: TD becomes carbon neutral

2015: TD commits to 100% renewableenergy use

2017: TD commits to a total of $100 billion toward low-carbon initiatives by 2030 2020: TD commits to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050  Nicole Vadori, vice president, head of environment at TD Bank.

by the Bank’s chief environment officer, who retired in 2018,” says Vadori. “When that position was posted, I applied. Getting it was a dream come true for me.” Vadori is tasked with figuring out how to use the Bank’s business activities to help drive positive environmental change, starting

with supporting investments in the low-carbon economy. In 2020, TD made a commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with its operations and financing activities by 2050, aligned to the associated principles of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. “We spent

over a decade reducing GHG emissions from our own operations, and we have expanded our focus to supporting reductions for our clients in high-emitting sectors,” says Vadori. In recent years, Vadori has seen the Bank’s customers and business clients face increased risks from

climate change, whether by fires, floods, droughts or severe storms. “No one is left untouched – we are all connected in this global climate challenge,” she says. “I’m proud that as a member of the global community, the Bank is bringing its resources to bear to help tackle the climate challenge.” 

TD is proud to be one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. jobs.td.com

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

TransLink is in smooth transit to sustainability

n his 19 years of employment at Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC), a division of New Westminster, B.C.-based TransLink (South Coast British Columbia Transit Authority), Derek Stewart has seen a lot of changes in the way people think about sustainability. “When I started as an environmental officer, it wasn’t a mainstream idea – we really had to push to get people to buy in to our recycling and energy-saving programs,” says Stewart. “Now, people want to know how sustainable you are as an organization before they come to work for you. It’s been a beautiful shift.”

Working in public transit is amazing because you’re part of the solution every single day. — Derek Stewart Director of Safety, Environment and Emergency Management

TransLink is the organization responsible for Metro Vancouver’s public transit operations, including SkyTrain, the West Coast Express commuter rail system, the SeaBus passenger ferry, CMBC’s network of buses and its own dedicated police force, Metro Vancouver Transit Police. As director of safety, environment and emergency management for CMBC, Stewart has overseen a range of environmental programs for the company over the years, including the changeover in its

 TransLink's SkyTrain attendant assisting a customer.

fleet of buses from diesel to hybrid and, more recently, electric vehicles. “We’ve seen a gradual shift toward cleaner, more efficient technologies,” he says. “Moving to hybrids was a big jump because they cost a lot more to purchase, but they save about a third of the diesel consumption. And we’ve recently started to see more electric vehicles, although about 250 of our 1,800 buses are trolleys that have always run on electricity.”

Shifting toward cleaner technologies is part of TransLink’s Climate Action Strategy, which has a bold goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The company also conducts waste audits to look for recycling opportunities and works on ways to improve sustainability in packaging and parts procurement. As well, TransLink is continuously renovating its buildings to improve the energy efficiency of their lighting, heating and cooling

systems. At CMBC, they recently introduced a new method of capturing and using waste heat. “When you have a large building filled with buses being repaired, you need a level of air exchange,” says Stewart. “If you do it the traditional way, you’re pumping warm air out, sucking cold air in and then having to heat it, which is not very efficient. We’ve retrofitted two facilities with heat exchangers that pull the heat out of the warm air and transfer it to the incoming

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS 2022

TransLink’s Climate Action Strategy targets net-zero greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 2050 SkyTrain and trolley buses operate with near-zero emissions Each battery-electric bus reduces 100 tonnes of GHGs per year compared to diesel Target to replace all diesel buses with zero emission batteryelectric buses by 2040

 One of Translink's 100 per cent electric buses from its fleet.

air, which reduces the heating load for the building.” Teser Wong, a senior safety advisor at BC’s Rapid Transit Company, a subsidiary of TransLink that operates SkyTrain, is proud of the organization’s innovative electric trains. “They don’t produce any greenhouse

gases,” she says. “It’s a really good system. We have companies from around the world coming to learn about it.” Wong also admires TransLink’s emphasis on embracing technology to improve efficiency. “It’s a very dynamic work environment, with lots of challenges and

opportunities,” she says. “As the technology changes, we have to change with it in order to increase our services and update the system to make it even more efficient. I’ve been here for four years, and I’m still learning.” For Stewart, every action the company makes can contribute to

the goal of improving sustainability. “We’re helping to move people in an efficient way, and we also get the opportunity to make the company more energy-efficient and clean,” he says. “Working in public transit is amazing because you’re part of the solution every single day.” 

Tell us your story If you are an exceptional employer with progressive human resources programs and initiatives, consider applying for next year’s edition of Canada’s Greenest Employers. Now entering its 23rd year, our national project is Canada’s longest-running and best-known editorial competition for employers. For information on next year’s application process, visit:

CanadasTop100.com/2023 Applications for our 2023 competition are now available and must be returned by May 6, 2022.

2023