Canada's Greenest Employers (2024)

q Staff and students from one of this year’s winners, Humber College, planting trees to build a natural habitat for wildlife and improve water quality in Humber Pond.

HUMBER COLLEGE

Discover the search engine that brings you thousands of new direct-employer jobs every day – plus exclusive employer reviews from the editors of Canada’s Greenest Employers.

Each year, millions of Canadians use Eluta.ca to find the best employers in their field.

Visit us today on your laptop or smartphone.

CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS

2024 MAGAZINE

Kristina

Chantel Watkins, ASSISTANT

Juliane Fung, RESEARCH

Sonja Verpoort, RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Cypress Weston, RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Advertising Team:

Kristen Chow, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PUBLISHING

Ye Jin Suhe, MANAGER, PUBLISHING

Chariemagne Kuizon, JUNIOR COORDINATOR

Vishnusha Kirupananthan, SENIOR BRANDING & GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Sabrina Wu, SENIOR CONTENT & PUBLISHING SPECIALIST

Brian Bergman

Brian Bethune

Deborah Bourk

Abigail Cukier

Mary Dickie

Jane Doucet

Patricia Hluchy

D’Arcy Jenish

Diane C. Jermyn

Sara King-Abadi

This year marks the 17th edition of the Canada’s Greenest Employers competition, which has become one of our most widely followed. This project aims to recognize organizations that have made sustainability central to their organizational cultures – and are attracting employees and customers because of their attention to environmental values.

Allison Lawlor

Tom Mason

Michael McCullough

Rick McGinnis

Kelsey Rolfe

Diane Sims

Nora Underwood

Barbara Wickens

Barb Wilkinson

Unlike other topics we look at each year for the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, the green competition is unique in that it covers stories and initiatives that are often well beyond the remit of a company’s HR department. Our editors spend months looking for the most interesting stories and examples of how organizations have moved environmental values to the center of their organizational cultures.

As you read through this year’s announcement magazine, which is the largest we’ve published, you’ll discover that our editors focus on initiatives that are practical and achievable for most organizations. We don’t spend a lot of time parsing through sustainability mission statements or commitments to become carbon neutral at some distant date. Instead, the competition focuses on practical initiatives that are up and running and can inspire other organizations to follow their example.

For most of this year’s winners, this starts by listening to employees who are most passionate about environmental values and can quickly identify areas for improvement.

Input from employees often leads to partnerships with non-profit groups in the community with expertise in various environmental areas – you’ll find many such partnerships described in our editors’ reasons for selection. The combination of motivated employee advocates and community partnerships improves the chances that an organization’s initiatives will succeed. When a sustainability initiative is successful, confidence grows within an organization and there’s increased buy-in from management for new initiatives. Environmental values become more central to the organization’s culture, which in turn attracts new employees and even customers, who hear about these initiatives.

You’ll notice a few organizations that have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for several years. In these cases, the story is rarely about a particular project or initiative; instead, it’s about organizations where sustainability has become a process in their daily operations. New projects come out of this process easily because every area of the organization incorporates environmental values into their decisionmaking.

We hope you enjoy reading about this year’s winners and their initiatives. With each initiative, small or large, they are setting the example for other organizations and showing the way towards a more sustainable future.

– Tony Meehan

Canada’s Greenest Employers (2024) are in a green state of mind, leading the way with exceptional sustainability initiatives and innovative technology. It starts with developing a comprehensive sustainability policy that can serve as a guiding principle for all decisions and actions that a company might take.

That’s exactly what Hatch Inc. has done by committing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in pursuit of a better world through positive change. The employee-owned company, headquartered in Mississauga, Ont., provides professional engineering, technology and consulting services to clients mainly in the mining, infrastructure and energy sectors. The company’s ambitious sustainability goals are embedded throughout the organization into daily work and embraced by employees and clients alike.

“Professionally, we’re all working towards the objectives of our sustainability policy that applies to every project we work on,” says Robert Young, senior environmental planner at Hatch. “Our clients are asking us for those sustainability solutions now. We’re committed not only to improving our own footprint and position, but to helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals and coming up with solutions to help them still be economically successful, but doing it in the best, least impactful manner possible.”

Young says that working with clients right at the beginning of a project means you can get in early enough where they can make changes. Hatch has a number of long-term relationships with clients where sustainability is an ongoing process through multiple phases of projects.

“Our Climate Change Group has been doing a lot of assessments with clients to improve how they can decarbonize, such as using green steel which is more environmentally friendly,” says Young. “We have very strong research and technology teams here that are always looking at innovations in how they can

make things better for our clients.”

Green steel is manufactured using renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels so it has a minimum carbon footprint compared to conventional steel. While it’s more expensive to produce, it’s critical to the planet because steel production accounts for around eight per cent of total global emissions, according to the World Economic Forum.

As employers work toward a greener future, continual improvement and innovation are key to making a difference in the environment. In its own operations at its Mississauga facilities, Hatch significantly reduced water consumption and printing, plus switching to LED lighting, which is not only more efficient and economical, but much friendlier to the environment.

Another advantage Hatch has found is that a robust sustainability strategy can help in attracting top talent, particularly the next generation who want accountability concerning a company’s environmental practices and policies.

“We recruit a lot of new young professionals here and find they’re very interested in what we’re doing in terms of sustainability,” says Young. “It’s important for everybody.”

Employees at Sleeman Breweries Ltd. would agree. Sustainability initiatives and employee engagement go hand-in-hand at its distribution centres and breweries in Guelph, Ont., Vernon, B.C., Calgary, Alta. and Chambly, Que. The company has an environmental steering committee that strategically oversees its sustainability

q Mississauga, Ont.-based engineering firm Hatch introduced a unique conservation program (‘It’s Cool to Be in the Dark’) for its nearly 4,000 employees to reduce air conditioning and lighting in summer months.

efforts as well as green teams made up of representatives from each facility.

Green initiatives include large-scale waste reduction (currently at a diversion rate of at least 97 per cent), water conservation, energy-consumption measures and brewing by-product management, as well as sustaining the natural environment through employee and community engagement.

Linden Gossen, national environmental health & safety manager at Sleeman in Guelph, says the green team has really focused on education with a variety of challenges for employees, such as reducing food waste, eating local and choosing transportation alternatives.

“What’s been most successful is really challenging the mindset of over 1,000 employees to be reflecting on environmental sustainability and having lots and lots of ideas come through that process,” says Gossen. “Then acting on their suggestions is the biggest win of all.

“That line, ‘Think globally, act locally’ really is true. Local is where you make the difference and often it’s a collection of small things that create a bigger positive change.”

Community awareness and outreach are important at both the corporate and employee level.

“We’re always looking for opportunities for employees to get involved,” says Gossen. “Employees have donated produce to the local food bank from gardens that they planted on our grounds and volunteers did a group tree-planting activity in support of the City of Guelph, whose 2030 goal is to achieve a 40 per cent tree canopy. These are employee initiatives that come up through the green teams, and then we share them across the country to see who else can do it.”

Sleeman also partners with the City of Guelph through the Water Smart Business Program to minimize the load on municipal systems. Additionally, Sleeman Breweries recently launched the Sleeman Better Water Fund, an annual endowment to support Canadian water conservation and clean water accessibility.

Ultimately, the world still has a long way to go in protecting the planet and transitioning away from carbon. Canada’s Greenest Employers may not all be there yet, but they’re trying. Kudos to the winning organizations recognized here as they set an example for all Canadian employers in the drive for true sustainability.

– Diane Jermyn HATCH

202 4 WINNERS

The following organizations have been chosen as Canada’s Greenest Employers (2024). Employee counts refers to full-time staff.

ACCENTURE INC., Toronto. Professional services; 6,207 employees. Eco Team employee volunteers organize numerous initiatives at offices across the company, from Earth Day events to promoting alternative travel options.

AET GROUP INC., Kitchener, Ont. Environmental consulting services; 25 employees. Celebrated Earth Day by working with the 1% For The Trees program and other volunteer groups, planting over 2,500 trees last year.

ARAMARK CANADA LTD., Mississauga, Ont. Food service contractors; 5,217 employees. Introduced the Be Well Do Well sustainability plan to guide responsible sourcing, minimizing food

waste and reducing packaging.

BC HOUSING MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, Burnaby, B.C. Provincial government, housing programs; 1,154 employees. Along with work-from-home options, encourages sustainable transportation through a bike purchase program and discounted transit passes.

BC HYDRO, Vancouver. Hydroelectric power generation; 7,050 employees. Participates in Compugen’s Green4Good program to ensure the proper disposal, refurbishment or resale of dated technology.

BC PUBLIC SERVICE, Victoria. Provincial governments; 34,366 employees. Building portfolio includes LEED-certified Gold and Platinum structures and has set LEED Gold as the minimum standard for new building construction.

BELL CANADA, Montréal. Communications; 36,561 employees. Longstanding e-waste collection program diverts approximately 1,900 tonnes of e-waste from landfills annually.

BLACKBERRY LIMITED, Waterloo, Ont. Secure software and services; 1,681 employees. Conducts annual waste audits with the primary goals of reducing waste generated per employee and constantly improving waste diversion rates.

BLUEARTH RENEWABLES INC., Calgary. Renewable power generation; 118 employees. Partnered with local shepherds as part of a sheep grazing program at solar facilities in southern Alberta, reducing demand for gas mowers and pesticides.

BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP OF CANADA LIMITED, Toronto. Management consulting; 542 employees. Numerous in-house waste reduction

initiatives, from paper reduction programs to stocking all lounges with reusable mugs, cups, plates and utensils.

BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY / BCIT, Burnaby, B.C. Post secondary schools, college; 2,224 employees. Partners with the “Clear Skies” initiative to ensure that Indigenous knowledge is integrated in understanding the impacts of marine shipping on coastal communities.

CADILLAC FAIRVIEW

CORPORATION LIMITED, Toronto. Real estate management; 1,275 employees. Incorporates environmental design into all new construction activities and has introduced formal Energy Smart Operations programs at its properties.

CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY, THE, Winnipeg. Direct life insurance

 A Durham College employee harvests fresh crops grown on their Whitby, Ont. campus.

carriers; 10,982 employees. Worked with MicroHabitat to create a 500 square foot urban farm rooftop garden at its historic 330 University Avenue location in Toronto.

CANON CANADA INC., Brampton, Ont. Imaging equipment and information services; 822 employees. Partners with community initiatives and groups every year, including local school programs, the National Wildlife Centre, Credit Valley Conservation and Trout Unlimited Canada.

CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT, THE / CRD, Victoria. Municipal governments; 670 employees. Hosts educational workshops and programs for residents and businesses, with programs ranging from water and energy use to transportation planning.

CENTENNIAL COLLEGE, Toronto. Post secondary schools, college; 1,396 employees. Manages pollinator gardens on three campus locations along with a honeybee apiary that produces honey for sale at the school’s café and restaurant.

CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 42,951 employees. Offers customers discounted financing rates through its green vehicle program and donates $25 to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for each financed vehicle.

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, Montréal. Post secondary schools, university; 2,934 employees. Developing a themed Energy Transition campus program in partnership with the City of Shawinigan and the Centre National en électrochimie et en Technologies Environnementales.

CO-OPERATORS GROUP LIMITED, THE, Guelph, Ont. Insurance; 6,916 employees. Manages dedicated impact investing programs that provide positive returns alongside positive environmental or social impacts.

CREDIT VALLEY CONSERVATION

AUTHORITY / CVC, Mississauga, Ont. Environment, conservation and wildlife organizations; 236 employees. Manages the Meadowvale Conservation Corps program, with employees volunteering to plant native trees and shrubs along with conducting regular garbage clean-ups.

CROMBIE REIT, New Glasgow, N.S. Property management and development; 274 employees. Ensures property developments and renovations are designed to meet LEED and at least one other industry certification program.

CROWN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

INC., Toronto. Property management; 169 employees. Formal water conservation policy to reduce the amount of water consumed at each of its major buildings, targeting 2.5 per cent annual reductions.

DANONE CANADA, Boucherville, Que. Food manufacturing; 543 employees. Partnership with Nutrinor Cooperative for regenerative agriculture practices in support of more sustainable farming practices.

DESJARDINS GROUP / MOUVEMENT

DESJARDINS, Lévis, Que. Financial institutions; 52,952 employees. Introduced a commuting program back in 2010 and continues to encourage employees to consider alternative ways of getting to work, from transit to cycling.

DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS

INC., Toronto. Architecture; 279 employees. Project portfolio includes six Net Zero certified projects and is a leading advocate for the integration of living walls and wood timber in major construction projects.

DURHAM COLLEGE OF APPLIED

ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY, Oshawa, Ont. Post secondary schools, college; 815 employees. Extensive waste management programs capture e-waste, batteries, light bulbs, air filters, construction waste and even used textbooks.

EFFICIENCYONE, Dartmouth, N.S. Energy conservation advocacy; 164 employees. Encourages employees to share a ride to work by offering free onsite parking for carpoolers and maintains a car-sharing partnership for short-term rentals.

EMTERRA GROUP, Oakville, Ont. Recycling and waste management services; 989 employees. Reduced its fleet’s greenhouse gas emissions through the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks and opens its refuelling stations to other companies.

ENMAX CORPORATION, Calgary. Electric power distribution; 1,626 employees. Works with a number of community groups such as Green Calgary, which hosts energy workshops for homeowners, apartment residents and newcomers to Canada.

EVOLUGEN, Gatineau, Que. Renewable energy generation and services; 253 employees. Procurement program includes FSC-certified papers, green cleaning products, energy efficient appliances, and also encourages their

 Staff and students at Concordia University enjoying a green space in the beautifully restored Grey Nuns residence in downtown Montreal.

HATCH LTD., Mississauga, Ont. Engineering services; 3,941 employees. Introduced the unique “It’s Cool to Be in the Dark” awareness program that focuses on reducing air conditioning and lighting usage in the summer months.

HOME DEPOT CANADA INC., Toronto. Retail; 16,983 employees. Manages the longstanding “EcoOptions” product line that includes a variety of products with lower environmental impacts, as assessed by third-party organizations.

HP CANADA CO., Mississauga, Ont. Computer technology and services; 600 employees. Longstanding partnership with WWF Canada, providing support and employee volunteers for many initiatives across the country, such as the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.

HUMBER COLLEGE, Toronto. Post secondary schools, college; 1,922 employees. Reaches out to the community through environmental awareness and outdoor education programs at the Humber Arboretum and Centre for Urban Ecology.

HYDRO OTTAWA, Ottawa. Electric power distribution; 681 employees. Along with conservation initiatives at its head office, has partnered with the City of Ottawa to install solar panels on eight municipal buildings.

Isuppliers down the same green path.

EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CANADA, Ottawa. International trade financing and support services; 2,128 employees. Manages a comprehensive recycling program that includes paper, metals, plastics and has phased out out all disposable cutlery from the head office.

FARM MUTUAL REINSURANCE PLAN INC. / FARM MUTUAL

RE, Cambridge, Ont. Property and casualty insurance carriers; 99 employees. Introduced three honeybee apiaries and manages an onsite community garden, where employees harvest the fall bounty and donate to a local food bank.

ees. Numerous and varies green initiatives, from reduced grass cutting and eliminating non-recyclable cutlery to installing a green roof at the Lindsay Frost campus.

FORTISALBERTA INC., Calgary. Electric power distribution; 1,184 employees. Introduced numerous green building features, including a rainwater collection system, solar power systems, and the construction of its first Net Zero certified building.

GEOTAB INC., Oakville, Ont. Fleet management software; 1,399 employees. Hires outside consultants to audit its recycling and waste diversion programs that are designed to move beyond municipal minimums.

manufacturing; 1,728 employees. Hosts a variety of awareness events across the company, from an employee walking challenge in Sainte-Foy to celebrating Earth Day by picking up litter in Mississauga.

GREEN

INFRASTRUCTURE

PARTNERS

, Toronto. Infrastructure construction; 3,869 employees. Has reduced paper use by increasing online communications and implemented shredding and recycling initiatives to divert paper from general waste.

CE RIVER SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS, Shelburne, Ont. Bottled water manufacturing; 704 employees. Hosts “Up-cycle Days,” encouraging employees to bring in their small appliances, decor and equipment that is no longer needed for reuse by other employees.

IGM FINANCIAL INC., Winnipeg. Financial services; 4,018 employees. Supports the Green BRG employee volunteer group that works to raise environmental awareness through a range of employee volunteer initiatives.

IKEA CANADA LIMITED

PARTNERSHIP, Burlington, Ont. Home furnishings retail; 3,801 employees. Offers customers a range of sustainable-certified food products, from vegetarian items and salmon to coffee in its onsite food kiosks and restaurants.

EILHAUER LTD., Toronto. Furniture manufacturing; 245 employees. Introduced the first carbonneutral chair by tracking reduced emissions at all stages of production 2024 WINNERS Continued

FLEMING COLLEGE, Peterborough, Ont. Post secondary schools, college; 533 employ-

GLAXOSMITHKLINE INC. / GSK, Mississauga, Ont. Pharmaceutical

G&W ELECTRIC, Brampton, Ont. Switchgear manufacturing; 207 employees. In partnership with the City of Brampton, the company and its employees helped to organize and volunteer as part of a communtiy clean-up day to celebrate Earth Day.

 A nursery operations technician for Credit Valley Conservation Authority in Mississauga, Ont., pulls out invasive plants and helps clean up the garden at a retirement farm for thoroughbred horses during a staff volunteer day.

CREDIT VALLEY

2024 WINNERS Continued

and offsetting subsequent emissions with carbon credits where required.

KPMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 11,114 employees. Provides sustainability consulting services through its professional service offerings to help clients address and improve their own environmental and social impacts.

LABATT BREWERIES OF CANADA, Toronto. Breweries; 3,547 employees. Through its formal “Sister Brewery” program the company exchanges environmentally focused practices (and other good ideas) across its many brewery locations.

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 32,441 employees. Over 100 initiatives to address plastic use such as ensuring the Life Brand and President’s Choice household, beauty and cosmetic products are free of triclosan, phthalates or plastic microbeads.

MANITOBA HYDRO, Winnipeg. Hydroelectric power generation; 4,950 employees. The Commuting Options Committee manages carpooling programs and a Cycle Buddies program to pair seasoned bicycle commuters with beginners.

MEC MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT

COMPANY LTD., Vancouver. Retail stores; 679 employees. Has many longstanding environmentally focused community partnerships, hosting numerous workshops and in-house training initiatives for employees and customers.

MEDTRONIC CANADA ULC, Brampton, Ont. Electromedical apparatus manufacturing; 658 employees. Employee volunteers head out to clean up public parks and form office clean-up crews to pick up litter around the office and local neighbourhood.

METROLINX, Toronto. Public transit; 5,675 employees. Partnership with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority helps ensure that any trees removed are replaced through an “ecological compensation” approach.

MOHAWK COLLEGE, Hamilton. Post secondary schools, college; 1,136 employees. Over 300 members maintain a community garden and a fruit orchard, along with a campus farm stand that

features produce for sale from July to November.

MOTT MACDONALD CANADA

LIMITED, Vancouver. Engineering services; 317 employees. Shares its engineering expertise as a member of the Power Past Coal Alliance that helps energy providers move from coal-generated power to cleaner energy production.

NATURE’S PATH FOODS INC., Richmond, B.C. Food manufacturing; 224 employees. Longstanding “Envirobox” and “EcoPac” programs have helped reduced overall packaging by 66 per cent on average, when compared to boxed cereal products.

NIGHTINGALE CORPORATION, Mississauga. Furniture manufacturing; 113 employees. Maintains a focus on quality to ensure its products have a long lifespan, with all chairs backed by ten-year warranties and returnable for proper recycling and disposal.

NOVATEL INC., Calgary. Satellite communications systems; 447 employees. Employee personal spending account may be used for green living expenses, from rain barrels and solar energy equipment to energy efficient appliances.

OPENTEXT CORPORATION, Waterloo, Ont. Software publishers; 2,790 employees. Encourages two-wheeled commuting with secure bicycle parking, bicycle repair stations along with shower and changing facilities.

PCL CONSTRUCTION, Edmonton. Industrial, commercial and institutional building construction; 2,953 employees. Employees can develop expertise and volunteer to work with the PCL Solar division, which manages some of the country’s largest solar installations.

PERKINS&WILL CANADA

ARCHITECTS CO., Vancouver.

Architectural services; 227 employees. Encourages employees to leave the car at home with a dedicated health and transit subsidy (to $1,260 annually) to help offset alternative transportation costs.

POMERLEAU INC., Montréal.

Construction services; 3,322 employees. Recently launched the Go Electric program that offers a $2,000 incentive to employees wishing to make the jump to electric or hybrid vehicles.

 Boucherville, Que.-based Danone Canada partners with Nutrinor Cooperative for regenerative agriculture practices in support of more sustainable farming practices.

 Waste management services provider Emterra Group, based in Oakville, Ont., reduced its GHG emissions through compressed natural gas trucks and opens its refuelling stations to other companies.

BOHDAN/EVOLUGEN

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP):

1. Renewable energy provider Evolugen , based in Gatineau, Que., includes environmental considerations as part of their procurement program, such as green cleaning products and energy efficient appliances.

2. An employee of Toronto-based Keilhauer works on the covering for a carbon-neutral ottoman.

3. Toronto-based construction firm Green Infrastructure Partners implemented shredding and recycling initiatives to divert paper from general waste.

KEILHAUER

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP):

1. Vancouver-based MEC Mountain Equipment Company has many longstanding community partnerships focused on conservation and protection of the outdoors.

2. A Pomerleau employee assessing the environmental impact of a force main project in Maple Ridge, B.C.

3. Calgary-based NovAtel provides employees with a personal spending account that can used for green living expenses, like solar energy equipment and energy efficient appliances.

M.KOOTNIKOFF/MEC

2024 WINNERS Continued

PRINTING HOUSE LTD., The, Toronto. Commercial printing services; 467 employees. Launched its in-house CARE Program (Concerned about Recycling and the Environment) back in the 1980’s ensuring that all paper waste is recycled properly.

RONA INC., Boucherville, Que. Retail; 13,154 employees. Longstanding ECO-branded items include over 5,000 products that are designed and manufactured to ensure they have lower environmental impacts than similar products.

RTS CANADA INC., Richmond, BC. Waste management and recycling services; 81 employees. Monitors its own waste management practices at the head office and publishes a monthly waste diversion report that shows up-to-date waste generation and recycling rates.

SANOFI CANADA, Toronto. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 2,085 employees. Recently created an employee eco-garden and has housed “Plan Bee” apiaries since 2018, which produce honey for sale to employees with all proceeds donated to charity.

SAP CANADA INC., Vancouver. Custom computer programming services; 3,110 employees. Hosted a two-day Sustainability Summit for employees with subject matter experts and technology leaders addressing a range of sustainability topics.

SASKPOWER, Regina. Electric power generation; 3,264 employees. Has introduced the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program in support of the installation of fast-charging stations along the province’s busiest highways.

SASKTEL, Regina. Telecommunications; 2,713 employees. Formal waste management program ensures the capture of all waste paper, batteries, e-waste, light bulbs, wire and cabling, office furniture and equipment.

SIEMENS CANADA LIMITED, Oakville, Ont. Engineering services; 2,342 employees. Employees can use their personal spending account for green living expenses, such as transit passes, car and bike-sharing services, solar equipment, window upgrades, and much more.

SLEEMAN BREWERIES LTD., Guelph, Ont. Breweries; 1,081 employees. Green

Teams capture employee ideas, help organize local and national events, and team leaders meet monthly to share ideas across all locations.

SODEXO CANADA LTD., Montréal. Food service contractors; 4,575 employees. Partnership with Tree Canada to plant 2,400 trees where there is a need for reforestation and also ensures a tree is planted for every new employee hired.

SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES

CENTRE, Toronto. Hospitals; 6,754 employees. Home to an early solar photovoltaic array that’s architecturally integrated on an existing parking structure along with LED lighting retrofits throughout.

SURREY, CITY OF, Surrey, B.C. Municipal governments; 2,155 employees. Hosts unique “pop-up” waste collection events throughout the year to ensure proper disposal of all types of waste, such as construction materials.

SYMCOR INC., Mississauga, Ont. Data processing and support services; 1,265 employees. Employees volunteer to help plant trees at the Toronto Zoo as well as volunteering in Calgary’s annual Pathway and River Clean Up picking up garbage.

SYSCO CANADA INC., Toronto. Food service contractors; 5,194 employees. New solar farm installation at its Edmonton location is designed to produce 75 per cent of the site’s annual electricity use.

TD BANK GROUP, Toronto. Banking; 64,507 employees. Over the past year, the bank worked with over 2,000 volunteers and over 70 community organizations planting approximately 25,000 trees and shrubs.

TELUS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Vancouver. Telecommunications; 26,162 employees. Manages a number of programs to extend the life of and ensure proper disposal of electronic devices, capturing thousands of devices every year.

TORONTO COMMUNITY HOUSING

CORPORATION, Toronto. Administration of housing programs; 2,302 employees. Partnership with the LEAF organization and the City of Toronto in the planting and care for native trees and shrubs on its properties.

TORONTO ZOO, Toronto. Zoos and botanical gardens; 288 employees.

CAPA/SODEXO

 Montreal-based Sodexo Canada partnered with a non-profit group to plant

2,400 trees — and adds a new one every time a new employee is hired.

2024 WINNERS

Continued

Manages the “PhoneApes” program to collect cellphones and e-waste to raise funds and awareness about the impact of electronics on the environment.

TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING CANADA INC. / TMMC, Cambridge, Ont.

Automobile manufacturing; 9,214 employees. For over a decade, greenthumbed employees have managed the onsite organic “TMMC Teaching Garden” with the annual harvest donated to local charities.

TRANSLINK (SOUTH COAST BRITISH COLUMBIA TRANSPORTATION

AUTHORITY), New Westminster, B.C. Public transit; 7,878 employees. Continues to expand its electric bus fleet as part of a focus to reduce fuel emissions across the region.

TRU EARTH ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS INC., Port Moody, B.C.

Detergent manufacturing; 92 employees. Introduced an initiative to refrain from purchasing new items for the warehouse and head office, asking employees to reuse, re-purpose, build and purchase used items where possible.

UBC / UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, Vancouver. Post secondary schools, university; 16,308 employees. Manages the Sustainability Coordinator Program, comprised of over 100 members who help implement sustainable practices across all university departments.

UNILEVER CANADA, INC., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing and distribution; 978 employees. The employee-led Sustainable Living Team organizes a range of activities every year, from beach, park and river clean-ups to clothing collection drives.

UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK, Toronto. Hospitals; 13,607 employees. Manages community gardens at a number of hospital sites, including a rooftop garden and a fully wheelchair accessible vegetable garden.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA, Prince George, B.C. Post secondary schools, university; 606 employees. Manages the longstanding “Green Fund” from campus parking revenues and makes $50,000 available

each year for sustainability projects across the campus.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Toronto. Post secondary schools, university; 11,369 employees. Downtown campus is home to one of Canada’s largest urban geoexchange systems that will save an estimated 15,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, Victoria. Post secondary schools, university; 3,185 employees. Supports a Cycling Advisory Committee and a unique BikeHub that offers secure bike parking, a bike kitchen, gear lockers, benches, bike repair and a bicycle loan program.

VANCOUVER, CITY OF, Vancouver, BC. Municipal governments; 8,375 employees. Supports a number of formal healthy ecosystem initiatives ranging from reducing water use in parks, stormwater runoff mitigation initiatives and native habitat plantings.

WALTERFEDY INC., Kitchener, Ont., Architectural and engineering services; 284 employees. In-house Sustainable Advisory Committee was founded in 2009 and is comprised of members from across the organization who spearhead in-house programs.

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, Waterloo, Ont. Post secondary schools, universities; 1,821 employees. Sustainability Office organizes the spring Move Out program every year, setting up stations where students can donate used books, furniture, clothing and non-perishable food items.

YMCA OF GREATER TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 3,366 employees. At its Cedar Glen location, green educational opportunities abound with a large certified organic garden, two honeybee apiaries, maple syrup production, and more.

YORK UNIVERSITY, Toronto. Post secondary schools, university; 5,237 employees. ZeroWaste program captures household recyclables, batteries, e-waste, appliances, ink cartridges and more, achieving a 70 per cent of waste from landfill diversion rate.

– Richard Yerema & Chantel Watkins

 Tru Earth Environmental Products asked employees to reduce purchases of new items for their head office and warehouse, choosing to reuse and repurpose.



Mike Layton, chief sustainability officer at York University, with a SARIT electric vehicle, being tested by its engineering faculty at its Keele campus in Toronto.

Methodology

Canada’s Greenest Employers is an editorial competition recognizing employers that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness in their organizations. Applicants for the award are compared to other employers in their industry and must pay a fee to enter the contest.

Winning employers, selected by editors of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, 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.

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

 University of Toronto staff walk through the Environmental Science and Chemistry Building on the Scarborough campus, which was built with energy-efficient design features to reduce its environmental footprint.

The Mission for Planet Earth

Canada’s Greenest Employers are getting very serious about sustainability

Many of the winners of the Canada’s Greenest Employers (2024) competition are large organizations involved in a wide range of endeavours, from brewing beer to selling insurance. But if you work at a company like Vancouver-based Tru Earth Environmental Products Inc., you get a two-fer in the sustainability performance so many job-seekers want to be part of.

One advantage, as at many organizations, is the opportunity for Tru Earth employees to be involved in brainstorming sustainability ideas, raising internal awareness and volunteering for the company’s #TruEarthMovement environmental outreach. But the other is its own suite of products. Tru Earth makes concentrated laundry detergent “eco-strips” and other cleaning offerings delivered in slim cardboard envelopes rather than the heavy plastic containers

and packaging that detergent pods, powders and liquids come in.

“Our battle is against plastic,” says Anita Spiller, vice president of environmental, social and governance for Tru Earth. “There is no plastic in our packaging at all. As you know, with plastic you have to extract the petroleum, then you produce the plastic bottle and then you have to battle the microplastics. So we look at it in terms of the emissions we’re not transmitting. And because it is a compressed strip, it

means we’re not shipping water across the country as with liquid detergents, which are up to 90 per cent water.”

All of which makes Tru Earth an attractive, even idealistic, place to work. “It matters for us that folks are aligned with our critical cause to make true lasting change, that they feel like they’re a part of what we’re doing. Because we’re making great environmental products, but we also want to do good for the planet.”

According to Richard Yerema, executive

 Faculty and students from BCIT visit Guichon Creek, a living lab for ecological restoration focused on advancing sustainability, in Burnaby, B.C.

MITIGATING IMPACT

Continued editor at Mediacorp Canada Inc., which runs the competition, green measures have become very important to employers’ recruitment efforts. “You’re speaking to generations that assume that these things are being addressed in a meaningful way, that this is a portfolio which the employer takes seriously. If not, or if you’re just trying to do some greenwashing, it won’t resonate well. A lot of young people coming into the workplace are more sophisticated about these things.”

regular basis, not just every five or 10 years. This is an area where they engage with their people – they sit with their green teams or sustainability staff and decide exactly how to update the program.”

And step by step, Canada’s Greenest Employers are making a difference. “Why I like this project is it’s practically oriented,” says Yerema. “It’s what companies can do to mitigate operations and lessen the impact. They’re still going to brew beer. But they’ve taken feedback from employees who figured out a way to save water. If you’re going to effect change, how you operate very much matters. Even if your impact is minor, if it’s just turning out the lights and reducing the heat and updating your systems of energy usage, these are simple things that we all can do. One little bit at a time, across the board of many employers, the cumulative work will start to be seen.”

Now, too, notes Yerema, sustainability goals are “not just siloed off to the green team,” but integrated into the mainstream operations of Canada’s Greenest Employers Often top executives in the C-suite have the portfolio embedded in their mandate. One of those is Selwyn Crittendon, CEO and chief sustainability officer at IKEA Canada. “For us,” he says of his title, “this is not so much about an additional task. It’s really what we do.”

In fact, Crittendon, who recently took the IKEA Canada post after a career in the company’s U.S. operations, sounds like a man with a green mission. Looking beyond the many sustainability achievements at IKEA, Crittendon sees a lot of potential for the planet in partnerships among major companies.

topics like EV networks, the circular economy or food waste? These are making large impacts. If we can do this, we will make fundamental change, and actually start to move the needle for climate change. The partnership model is going to be crucial. I need many more players and many more CEOs to come on this journey with me so we can make a lasting impact for all people that live on this planet.”

So employers whose businesses may have little to do directly with the environment are keen to show their commitment to sustainability. “We’ve seen a lot of formalization of programs and policies, rather than just an ad-hoc effort,” Yerema says. “It becomes part of a strategy and a plan. And they’re usually reviewed on a q IKEA Canada offers customers a range of sustainable-certified food products through its onsite cafeterias and restaurants.

“IKEA can’t do this alone,” he says. “So how do we work together to achieve more? What happens when we band together on

It’s a promising call from an industry leader. And it’s an example of the quickening momentum for sustainability at all levels of Canadian enterprises. Whether large organizations like IKEA or smaller enterprises like Tru Earth, whether they offer sweeping changes or incremental fixes, Canada’s Greenest Employers are helping to lead the way to a better world.

– Berton Woodward

BC Housing has gone all in on going green

Kendall Conway has been an avid cyclist for years but she learned much about the upkeep of her bike last year when the employee-led livegreen council at Burnabybased BC Housing Management Commission brought in a skilled instructor to deliver a clinic on safety and maintenance.

The council, now in its 15th year, has the full support of BC Housing’s leadership and encourages employees to find ways to live sustainably by reducing their individual carbon footprints. “We create awareness of environmental challenges,” says

Conway, a senior mortgage administrator and vice-chair of the council. “We are inspired by four focus areas – climate change mitigation, pollution prevention, protection of biodiversity and nature appreciation.”

Apart from supporting individual action, BC Housing’s sustainability culture extends to the diverse portfolio of properties it owns, manages or supports in partnership with non-profits, municipalities, First Nations and other groups. The organization supports homelessness services, affordable housing, social housing and home ownership. It directly manages some 6,000 units and

oversees some 79,000 units through partnerships.

“We look at sustainability holistically, which includes reducing our contributions to climate change and responding to the changes we know are coming,” says Leigh Greenius, acting director of sustainability and resilience.

BC Housing’s five-member sustainability and resilience team works with other departments to pilot new approaches to make the organization’s practices more sustainable and resilient. Likewise, the energy team works closely with the development and asset strategies departments, Greenius

says. “We have design guidelines and construction standards that lay out energy efficiency expectations for new projects.”

The organization is equally rigorous when it comes to existing housing stock. “Our energy team looks at buildings that are not performing optimally and from there they determine which ones need a retrofit,” says Greenius. “Buildings may receive building envelope upgrades so that less energy is required.”

We look at sustainability holistically, which includes reducing our contributions to climate change and responding to the changes we know are coming.”

— Leigh Greenius Acting Director of Sustainability and Resilience

Since 2010, BC Housing has reduced its carbon emissions from the use of paper by 66 per cent by encouraging staff to host paperless meetings and digitizing many processes and applications. Employees are encouraged to find sustainable modes of transportation to and from work or to meetings. Discounted monthly TransLink passes are available to employees working at offices in the Lower Mainland. There are showers and lockers in those offices for employees who cycle to work.

 BC Housing employees Alicia Cai, Jessica Woolliams and Gabriela Mercado at the Rosewood Plant Festival to encourage and support tenants to garden.

 Michael Trinh, an employee at BC Housing, harvesting carrots at the Richmond Sharing Farm as part of a volunteer event.

“We really support sustainable methods of travel,” says Conway. “We have a bike purchase program where employees can get discounts on a bike and accessories from local businesses and have the option of paying through a payroll deduction.”

The livegreen council runs campaigns throughout the year to motivate employees. One such campaign is the 30x30 Nature Challenge, which involves spending 30 minutes daily in a natural setting for 30 consecutive days. Team members keep track of

their activity by sharing photos or art in order to collect points for prizes.

The council also offers webinars and different educational resources so employees can learn about various aspects of sustainability.

We’re proud of our professional, compassionate, forward-thinking employees who make a positive di erence in this province every day.

Building Smart Program seminar series  People, Plants and Homes program with horticultural therapist

Green Rewards program and sustainable transportation options

Livegreen Library online catalogue

“The livegreen council is a huge part of the green culture at BC Housing,” says Greenius. “Their campaigns are fun. They encourage people to take green actions, which also builds connections between staff members.” 

bchousing.org

Bell sets science-based emission reduction targets

Serita White earned a degree in environmental science and worked in environment and sustainability for 15 years before joining Bell Canada in the spring of 2022. Her rationale was that working for one of the country’s largest employers would be the best way to make a difference. She hasn’t been disappointed.

“We have a lot of emission reduction initiatives,” says White, who is a senior manager with Bell’s corporate responsibility and

environment team. “There’s a lot of innovation and engagement going on across all of Bell’s business units.”

Setting ambitious targets to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental footprint has been a key driver across the company. Bell has set science-based targets to reduce operational (scope 1 and 2) GHG emissions by 58 per cent and its scope 3 GHG emissions by 42 per cent by 2030.

Bell’s emissions come from multiple sources – including the

administrative and operational buildings it owns or occupies across the country and its fleet of thousands of gas-powered vehicles that employees drive to deliver internet, TV and phone services to residential and commercial customers.

The company has adopted a number of measures to reduce emissions from its buildings.

“Several years ago, we switched to LED lighting in our buildings,” says Julie Ricketts Daniel, vice-president, real estate. “We have natural gas-powered boilers

in many of our buildings, which we’re replacing with electric heat pumps and electric boilers. This is a big contributor to our decarbonization goals.“

Bell has adopted a smart spaces model in its buildings to optimize space and improve collaboration and overall work experience while reducing energy consumption.

Connecting with our team members is so important, so we set up an innovation working group from across the organization to discuss new ideas. That engagement is making our workplace better and having a positive impact.”

— Julie Ricketts Daniel Vice-President, Real Estate

In addition to its environmental impact, the new model will also contribute to employee wellbeing. “It gives our team members more options for how and where they work,” says Ricketts Daniel. “The office space renovation brings more features for our teams to enjoy. We now have adjustable sit-stand workstations, many new work settings and through some smart design choices we have created more consistent access to natural light throughout the workday.”

Bell has embedded circularity into its operations to eliminate unnecessary waste from its

 Kiana Raines, corporate responsibility and environment specialist at Bell, participating in one of its treeplanting events.



processes. It has reuse and repair/ refurbishment programs that allow it to extend the life of set-top boxes, wi-fi pods and modems and to reduce waste from landfill. A three-year goal to divert e-waste from landfills by collecting seven million used electronics was

surpassed with 7,760,323 devices collected from October 2020 to September 2023. In 2023 alone, more than 5,379 tonnes of customer electronic devices were diverted from landfills.

In 2023, Bell replaced 1,079 older vehicles with more fuel-efficient

models, and currently has 332 electric and 66 hybrid vehicles in service.

Employee engagement is another key piece of the company’s efforts to reduce emissions and achieve its science-based targets. “Connecting

Programs to plant native plant species on site Bike loan program Sustainable real estate initiative Building footprint includes EV charging stations

with our team members is so important, so we set up an innovation working group from across the organization to discuss new ideas,” says Ricketts Daniel. “That engagement is making our workplace better and having a positive impact.” 

Join a team committed to a winning environment.

The new smart spaces at Bell optimize space utilization while reducing energy consumption.

BCIT takes a holistic approach to sustainability

Jennifer Figner, the provost and vice-president, academic at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), says candidates are increasingly asking about the post-secondary school’s strategy regarding sustainability and the environment.

“We hear from some candidates that a big reason they have applied is that they see us as a leader in this area,” says Figner. “They are also asking us some tough questions about our strategy and goals. So, I think it really is a key piece to attracting employees and also retaining them.”

For example, Jennie Moore, director, institute sustainability,

says this commitment played a role in the hiring of her administrative assistant. “This is her passion area and she wanted to work at BCIT because she felt she could contribute to these initiatives,” she says.

Moore adds that BCIT is focused on three strategic initiatives that are intertwined: equity, diversity and inclusivity; indigenization; and sustainability.

“A lot of people think sustainability is just about being green, but at BCIT, we don’t separate green from the social justice agenda because they’re inherently tied together,” Moore says. “Being a green employer is important, but when you look at the causes of why we’re having

challenges, it comes down to an equitable sharing of resources and a huge disparity. So, making sure those things are tied together is a core piece of what has helped us be successful as a green employer.”

A recent pilot project included an 80-per-cent reduction in energy use in six buildings on the Burnaby campus. Another recent greening initiative is the ecological restoration of Guichon Creek, which runs directly through BCIT's Burnaby Campus. Once a popular fishing spot, the creek was dammed and partially culverted and became sterile for salmon and other fish. Restoration began in the 1970s and 1980s, and in 2006, the creek was largely restored to

its natural state, thanks to the efforts of BCIT, students, the Rivers Institute and the City of Burnaby. Trout and salmon still cannot navigate upstream through the underground section of the culvert, so there is more work that needs to be done.

We have a responsibility as an employer and as an educator to deal with the future of this planet that we're fortunate enough to be on.”

— Jennifer Figner Provost and Vice-President, Academic

BCIT has a commitment to complete the ecological restoration and create a functional aquatic ecosystem where salmon and trout can pass through. The school is also using the creek for educational purposes. Chemistry students are sampling the water to assess its chemical content, while the ecological restoration students are using that data towards the creation of a creek management plan.

Other partnerships are also furthering sustainability. When the building that housed the carpentry program was due for renovation, BCIT’s School of Construction and Environment worked with the campus planning and facilities teams to reduce

 Both employees and students have the opportunity to learn about solar energy management at the BCIT Burnaby Campus.

energy use.

In the past, when one piece of equipment was turned on, it triggered all the fans that extracted dust to turn on. “We realized our instructors would never use all the equipment at once. So now when a machine

turns on, a fan is triggered for ventilation just for that machine and when it turns off, the fan turns off,” Moore says. “By right sizing, we achieved an 80-per-cent reduction in the energy load for that building while improving the air quality.”

Figner says taking steps like these are the right thing to do for the planet and its people, and also make BCIT a more appealing place to work.

“We have a responsibility as an employer and as an educator to deal with the future of this planet

SHAPING THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW. EDUCATION FOR A COMPLEX WORLD.

that we're fortunate enough to be on,” she says. “I think every organization has that responsibility, but as an institution that educates and has the power to effect change in multiple other organizations, the requirement for us is that much higher.” 

BCIT Green Team In-house waste reduction and recycling In-house and external environmental audit

Publishes sustainability report

Canada Life tracks its place in a greener future ‘G

reening’ business is an effort some may imagine in factories or mines, but offices are getting environmental makeovers as well. Don Lecuyer, vicepresident of Canadian property management and services at Canada Life, has been involved in the greening of his workplace for nearly two decades.

“Even though we’re an insurance, wealth management and benefits provider, creating positive lasting change is at the forefront of what we do,” Lecuyer says, “whether investing for long-term returns, operating in a

sustainable way or expanding the diverse perspectives that shape our company for the future.”

When Canada Life began seeking to understand its environmental impact nearly 15 years ago, it owned or leased over four million square feet of real estate. “We aspire to manage down our consumption and the emissions associated with our consumption,” Lecuyer says.

“One of those pieces is the real estate footprint we own and manage, and we’ve been able to manage down about a million square feet of real estate in the last five to six years, enabled prominently by changes in

technology and business processes that enable people to work more flexibly and use space more efficiently.”

In the past, office work was “very paper and file intensive,” he says, but new software and digitizing drastically cut this down. At Canada Life, they’re focused on in-house waste reduction and recycling programs beyond municipal minimums. “We prioritize waste reduction at corporate office properties to create green-minded office environments for employees,” Lecuyer says. “We use responsibly sourced paper and other forest products and divert workplace

items and waste from landfills as much as possible.”

But Canada Life extends its environmental efforts outside the workplace, through community outreach and charity work.

According to Stephanie Halligan, manager of community relations, “Our current support goes from tree planting to wetland conservation and protection of natural spaces. More recently, we’ve increased funding around access to safe and clean drinking water, as we know that’s important to Canadians. And we’ve done it by supporting charities directly and through our employees.”

Creating positive lasting change is at the forefront of what we do.”

—

Don Lecuyer Vice-President, Canadian Property Management and Services

Canada Life supports national organizations like Tree Canada and local charities like Vancouver Food Runners, which delivers surplus food from hotels, restaurants and cafes directly to non-profits in the city. And it works with Water First, which addresses water challenges in First Nations communities through its school program in Western Canada.

“We’re trying to get to students,” Halligan says, “to foster their understanding of the environment and environmental challenges and to engage the next generation.”

Halligan sees these programs in

 Canada Life employees participate in tree planting in the community.

harmony with the company’s purpose, “when we talk about how we want to support the mental, physical and financial well-being of all Canadians – where we live and work is a part of that conversation.”

In 2023, Canada Life’s parent

company, Great-West Lifeco, was once again recognized for managing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change-related risks and opportunities, receiving an A- rating on the global monitoring organization CDP’s climate change

Proud to be selected as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for 2024!

questionnaire. Great-West Lifeco’s score is among the top life and health insurers in North America and globally. Additionally, the company published Advancing Inclusive Growth, a report on impact, inclusion and citizenship, which sets out its efforts to create

Green procurement policy Building footprint includes green roof

Publishes sustainability report

Informal employeeled green initiatives

positive change for its customers, people and communities.

“We’re on a journey but we’re not at the end of it by any stretch yet,” Lecuyer says. “It’s a journey I’ve been on for almost 20 years now and we’ve seen really good progress.” 

 The historic weather beacon atop the Canada Life building in Toronto, Ontario.

Canon Canada keeps branching out for sustainability

Last June, Nazly Beltran-Alcazar was among a group of Canon Canada employees who got a little dirt under their fingernails while planting a rain garden at St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Brampton, Ont.

The rain garden, built alongside its legacy partner, the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation, as part of Canon’s annual Branch Out employee volunteering program, serves dual functions.

Not only does it soak up and filter rainwater from the school’s rooftops and parking lots – which helps mitigate the risk of flooding at the school – but it also acts as a living classroom for students, who got to participate in planting it and learn about its impact on the local environment.

“There were projects there for the students to learn why it was built, what’s the purpose of it and how they can contribute as well to their community,” says BeltranAlcazar, an environmental affairs

associate specialist in the company’s Brampton head office and a member of the green team, a cross-departmental committee that develops and leads Canon's environmental initiatives. “It was very physical work, but at the end of the day we see what we’ve achieved and it’s very rewarding.”

Lisa Guy, Canon’s senior director of talent, communications and business administration, who oversees environmental affairs at the company, says Branch Out is an extension of the company’s

corporate philosophy of Kyosei, or living and working harmoniously together for the future.

In 2023, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary in Canada with a campaign called 50 Acts of Kyosei, in which the company gave back to the communities it operates in. Over the course of the year, employees volunteered with the Mossom Creek Hatchery in B.C., the Calgary Food Bank, Moisson Montréal and 360°kids in suburban Toronto, among many other local organizations. It also expanded its scholarship program, which provides support to environmental science students at York University and the University of British Columbia, to include the French-speaking University of Sherbrooke in Québec.

We want to be able to get ideas from employees to improve our performance, and replicate that in all our other offices.”

— Nazly Beltran-Alcazar Environmental Affairs Associate Specialist

“We’ve always been cognizant of wanting to make sure that we are showing our environmental support to all the communities we live in, and Kyosei is part of that,” says Guy.

This year, the company is marking another major milestone: the 10th anniversary of the Branch Out program. “We want to make it

 Canon Canada employees helping to create green spaces and sustainable environments in their communities with paid time through its Branch Out volunteer initiative.

 The Green Procurement Standards policy at Canon Canada ensures the company procures

parts, products and services from vendors who are in line with its focus on environment and sustainability.

a big year,” says Guy. The number of Branch Out events and partner organizations has steadily grown over the past decade, and between 40 and 50 per cent of Canon Canada’s employees participate. It’s something she says speaks to the company’s commitment to

continually evolve its approach to environmental stewardship.

Part of that evolution is expanding the employee green team to welcome employees from across the company. Previously, this planning team had been comprised of staff from the

environmental, corporate communications and human resources teams. The goal, Beltran-Alcazar says, is to harness employees’ passions and ideas to help Canon find new organizations to support and to improve its own environmental footprint.

Sells and services over 200 Energy Star-certified products

Toner cartridge closed-loop recycling process

Light sensors, automatic window shades and grey water system at head office

Organic waste program has diverted more than 9,800 kg since 2022

“We want to be able to get ideas from employees to improve our performance, and replicate that in all our other offices. That’s what we’re looking at this year,” Beltran-Alcazar says. “We’re always looking for what else we can do.” 

CIBC pursues its net-zero ambition at all levels

Every square foot of office space can increase an organization’s carbon footprint. But when CIBC moved into CIBC SQUARE, the architecturally striking, 49-storey new head office in downtown Toronto, the bank made a significant advance toward meeting its corporate goal of achieving a 30 per cent reduction in its carbon footprint by 2028. Long-term, CIBC aims to achieve net-zero emissions from its operational activities by 2050. “As a bank, we play a unique role in enabling a more secure and sustainable future,” says Veni Iozzo, executive vice-president, enterprise real estate and workplace transformation. “We’re constantly refining our operations

and sharing our progress with all our stakeholders.”

CIBC SQUARE was awarded a LEED Platinum certification for numerous innovations that make its one million square feet of office space more energy efficient and sustainable. These include extra high efficiency water fixtures and lighting systems and smart metering to monitor real-time energy consumption.

In addition, CIBC SQUARE is the largest workplace in Canada and the global financial sector to achieve platinum level certification from the International Well Building Institute, which assesses design and construction based on how they impact human health. The workplace floors in CIBC SQUARE were designed to admit maximum natural light, which

reduces the need for artificial lighting and improves employee well-being. In addition, the building includes bike racks, an on-site gym, showers, charging stations and proximity to Toronto’s Union Station and mass transit.

CIBC operates a nationwide network of approximately 1,000 retail banking centres. “The banking centre network represents a big opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Barry Dion, director of operations management. “We’ve completed over 1,500 related projects through our national energy optimization program.”

Those projects include more than 700 upgrades to LED lighting systems. The bank has also replaced over 230 rooftop heating and air conditioning units with

new technology which has higher energy efficiency ratings. Realtime monitoring of lighting, heating and cooling has been implemented at 550 retail banking centres to date, resulting in a reduction of 77,000 megawatts, equivalent to the electricity required to power 2,700 homes. That reduction also represents the equivalent of 10,000 tonnes of CO2.

As a bank, we play a unique role in enabling a more secure and sustainable future. We’re constantly refining our operations and sharing our progress with all stakeholders.”

— Veni Iozzo Executive Vice-President, Enterprise Real Estate and Workplace Transformation

“We’ve reduced our absolute greenhouse gas emissions by over 26 per cent compared to our 2018 baseline,” says Dion. “We’re well on our way to meeting our goal of a 30 per cent reduction by 2028.”

The commitment to sustainability is now embedded in all levels of the organization. “We’ve established a climate governance structure to provide accountability,” says Iozzo. “We will continue to drive climate action through our board oversight and executive level accountability.”

The bank has invested heavily in technology to ensure that individual employees are contributing to the organization’s

 Veni Iozzo, executive vice-president, enterprise real estate and workplace transformation at CIBC, on a floor of LEED Platinum-certified CIBC SQUARE.

 Barry Dion, director of operations management, focuses on reducing the carbon footprint of CIBC.

sustainability goals. “Our webcasts, virtual meetings and online collaboration are reducing our business travel,” says Iozzo.

In addition, the bank has organized pitch-for-the-planet hackathons. It brought 100 employees together to come up

with ideas that help clients reduce their carbon footprints. Last spring, the bank ran a carbon reduction challenge in which team members were able to track their daily activities and win prizes for reducing their individual contributions.

The bank is supporting its clients as they transition to a low-carbon economy. “We have specialized teams providing market-based solutions and advisory services to clients. For example, we’re offering favourable rates to make new or used hybrid

Informal employeeled green initiatives

In-house waste reduction and recycling  Green procurement strategy

Renewable power project loans and financing

and electric vehicles more affordable,” says Iozzo.

“We have an opportunity in front of us to shape the future we all want. I’m proud of the strides we’ve made in 2023 and we’re committed to furthering that momentum in the years to come.” 

Crown is a leader in the transformation of its industry

At Crown Property Management Inc., sustainability is built into the company from the ground up.

“As a property management company, especially given our size as a SME, Crown is a pioneer,” says Erica Lam, director, sustainability strategy.

“Everything we do doesn’t just benefit the environment, doesn’t just benefit the tenants, but also needs to be financially sustainable for our investors.”

Crown operates in the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa, setting investment strategies for the properties within its funds and managing 10.3 million square feet of commercial properties under its property management entity.

“We’re different from most investment managers in that we’re vertically integrated,” says Emily Hanna, managing partner, investments, who is responsible for raising capital and established the environment, social and governance (ESG) platform.

This hands-on involvement from the ground up provides an intimate understanding of the operational intricacies and challenges faced at each level of the process.

“Our strategic approach to ESG evolved organically given our deep understanding of operations throughout the property ownership cycle,” says Hanna. “This meant that as ESG questions became front and centre from investors, I was able to address

them in a more practical and nuanced manner.

“One of the most exciting opportunities of my career has really been understanding how this focus on ESG, and decarbonization in particular, will impact our business and the commercial real estate industry.”

There was no defined framework on how to lead this transformation, so a small group of “change agents” came together to put together an ESG plan at Crown, under Hanna’s oversight.

“We don’t just originate the ideas for a given asset, but we also choose the ones that have the greatest impact on ESG and the bottom line,” says Hanna.

Lam brings a unique perspective to guide sustainability initiatives,

having previously worked as an environmental engineer for construction companies in Asia. That has given her the front-line experience for helping property managers get green certifications, finding ways for buildings to be more energy efficient to help with operational costs, and working with building operators to ensure energy efficient operating practices are implemented.

As a property management company, especially given our size as an SME, Crown is a pioneer.”

— Erica Lam Director, Sustainability Strategy

“The decarbonization planning across our portfolio is something I am very proud of,” says Lam. Through this process, Crown has been able to identify a lot of operational practices and relatively easy upgrades that have a big impact. “As one example, DDC – direct digital control – of the HVAC system or building automation system automatically adjusts the air flow throughout a building based on occupancy and the CO2 levels.”

A small group of four, including Lam and Hanna, have been leading the sustainability initiatives, supported by an ESG committee made up of champions from each department that meets quarterly. The concepts are gradually becoming embedded in

 Crown Property Management has implemented WorkWell by Crown, a holistic engagement program focusing on sustainability and social initiatives.

 Crown Property Management is focused on building more sustainability-engaged office communities through its ESG committee.

the company culture, says Lam. In this way, ESG principles are not confined to a single team but are woven into the best practices of every department.

“It’s encouraging to see how everyone across the whole company has been working to

understand what decarbonization and ESG mean for their roles,” she says. This is a more inclusive approach to ESG, allowing for innovative solutions and practices that might not emerge from a more siloed strategy. “As a result, a relatively small company like ours

can punch above its weight.”

This has led to significant achievements, including top ratings in frameworks such as the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark.

Hanna sees the opportunity to integrate the company’s

BEYOND OUR OFFICE WALLS

crownrealtypartners.com

Employee-led ESG committee Annual ESG reporting on important frameworks 100% of portfolio is sustainability certified Continual training for operations team on specialized health and safety topics

decarbonization planning efforts within its broader repositioning strategies for properties.

“It is a forward-thinking approach that will add value for our investors and allow us to continue to be thought leaders in the industry. ” 

We are a team that supports one another in an environment where we feel valued, empowered, and inspired to pursue excellence.

We are more than square footage.

A closed loop makes for open doors at Durham College

Whenever David Hawey gets a whiff of onions cooking, he’s transported back to his childhood. Growing up in small communities, Hawey was raised on the concept of growing and preserving your own food, and on the zero-waste practices he gets to implement today in the curriculum at Ontario’s Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology.

“I’ve always brought that to work,” says the faculty of hospitality and horticultural science professor. “When I was an industry chef, I brought it to work and next into the education system – I’ve always believed that it’s important.”

When Hawey joined Durham

College 13 years ago, he was taken by its shared vision for sustainability in the hospitality and agricultural industry – from reducing food waste to lowering energy consumption.

“The practices are only going to get better. We’re training the next generation of the workforce and because our graduates take these practices back into their workplaces, we’re constantly able to raise the bar in our own operation.”

At the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food at the college’s Whitby, Ont., campus just east of Toronto, the philosophy around food consumption is comprehensive and given careful consideration at every step of the process, including harvesting, packaging and preparation, he says.

Working closely with the campus farm manager, Hawey is able to harmonize what is grown in the fields and what is used in the curriculum.

New technologies like a biodigester – a contained system on site that allows for food scraps to be composted efficiently on campus – allow for a closed-loop system the college calls “field-to-fork-to-field.”

“We can grow it, we can process it, then we can utilize it back into the fields, which is really quite amazing,” says Hawey. “That significantly lowers the need for contract composting.”

By cutting down on contract composting, the college also reduces the need for trucks coming in and out of the campus to remove compost scraps.

Minimizing food waste also breeds culinary creativity. For example, a second life is given to vegetable trimmings as dehydrated stock powder, or to beet skins transforming a handmade dough into a red pasta.

“Students can see that we’re not just doing it for the sake of doing it, we’re doing it for an end reason,” explains Hawey. “You can see the cause and the effect – it’s a closed loop.”

If we can improve our community both locally and internationally, our students can take their expertise and share it with the world – that’s what we’re doing here.”

— Rebecca Milburn Principal at Whitby Campus and Executive Dean, Faculty of Hospitality and Horticulture Science

The focus on innovation in sustainability at the college, which also has a campus in nearby Oshawa, is part of a shared vision across many disciplines that ripples out globally.

“Our community benefits from our focus on innovation,” says Rebecca Milburn, principal at Whitby campus and executive dean, faculty of hospitality and horticulture science.“If we can improve our community both locally and internationally, our students can take their expertise and share it with the world – that’s

what we’re doing here.”

Advancements like the ‘greenification’ of learning spaces on campus, the Vanhaverbeke Family EV Training Centre or urban agricultural practices are just a few examples of how Durham College makes sure that

students are not left behind after graduation.

“Staying ahead of new technology ensures our students will have a sought-after skill set anywhere,” says Milburn.

Having the support of the administration is one of the ways

that Durham College continues evolving its programs to stay ahead of the curve. Faculty are given the room to experiment with new ideas before they are implemented on a larger scale.

“We’ve been really lucky. There are so many initiatives going on

Sustainabilityfocused courses Facility and program to study local food Green Impact employee team In-house waste reduction and recycling

across the college – and they come from the students, too,” Hawey says.

“That means a lot when you know that the next generation can put out ideas and they will be seriously considered,” he says. “It’s quite amazing.” 

EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SUSTAINABLE EXPERTS

With themes of social and environmental sustainability throughout many of our programs, together, we’re leading the way to a greener future.

 The fields at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food at Durham College

Evolugen puts safety and the environment first

Kelly Withers, who has worked at Evolugen for eight years, says what she loves most about working for the Gatineau, Que.-based renewable energy company is that its values and priorities align with her own.

“One of the reasons I am proud to work for this organization is that the company always puts people’s safety and the environment above everything in decisionmaking, which is so important,” says Withers, manager, Indigenous partnerships.

In her role, Withers works with other organizations and First Nations communities to support projects that are important to the people living in the areas where Evolugen operates. For example, Evolugen and the ‘Namgis First Nation on northern Vancouver Island are working together to ensure fish migration and minimize environmental impacts on the Kokish River. Its hydro facility there includes a fish ladder to facilitate upstream passage and a special screen to prevent fish from entering the water intake

and tailrace areas.

To support communities in which it operates, Evolugen also sponsors a scholarship through Indspire, which invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people through financial awards and programming.

Kelley LaRiccia, director, compliance and sustainability, says that while the company delivers clean and renewable energy to help Canada reach its net-zero goals, it goes a step further by continually improving

and advancing the sustainability of its own operations.

Its recently completed 42-megawatt Spring Coulee Solar farm in southwestern Alberta will generate close to 70,000 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity annually, the equivalent of powering approximately 9,850 Alberta homes per year. Evolugen, though, went beyond this important step toward renewable, emission-free energy.

We want to do more. It’s important to us to make a difference.”

— Kelley LaRiccia Director, Compliance and Sustainability

Because solar panels are often not fully recyclable, the company donated defective solar panels left over from construction to a non-profit organization that is doing research and development into how to better recycle such panels.

At one of its solar sites in Ontario, Evolugen has sheep grazing on the lawn, which reduces the need for grass cutting and the associated greenhouse gas emissions and supports local shepherds by providing a permanent place to hold sheep.

Another way the company supports its local communities is by granting employees one paid day off annually to volunteer for causes related to environmental issues, health and safety, education, research, community

 An Evolugen employee at the Masson hydro facility on the Lièvre River in Gatineau, Québec.

 An employee at Evolugen volunteering with the Ottawa Food Bank Adopt A Crop program.

services and Indigenous communities. In 2023, employees contributed 1,080 volunteer hours.

“We partnered with the Ottawa Food Bank and I attended a community harvest farm, where a group of us were weeding and harvesting vegetables for the day,”

LaRiccia says. “It’s a great way to bring people together and make a difference in our communities.”

LaRiccia says it is becoming more important to employees to work for a company that cares about sustainability and its environmental footprint. “More

people are wanting to be part of our organization and I have heard from all departments that people are seeking us out because of who we are and what we do,” she says.

And while a focus on sustainability may be good for attracting employees, LaRiccia says it is the

Carbon-neutral since 2020

Head office building includes EV charging stations Publishes biennial sustainability report 25 biodiversity and conservation projects in 2023

foundation of Evolugen’s mission. “We are carbon neutral and a very low emitter, and you might think we don’t need to do anything beyond that,” she says. “But we don’t believe that’s the case. We want to do more. It’s important to us to make a difference.” 

Advancing Canada’s Low-Carbon Future

Fleming College digs deep to grow green initiatives

In 2011, Fleming College in Peterborough, Ont., was the first Canadian college to ban plastic water bottle sales on campus. “If you want to be a community leader, you have to model best practices,” says president Maureen Adamson.

Since then, Fleming has introduced many green initiatives, from establishing pollinator gardens, implementing invasive species control, setting up an apiary and creating a nut orchard. “We work closely with community partners to help mitigate climate change and protect the natural environment,” says Adamson. “We’re also enriching applied experiential learning opportunities – our students expect this.”

There are multiple Fleming programs that have an environmental and ecological focus. In 2022, the college and Crayola partnered with the United Way City of Kawartha Lakes to establish the Edwin Binney’s Community Garden in Lindsay, Ont., which grows fresh, affordable produce with the help of Fleming’s sustainable agriculture program students and faculty. Last year, the garden produced over 18,000 pounds of produce that was distributed for free to more than 4,000 community members.

“This garden is a living laboratory, providing our students with an invaluable hands-on educational experience that

travels far outside the classroom,” says Adamson. “It’s also a great example of corporate social responsibility that has enhanced food security in a community.”

Tania Clerac, dean of the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, is extremely proud of Fleming’s landstewardship projects. One example is the creation of a tallgrass prairie seed orchard and prairie reconstruction at the college’s Frost Campus in Lindsay that will directly contribute to Kawartha Conservation’s Durham Eco Corridor project, an ambitious multi-year project that will restore the environmental quality and ensure the protection of a critical 11-hectare section of the Oak

 At Fleming College, employees and students can gain hands-on experiences with experiential learning opportunities and green initiatives such as implementing invasive species control.

Ridges Moraine. “These grasses provide habitat to endangered species, so it’s a very important project,” she says.

At Frost Campus, energy, water and waste reduction initiatives are in place, while the Environmental Technology Wing includes energy efficient construction and geothermal heating. There are electric vehicle stations at the Sutherland Campus in Peterborough. And Haliburton Campus boasts a rainwatercatchment system and studio materials recovery (recycled glass and metal).

We hope our students are going to make an impact in the fields they’re entering because we’re shaping environmentally responsible future leaders while they’re with us.”

— Tania Clerac Dean, School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences

While Fleming hasn’t yet pursued LEED certification for any of its buildings, the Kawartha Trades and Technology Centre at Sutherland Campus has been constructed to LEED Gold standards. “We’re including sustainable features in all of our new builds,” says Clerac. The goal is to achieve net zero by 2050.

 Students at Fleming College electrofishing to sample fish populations in its campus.

Fleming continues to build upon its unique environmental educational programming through a commitment to increasing the number of experiential and applied learning opportunities in its programs and research initiatives that support

local sustainability goals. It also plans to engage with the broader community through initiatives with various community partners, including Sustainable Peterborough, Otonabee Region Conservation Authority and Trent University.

All of Fleming’s sustainability initiatives circle back to the students sitting in its classrooms. “We hope our students are going to make an impact in the fields they’re entering because we’re shaping environmentally responsible future leaders while

Working on creating a birdsafe campus at the Frost Campus Supporting local community waste diversion efforts

Free swap markets at the Frost Campus

Expanded seed saving, restoration and reforestation initiatives

they’re with us,” says Clerac. “If we on campus are modelling a sustainable culture, the hope is that they’ll take this behaviour and respect for the natural environment out into the world – those impacts go far beyond our small campus community.” 

G&W Electric powers a green transformation

Dan Dykas has seen the power industry go through major evolutions over his 35-year career at G&W Electric – and has been part of them, too.

Dykas, now G&W Electric’s president for Canada, started his career in the company’s sales department. The Brampton, Ont.-headquartered company, a subsidiary of G&W Electric in the United States, manufactures electrical switchgear for the power distribution market. Over the past three decades, as power grids have become smarter, more automated

and efficient, the equipment that Dykas sold to the industry has also become more sophisticated.

The company is preparing to be part of the industry’s next major transformation as wider-scale electrification and greater use of electric vehicles, microgrids, distributed energy resources and renewable energy sources create the need for a more reliable and resilient power grid. At the same time, G&W Electric is going through a transformation of its own, toward being a more sustainable company.

“Over the years we’ve been looking for ways to be a good

corporate citizen,” Dykas says. “When we’re looking at putting together capital plans, we’re always considering the environment.”

Anuj Chopra, an application engineer at G&W Electric, is responsible for making sure the company’s efforts are having their intended effect. Chopra is the firm’s internal auditor for its compliance with the ISO 14001 environmental management systems standard. Early this year he completed the company’s annual audit, and says the findings were impressive.

In recent years, G&W Electric

has eliminated the use of paper coffee cups at its offices by supplying employees with reusable mugs and invested $300,000 to replace fluorescent lights with more energy-efficient LED lighting. In 2023, the company installed water refill stations throughout its 220,000-square-foot headquarters and gave employees G&W Electric-branded cups to cut out plastic water bottles. Based on the amount of water the stations have dispensed, between June and December the company saved 35,000 plastic bottles. The company also got rid of paper towels in its bathrooms and installed electric hand dryers.

When we’re looking at putting together capital plans, we’re always considering the environment.”

— Dan Dykas President

“Because I’m the auditor, I can see the effect that it has, and that it really helped reduce our footprint here,” Chopra says.

G&W Electric sets progressively higher waste diversion targets each year. In 2020, the company was able to avoid sending 74 per cent of its waste to a landfill. Last year, its target was 90 per cent, and it came in at 91.5 per cent. Chopra notes that every employee has a recycling bin by their desk or workstation, which boosts usage. It

introduced two significant

 Anuj Chopra, application engineer and internal auditor for ISO 14001, participating in recycling activities at G&W Electric.

 G&W Electric employees volunteering to plant trees in honour of National Tree Day in Mississauga, Ontario.

process changes on the factory floor. G&W Electric manufactures a type of switch that requires the use of insulated gas to prevent any electrical sparking. The company was already reclaiming gas during the manufacturing process to prevent it from escaping into the

environment, but recently also began purifying it to be reused in its processes, rather than returned to the vendor.

“Now all of the gas that’s coming in is being used in our products, and with the purifier it’s up to our quality standards, so we’re not

wasting any product,” Chopra says.

It also installed an air compressor management system in 2023 to manage the air and energy consumption of its pneumatic assembly-line tools.

Dykas says G&W Electric has

Earth Day community park cleanup and tree planting Hosts an external waste audit annually Building footprint includes PV solar panels and LED lighting Central argon welding tank system to reduce truck deliveries

been driven by chairman and owner John Mueller’s commitment to sustainability. “Our owner cares about the environment and the future,” he says. “His leadership and his ambition to do his part to help the environment filters down.” 

GSK takes bold steps toward a healthier planet

The ambition for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is to have a positive impact on 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade, and the global biopharma company isn’t just heading toward that goal by producing life-saving medicines and vaccines.

“Our work revolves around ensuring healthy people, and we understand that a healthy planet is crucial for achieving this,” says Isabelle Beaudoin, health, safety and environment director at GSK’s vaccines manufacturing site in Sainte-Foy, Que. “That’s why it’s so important to prioritize achieving our commitment to having a net-zero impact on the climate and a net-positive impact on nature by 2030.”

So when the company redesigned its Mississauga, Ont., head office and the Sainte-Foy site, it made sure its commitment to the environment was built right in – literally. Both offices are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified by the Canadian Green Building Council. “Reducing our environmental footprint was a top priority during construction,” says Beaudoin.

To that end, 75 per cent of the wood used at the Sainte-Foy site came from responsibly managed forests, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. GSK implemented a rainwater recycling system so rainwater can be used for toilets, and installed geothermal wells to heat buildings with the Earth’s natural energy.

The Sainte-Foy buildings were even oriented to take advantage of natural light. “The north side of the building envelope was designed to conserve energy during the colder winter months,” Beaudoin says. “Every aspect of the building was meticulously planned to minimize our environmental impact.”

Outside the Sainte-Foy building, 10,000 hardworking bees play a crucial role as pollinators and don’t have to travel far to do so, as GSK’s community gardens are nearby. Every year, plots of land in the community gardens are allocated through a lottery system, and lucky employees have the opportunity to grow their own vegetables.

“It’s not just about physical health; it’s also about nurturing

 The community gardens, beehives and action plans at GSK drive its commitment to biodiversity as part of its goals for net-positive impact on nature by 2030.

their well-being,” says Beaudoin. “During lunch breaks, you’ll often find employees taking walks in the gardens, enjoying the tranquility and beauty of nature.”

Other notable initiatives include the implementation of a process whereby egg residues used in the production of flu vaccines are now transformed into valuable compost. The company has also optimized its washing machine used to clean egg trays. This has significantly reduced water consumption and the use of cleaning products.

The feeling among our staff is incredibly positive and enthusiastic – they’re not only supportive of making changes but are actively involved in them.”

— Alison Pozzobon Head of Communications and Pharma Operations

GSK is paying attention to other details, as well. Ventolin (salbutamol) is one of GSK’s well-known respiratory medicines, relied on by approximately 35 million patients worldwide who have respiratory conditions. From a global perspective, there is work being done to explore the inhalers’ carbon footprint. In Canada, a dedicated team is focused on initiatives

 The GSK administrative offices at the Sainte-Foy Vaccine Production Facility use sustainable lighting that adapts to sun exposure to conserve energy.

within the health plastics sector to make a positive difference.

Specifically, GSK is working towards finding solutions to the issue of the health-care plastics, especially inhalers, ending up in landfills. “We’re optimistic about finalizing a plan before the end of

2024 to effectively address this important issue,” says Alison Pozzobon, head of communications and pharma operations.

Prioritizing sustainability –reducing waste, conserving resources and implementing eco-friendly manufacturing

processes – is not only the right thing to do for the planet and for the public, it aligns with the company’s mission to improve global health.

“The feeling among our staff is incredibly positive and enthusiastic – they’re not only

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) offices

In-house waste and water reduction programs  Office biodiversity initiatives  Exploring innovations to reduce emissions

supportive of making changes, but are actively involved in them,” Pozzobon adds. “We believe that creating a more sustainable future is a collective effort, and our employees play a crucial role in driving all these initiatives forward.” 

GIP aims to integrate sustainability into all it does

For John Pontarollo, chief operating officer of Green Infrastructure Partners (GIP), three decades of involvement in infrastructure and construction materials companies have instilled a profound conviction.

“Every project is a chance to make the world just a little bit better,” he says, after a career that has taken him from completing Ontario’s concrete highway, the 407 ETR, to GIP’s newest project, preparatory excavation work for the new Ontario Line connection to the Pape Avenue station on

Toronto’s existing subway system.

“You can’t build good infrastructure without building for the future,” Pontarollo says. “In our eyes, they’re one and the same. For us, how we build is just as important as what we build.”

Less than two years old under its current name, GIP nonetheless has deep roots in building transit infrastructure. It’s simultaneously one of Canada’s largest and most diversified companies in that field, and “a 4,000-person start-up,” says Betsy Smith, vice-president, human resources, people and culture.

Smith came aboard as Toronto-based GIP’s first HR head in November 2022, a few months after its spinoff from GFL Environmental Inc. and its acquisition of Coco Paving Inc. She began the ongoing job of blending very different predecessor workplaces and thousands of employees. “Actually, it’s more like 5,000 now,” Smith adds, “after acquiring Aecon Transportation East.”

“There are practical matters involved, of course, like getting everyone on the same system,” Smith says, “but there’s also a huge

cultural evolution going on as we establish our mission and purpose, foster our employee resource groups and emphasize our diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging program. But sustainability is not an issue in all that – it’s the common thread amongst all the cultures.”

You can’t build good infrastructure without building for the future. In our eyes, they’re one and the same. For us, how we build is just as important as what we build.”

— John Pontarollo Chief Operating Officer

It’s also a crucial factor in securing GIP’s future workforce. “When we’re recruiting, our reputation for sustainability –right down to the ‘green’ in our name – is so important to new hires,” says Smith. “You can’t go out and try to hire a 28-year-old and not talk about sustainability in the interview. It’s a requirement for this generation of employees.”

Which an expanding GIP is actively seeking. In early 2024, the company began recruiting for over 60 full-time salaried positions and approximately 300 construction workers for its Ontario Line project. “GIP will be spearheading major work, including installing excavation supports and inno-

 Green Infrastructure Partners prioritizes sustainability in its culture through employee resource groups and its diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging program.

 The Ontario Line project of Green Infrastructure Partners provides employees opportunities to work with excavation supports and geotechnical instrumentation.

vative geotechnical instrumentation, for what will be a transformational transit project,” says COO Pontarollo.

“Our early work will have a significant impact, helping to change the way hundreds of thousands of Torontonians access

the communities and attractions they love, in a more effective and environmentally sustainable way.”

Increasing diversity among its workforce, he continues, will increase his company’s potential.

“If you prioritize that, you foster a healthier culture, and you can

grow sustainably,” says Pontarollo, who has aimed to integrate sustainability into day-to-day operations throughout his career in building infrastructure.

“When I say grow sustainably, I mean financially, socially and in engagement with your com-

munities,” he says. “Those things become part of your organization and make you more conscious of the positive social impact you can have on the communities in which you work and on your employees. All that makes you a more effective environmental steward.” 

Improving our communities with our hands and minds

Green procurement strategy  In-house environmental audit

Formal green strategy

Partner with community organizations

HP Canada employees drive sustainability and change

Caterina Mazzotta is confident she made the right decision to join HP Canada early on in her career knowing that she sells products she feels good about and works for a global technology company at the forefront of sustainability.

“The company has always been committed to innovation and driving this positive change for the planet, for people, for communities,” says Mazzotta, national distribution account manager, who joined HP Canada 17 years ago.

“I’m very thankful to be working for a company that is a leader in sustainability. I’m a mom. I often

think about climate change issues and how this will impact my kids. Large corporations are essential for raising awareness, educating consumers and putting the right product in the marketplace.”

Being part of a global company operating in more than 170 countries, Mazzotta appreciates HP’s ability to make impactful change. When she’s in Québec and given the opportunity, she takes pride in inviting customers for a tour of the Lavergne recycling facility in Montréal to see the impact firsthand, where more than 1,718 tonnes of ocean-bound plastics have been processed and used in HP products since 2016.

“HP has very ambitious environmental goals,” she says. “We have a phenomenal leadership driving this transformation.”

Working with business reseller partners, Mazzotta carries the leadership mantle of sustainability through the HP Amplify Partner Program. “We invite channel partners on the same journey as HP to drive this meaningful change across the global IT industry,” she says. “HP has trained and educated more than 1,400 global partners to drive this change to maximize opportunities for sustainability.”

The HP Amplify Impact Program provides companies with

free training provides companies with free training, resources to conduct a sustainability assessment of their businesses and a roadmap for how to operate more sustainably.

Frances Edmonds, HP Canada’s head of sustainable impact, is developing the ecosystem around HP knowing that as a global leader in sustainability, the company doesn’t work in isolation and has a responsibility to push for greater action in combatting climate change, protecting human rights and accelerating digital equity.

We’re really here to make a difference.”

— Frances Edmonds Head of Sustainable Impact

“My job,” she says, “is to change the way Canada buys so that more Canadian companies start to think that sustainability is important.” She is doing this largely by working to develop a more circular economy where goods and services incorporate more recycled content and are designed for longer lives. Through its Formal Design for Sustainability program, the company has set an ambitious goal of 75 per cent circularity for products and packaging by 2030. By 2025, HP will include 30 per cent postconsumer plastics in its print and PC portfolios and has committed to an environmental packaging strategy which aims to eliminate 75 per cent of single-use plastic packaging.

 Some of the leadership team at HP Canada cooking breakfast for homeless youth at Youth Without Shelter.

Through the HP Planet Partners return and recycling program, the company encourages customers to take steps toward sustainability.

Customers have returned one billion printer cartridges for recycling through the program and since 2016, more than 879,100

tonnes of hardware and supplies have been recycled.

New HP Canada employees learn early on about the company’s commitment to sustainability. They receive two hours of mandatory live training from Edmonds on the circular

We’re taking action today

Sustainable impact programming initiatives

economy, carbon footprints and HP’s far-reaching goals. Employees are also encouraged to enrol in the company’s global Sustainable Impact Champions program to become resource points of expertise for their teams and identify areas where more work

needs to be done.

Sustainability Champions program

Environmental packaging strategy

Formal Design for

Sustainability program

Planet Partners return and recycling program

“We’re a purpose-driven company,” says Edmonds. “Yes, we have to make a profit and yes, we have to make projects and services that delight our customers but we’re really here to make a difference.” 

 HP Canada employees participating in a shoreline clean-up event.

Humber supports greenness from the grassroots up

At Humber College in Toronto, a profound commitment to sustainability starts at the grassroots – with people who are studying there.

“Our mandate is that all our students learn about green principles as they apply to whichever program or field they’re pursuing,” says Gabi Hentschke, Humber’s sustainability, communications and engagement co-ordinator, “so that they go out into the world with that knowledge.”

Humber has long been a leader in the green realm. It began addressing its paper use back in 2010, and in 2015, it launched a $65-million investment in energy conservation measures over two decades.

Humber has also been working steadily on eliminating its reliance on natural gas. Jason Seright, vice-president of inclusion and belonging, proudly cites the Humber Cultural Hub, the largest capital project Humber has ever undertaken, as an example.

Despite being three times the size of the building that it’s replacing, the Cultural Hub – at 365,000 sq. ft. – will use the same amount of energy as its predecessor but no natural gas. It will be a net-zero building, Seright says, thanks to geothermal heating and cooling as well as solar panels. The hub’s first phase is slated to be completed this spring.

The Humber Cultural Hub is located at the college’s west-end Lakeshore campus, one of its three

Toronto locations which also include the North campus in Etobicoke and the downtown International Graduate School.

Meanwhile, last year, Humber rearranged its management structure to fold its sustainability and Indigenous education & engagement departments into inclusion and belonging. That, says Seright, will fortify the college’s commitment to environmental sustainability and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

“It reflects the fact that environmental degradation causes disproportionate harm to low-income and disadvantaged people,” he notes. Seright, who hails from northern Saskatchewan, also cites First Nations’ knowledge and

engagement co-ordinator (left), with her colleagues

stewardship of the land for many generations – he has Dene and Cree heritage – and their ability to “care for Mother Earth.”

In her role, Hentschke is responsible for communicating about Humber’s sustainability initiatives and creating partnerships across the college. “Every single department plays a role in attaining our goals,” she says. “We have great relationships with people from across the institution, including staff working in government relations and marketing, and faculty from many different departments.

Our mandate is that all our students learn about green principles as they apply to whichever program or field they’re pursuing, so that they go out into the world with that knowledge.”

— Gabi Hentschke Sustainability, Communications and Engagement Co-ordinator

“It’s a great community,” she adds, “where we’re always fostering innovation – learning how a faculty member is approaching sustainability in their course and joining efforts with people from different departments to get the message across to the wider Humber audience. We also host events that are closely connected to students.”

One program Hentschke is

 Gabi Hentschke, sustainability, communications and

Tessa Soltendieck (centre) and Lindsay Walker at Humber College

 The Humber Cultural Hub at Humber College is being built with LEED Platinum and Net Zero Carbon standard certifications.

involved with is #ReuseHumber and, specifically, a service called Friendlier, which began in the fall of 2022 and involves shifting from disposable containers to reusable ones at many cafeterias and dining locations at the North and Lakeshore campuses. Because of

the initiative, more than 200,000 disposable containers have avoided landfill.

Another waste-reduction initiative, she notes, pertains to catered events in 13 Humber locations, where china service is now the default option rather than

disposables. “The goal is to transition all campus spaces to low-waste catering in the future.”

Hentschke’s office has been developing Humber’s 2024-2029 sustainability plan, slated to be released this fall. “Because we prioritize something that’s

The Humber Cultural Hub will achieve a net-zero status

Project SWITCH aims to reduce carbon emissions by 40%

Early Childhood Education features awardwinning TwoEyed Seeing approach

Humber is designated as a Bee Campus and is Fair Trade Certified

community-built, we’re doing a lot of engagement sessions involving students, staff and faculty, as well as some additional stakeholders,” she says. “We’re gathering their feedback in terms of what they envision for Humber’s future of sustainability. It’s exciting.” 

Where sustainability is community-built. humber.ca

Hydro Ottawa partners in greening Canada’s capital

Shawn Carr exudes excitement about the many ways Hydro Ottawa is helping the community go green. Carr is the manager, customer experience at the municipal utility.

“I feel there’s just so much opportunity for me to exercise passion for ‘greening’ our community, meeting our customers where they are on their energy journey and, of course, providing them with a great customer experience along the way,” says Carr. “I’m very passionate about climate action and finding solutions and new ways to bring value to our customers.”

Hydro Ottawa, headquartered in the city, distributes and generates electricity, and provides energy conservation services and programs for its residential and commercial customers. The utility has made a commitment to be net-zero in its operations by 2030. From its fleet to its facilities, among many other areas, Hydro Ottawa wants to ensure its operations are as green as possible.

“Decarbonization, energy efficiency and interest in technologies like distributed energy resources are becoming more important to our customers as they start to think about their own net-zero journeys,” Carr says.

“We’re starting to see the entire energy sector begin to transition to net-zero as well.”

Jim Pegg, director, infrastructure, products and services, works for Envari, a subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa. That part of the business takes care of everything leading up to the customer’s meter. Pegg’s customers are municipalities, institutions and governments in eastern Ontario.

“We do lots of work in terms of electrical design for infrastructure, dealing with public and private EV chargers to promote people going into that EV space and getting electric vehicles and zero-emission cars,” says Pegg.

“We’re trying to help make it easier for people to choose an electric vehicle or a zero-emission vehicle rather than a standard combustion engine vehicle.”

In addition, he says, “we work with solar panels, solar panel designs and electrical capacity upgrades.”

I’m very passionate about climate action and finding solutions and new ways to bring value to our customers.”

— Shawn Carr Manager, Customer Experience

Part of Pegg’s job is also communication. “We help educate customers and keep them informed on different changes in the market, different funding and grants that are out there that they can take advantage of to green their operations,” Pegg says.

Hydro Ottawa’s culture is driven by its employees, he says. “People are very focused on being environmentally responsible and working on projects that are going to support our community, our environment and the entire global ecosystem,” he says. “We have a very large, diverse team of employees – engineers, project managers, accountants, marketing, designers – who really have a passion and believe in the importance of protecting the environment and trying to make the world

 The EV charging stations in the parking lot at Hydro Ottawa make charging convenient for employees.

a cleaner place for future generations.”

There are numerous ways Hydro Ottawa invests in its employees, notes Carr.

“If I look at my own team, as an example, we’ve paid for training and certifications related to energy

efficiency and the types of things we’re supporting our customers with face-to-face,” Carr says. “There are all kinds of different incentives and opportunities for continuing education and training across the company to improve skill sets in the areas in which

employees work.”

Working with large customers to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) is another task for Pegg’s team.

“We do pathway-to-zero studies for organizations,” says Pegg. “We help them understand what their current energy footprint is, where

40% of fleet has green benefits

65% of customers on paperless billing

45% of goods and services procured locally

59 EV charging stations on site

the current GHG emissions are and then we map out the different ways that they can reduce their GHG emissions, such as bringing in electric boilers for heating instead of gas boilers. We want to leave things better than we found them.” 

 Hydro Ottawa executive unveils LEED Gold Building plaques at its green work centres.

Ice River aims to keep plastic bottles circular

Sarika Puree finished her education with a postgraduate human resources certificate and was snapped up by Ice River Sustainable Solutions in no time.

“I graduated in April 2019 and had my very first interview here with Ice River toward the end of May, and I joined the company a week later in June,” says Puree, a human resources generalist. “It happened very, very quickly.”

Ice River, headquartered in Shelburne, Ont., is a Canadian family- owned and operated company with a focus on

sustainability. It’s best known for its spring water in bottles that are made of 100 per cent recycled plastic. Ice River was the first beverage company in North America to own and operate its own recycling facility. It purchases polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic collected from the Ontario Blue Box program and transforms it into new bottles.

“We make all of our decisions considering people and planet, not just the financial piece,” says Crystal Howe, director of sustainability. “By focusing on people, planet and progress for inspiring change, we demonstrate

sustainability in a few different ways.”

Ice River built its recycling plant 14 years ago. “Rather than buying plastics from all over the world and buying them as virgin materials, we can actually make our own resin and keep it local,” says Howe. “We know the importance of creating a circular economy for plastics so that we can manage them responsibly with a smaller carbon footprint.”

Puree learned how Ice River makes more than just bottles, and how even the bottle caps are turned into plastic lumber and made into furniture at the

company’s plant in Stratford, Ont.

“I really loved the fact that nearly everything that comes into the organization has a purpose and an end-home that is not in landfill,” Puree says. “That was a definite factor in helping me make the decision to work here.”

I would say sustainability is Ice River and Ice River is sustainability. The two are the same.”

— Crystal Howe Director of Sustainability

Puree works with the human resources team predominantly in learning and development, which includes orientation, onboarding and taking care of some employee programs.

“We have a very strong HR department to support the existing team as well as building upon it because we know how important it is to have a strong and passionate team,” says Howe. “This team helps us drive progress for the planet.”

Howe says it’s vital to keep everyone upgraded and educated. “We have an education assistance program that offers financial support for upgrades and we do continual staff training,” she says.

Puree is part of both. “I’m currently enrolled in one of these programs now and am in the process of continuing my education.”

Howe adds that the company’s

 Crystal Howe, director of sustainability, at Ice River Sustainable Solutions

 Ice River Sustainable Solutions employees processing and sorting materials.

mission is to challenge global practices through circularity to provide sustainable solutions for both people and the planet.

“We’re partnered with nearly every major retailer across Canada for their private-label bottled water as well as our Ice River

green-bottled water,” she says. “The cool thing about that is a majority of the bottled water sold in Canada is actually in 100 per cent recycled content.”

Puree notes that her department is responsible for a culture that reflects who its people are as

a company.

“Sustainability is at the forefront of decisions we make every day, and we have shown we can still be successful while doing that. So we believe this can inspire others,” Puree says.

Howe echoes those sentiments.

First beverage company in North America with a closedloop recycling facility

Kept over 700 million pounds of plastic from landfill since 2010

All bottling plants are zero waste to landfill as of 2017

Monthly Green Team meetings to strengthen sustainability culture

“Every single person who is part of our team here has a role in ensuring that we adhere to sustainable practices and continue to do better,” she says. “I would say sustainability is Ice River and Ice River is sustainability. The two are the same.” 

IKEA Canada puts people and planet at its core

Parissa Paknahal always thought she’d be a police officer one day. As a stepping stone, she successfully applied to join the safety and security team at the IKEA Canada store in Edmonton in 2019. Since then, her career has taken her on a different path, and she is now serving as the store’s sustainability ambassador, a pilot project for IKEA Canada. So, how did she get there?

“One thing I quickly realized about IKEA was how many possibilities there are within the organization,” says Paknahal.

“Before I stepped into this role, I started a group called the Trash Bandicoots to help pick up garbage throughout the community. I shared this with my co-workers and some of them joined in their spare time. My manager saw that I had a passion for sustainability, both outside of work and in the store, and one day asked if I wanted to pursue this passion full-time.”

That was in November 2023, and she’s been thriving in the role ever since. In effect, Paknahal’s role represents IKEA Canada’s approach to sustainability. A

typical day has her educating staff and customers, holding workshops, conducting sustainability tours, and spreading the message about the company’s “circular agenda” for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through re-use and recycling.

She points to sustainable innovations at IKEA, such as the Sell-back program, which gives customers an opportunity to sell their gently used IKEA products for a store credit, and the As-is section of the store, where customers can buy gently used items at a discounted price. There

are also solar panels on the roof and an extensive recycling area for co-workers to utilize. “Any type of material you can think of, we have a bin for it. Whether it’s plastics, glass, textiles, cardboard, light bulbs, fluorescent lights, batteries – it’s all sorted.”

Sustainability has to be at the core of what we do. We all have a responsibility to care for our planet.”

— Selwyn Crittendon CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer

All of this is part of the global home furnishing giant’s broad commitment to all things green, as IKEA Canada CEO and chief sustainability officer Selwyn Crittendon can tell you. “At the heart of IKEA, we make sure that we’re a purpose-led brand and sustainability has to be at the core of what we do,” he says. “We all have a responsibility to care for our planet.”

The company has targeted 2030 to become “climate positive,” meaning it will reduce emissions by more than its value chain creates. “Our ambition for 2030 is to inspire and enable more than 1 billion people to live a better everyday life within the boundaries of our planet,” says Crittendon, “and a vital part of this is making healthier, more sustainable living the easy and affordable choice for Canadians.”

He highlights big-picture statistics for Canada – over 14,000

 An IKEA employee in its As-is market where customers can buy gently used items at a discounted price.

 IKEA employees unveiling new EV charging stations for its electric delivery vehicles.

solar panels producing 4 million kilowatts per hour, two wind farms, four geothermal properties, and 16 EV charging stations for IKEA commercial vehicles. Then there’s the in-store initiatives: “You can look at our water-saving taps, we can talk about healthier,

sustainable food in our restaurants and Swedish food markets.”

He’s also keen on an initiative called IKEA Neighbourhoods, which goes beyond one-time product giveaways. “Our commitment to the planet is equally matched by our

commitment to the people we serve,” he says. “We aim to create a fairer and more equal society by integrating equality, diversity, and inclusion into all aspects of our business. Our aim is to work with local organizations to positively impact those who need it most,

Partnership with Furniture Bank

Sell-back program to give unwanted furniture a second life

EV charging infrastructure at 14 stores across Canada

IKEA Neighbourhoods approach to fairer and more inclusive communities

whether it be supporting women’s shelters, our partnership with Furniture Bank or working with our Indigenous peoples.”

It all makes Paknahal proud. “I can confidently say that I’m happy I’m in this role and look forward to what’s next for me at IKEA.” 

Keilhauer takes pride in its sustainable designs

Keilhauer Ltd. chairs have appeared in episodes of popular television series and movies, and in the situation room at the White House. But the Toronto-based contract commercial furniture designer and manufacturer is known not for its high-profile clients but for its longtime commitment to sustainable design activism.

When the Keilhauer family established their company in 1981, they wanted to ensure that they didn’t negatively impact the environment, so they pledged to design and manufacture their

products responsibly. “Reducing our carbon footprint is incredibly important to us, and it always has been,” says company president Meghan Sherwin. “Recognizing the importance of the Architecture 2030 Challenge carbon-reduction goals, we are excited to move our product line up toward carbon neutral.”

From the beginning, Keilhauer has been working toward a closedloop manufacturing process, in which all materials are recycled back into the system. “We have a very robust waste-management and recycling program already in existence, and our diversion rate is approaching 85 per cent,” says

sustainability officer Joshua Belczyk. “We work hard to understand the range of the environmental impacts of our products from cradle to grave.”

Part of Belczyk’s focus is launching more certified carbonneutral products, which “is the biggest story in sustainability right now.” Currently there are 17 such products among Keilhauer and its Division Twelve line, including Swurve, the first of its kind in the industry. He’s also focused on a more sustainable wood-supply chain and moving toward achieving product-wide Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association

(BIFMA) industry standards to ensure furniture comfort, safety, sustainability and durability.

In fact, not only are these steps desirable, but there’s also a growing demand for them. “The people in the architecture and interior design communities who specify our products are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and sustainable decisions they’re making.” says Belczyk.

Reducing our carbon footprint is incredibly important to us, and it always has been.”

— Meghan Sherwin President

Keilhauer’s people take pride in their products’ timeless designs. “That’s another aspect of sustainability, along with durability,” says Belczyk. The furniture must be timeless and beautiful, and also offer ergonomics, form, comfort and ease of use – it’s a tall order.

“It costs us time and energy to be design activists, in researching and testing the processes, but we’ve worked really hard not to charge clients a premium,” says Sherwin. “It’s a lot harder to do meaningful work, but it’s the right thing to do.”

Take the Red List, for example, which identifies toxic materials, chemicals and elements known to pose serious risks to human health and the greater ecosystem that are prevalent in the building products industry. “These can be minor

 A Keilhauer craftsperson working on a carbon neutral Dally ottoman.

ingredients that are challenging to get out of the supply chain, but we are committed to the important process of removing them,” says Sherwin. “We have already successfully removed those toxins where they exist in most of our products, and we continue to do

so, with the goal to have all of our products labelled as Red List free in the future.”

In November 2023, Sherwin was among 30 people in the design and fashion industries who spoke at the United Nations Partnership Council in New York City.

Participants exchanged information about their industries in relation to their impact on carbon footprints. They shared knowledge and asked each other how they could “hold hands” to innovate their industries.

“The environment and what

we’re doing to it, and the impacts, are always changing,” says Sherwin. “We can only improve if we’re communicating with each other. Keilhauer really lives its values, and I respect that – and we’re also very innovative, which excites me.” 

At Keilhauer, we make work comfortable for all by holding ourselves to the highest environmental standards.

Design for Environment employee green team Planet Keilhauer sustainability program

Online resources for customers to learn about furniture recyclability

Investment in carbon neutral products (Swurve, Melete and Vagabond)

 A Keilhauer seamstress creating a new ottoman cover.

Labatt employees find new ways to reach green goals

Nearly five years into his career at Labatt Breweries of Canada, Nicolas Houle became manager of environment, health and safety at the Montréal brewery. It was 2018, the same year Labatt announced sustainability goals to 2025. “My team started asking, ‘Why not do things sooner?’” says Houle, now leading the brewery’s engineering, maintenance and technical services.

Houle says his team was working on incremental improvements to daily routines and operations, but it was

searching for a more substantial win to get everyone on board. The team found it in a steam boiler from the 1980s that had been out of operation for years.

The boiler used Québec’s renewable electricity rather than gas and it reacted faster than current gas technology. But could they bring it back online? They did. And it ignited the team and other departments to continue to bring potential sustainability initiatives forward.

“Labatt has been committed to sustainability for more than 40 years,” says Sarah Genetti, senior director, procurement and

sustainability. “It’s at the core of what we do. We rely on front-line employees to come forward with ideas to improve efficiencies, and we support them to find ways to make them happen.”

Genetti says that Houle and his team have been inspired to drive the Labatt Montréal brewery towards becoming the first carbon-neutral brewery in North America. “Our employees build on previous initiatives to take Labatt to the next level.”

Three years ago, Houle and his team began working on a plan to recycle waste energy. People at Labatt were developing

longer-term goals – Labatt has announced the company’s ambition to reach carbon net-zero by 2040. With the energy infrastructure and expertise in the province of Québec, and sustainable practices becoming ingrained in the thinking of Canadians, Houle and his team felt they were well situated to make significant progress on sustainability goals.

We rely on frontline employees to come forward with ideas to improve efficiencies, and we support them to find ways to make them happen.”

— Sarah Genetti Senior Director, Procurement and Sustainability

Once they had a strategy for recycling waste energy, they needed to come up with a project plan for capital investment. They built a business case with help from colleagues working in finance and procurement and brought it to senior management. The project saw results.

In December 2023, Labatt announced capital investments in operations at three breweries across Canada. Included was $6 million for heat recovery and energy productivity innovation in its Montréal brewery.

With this new technology, the Montréal brewery will be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent. The new heat

 Nicolas Houle, technical services manager at Labatt Breweries of Canada, leads a team to work on sustainability initiatives at its Montréal brewery (photo credit: Charles William Pelletier, La Presse).

recovery system will convert previously unused heat expelled from Labatt's refrigeration systems and use that heat within the pasteurization process in brewing in lieu of consuming additional energy.

Houle finds that sustainability is

top of mind for employees at Labatt. People from all different areas are bringing ideas to improve sustainability to their department meetings. More informally, an intern might question a process, or Houle might have a conversation in the

hallway with someone in which he plants a seed. The next day, that person will come back to him and say, “This is what I found.”

And many Labatt employees get involved in local sustainability efforts in their communities across Canada. Last year, employees from

The power of coming together for the communities we serve.

the Montréal brewery had the opportunity to volunteer along with local organizations at an event planting trees near the St. Lawrence River.

“At Labatt,” says Houle, “people feel proud that they are making a difference.” 

Manitoba Hydro collaborates to improve waterways

Since she started with Manitoba Hydro 14 years ago, Stephanie Backhouse has been encouraged to think outside the box about how to improve the environment. “People here recognize past impacts of hydroelectric power plants and empower employees to work collaboratively to figure out what needs to be done and do it,” says Backhouse, now a senior environmental specialist.

Manitoba Hydro is one of the largest integrated electricity and natural gas distribution utilities in Canada. The provincial Crown corporation has its head office in Winnipeg with operations throughout Manitoba.

“We have had an environmental management system in place since the early 2000s,” says Allison Zacharias, manager, generation environmental services. “At Manitoba Hydro, environmental employees work with communities and other stakeholders to monitor and try to understand environmental issues and mitigate the impacts of power generation.”

One area where Manitoba Hydro is making a difference is with sturgeon stocking in Manitoba waterways. Backhouse explains that starting in the late 1800s commercial fisheries depleted sturgeon stocks. Habitat changes resulting from the construction and operation of hydroelectric generating stations

further impacted populations. Conservation stocking programs help to recover sturgeon populations to a level at which they are self-sustaining.

Manitoba Hydro’s Grand Rapids Fish Hatchery undertakes lake sturgeon stocking programs on the Nelson River in northern Manitoba, in collaboration with the Nelson River Sturgeon Board and the Keeyask Hydropower Limited Partnership. Every spring, the hatchery co-ordinates with other stakeholders to collect fish eggs in northern Manitoba. Lake sturgeon eggs are collected from the Nelson and Burntwood rivers and brought back to the hatchery to grow. These sturgeon are then stocked as fingerlings or yearlings

into their native waterways to support populations in the area.

“We’ve been restocking sturgeon in the Upper Nelson River for more than 20 years, and for nine years in the area around the new Keeyask Generating Station,” says Backhouse, who supervises staff at the hatchery. “Monitoring shows us that stocked sturgeon are growing, and we hope they will soon start reproducing in the wild. The goal is for sturgeon stocking to contribute to the recovery of sturgeon populations.”

I work with people who care about relationships with others and are motivated to make a positive difference.”

— Stephanie Backhouse Senior Environmental Specialist

Recognizing the significance of sturgeon throughout Manitoba, and the cultural importance to Indigenous communities, Manitoba Hydro developed the Lake Sturgeon Stewardship and Enhancement Program (LSSEP) in 2008. It consolidates the work to maintain and enhance lake sturgeon populations in areas affected by its operations, now and in the future.

Within the LSSEP program, Manitoba Hydro works to address information gaps, provide resources, initiate research and work collaboratively with the Nelson River and Saskatchewan River sturgeon management

 Manitoba Hydro employees at the Grand Rapids Hatchery tagging sturgeon prior to stocking.

boards, Indigenous communities and the provincial and federal government to improve the effectiveness of the conservation strategies being implemented.

Backhouse finds her day-to-day work is varied. She works with Hydro engineers and the

Manitoba government on environmental mitigation. She meets with Indigenous groups to develop collaborative monitoring and research, and to hear and try to address concerns about environmental impacts. She also works with regulators on

Cleans used transformer oil for reuse rather than disposal Procurement supports environmentally preferable products Program to extend life of wooden hydro poles Commuting Options Committee

monitoring and reporting.

“There are lots of people at Manitoba Hydro working on a variety of environmental topics. We have a network of environmental colleagues who collaborate and support each other,” says Backhouse. “I work with people

who care about relationships with others and are motivated to make a positive difference.”

“Ever since I started working at Hydro in 2001 there has been a strong focus on doing the right thing for the environment,” says Zacharias. 

PROUD TO BE ONE OF CANADA'S GREENEST EMPLOYERS

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

 Manitoba Hydro employees riding to work instead of driving in Gillam, Manitoba.

Medtronic pursues ambitious targets on climate action

For Francis Dufresne, a senior regional business director for Medtronic Canada, focusing on sustainability, both at work and at home, is all about ensuring his children inherit a safe and viable planet.

“I try to teach my kids about what we need to do to be environmentally responsible,” says Dufresne. “But the fact is we can only do so much. When a large corporation like Medtronic decides to make a difference, the impact is huge. And I’m really proud to work for an organization that makes this part

of its mission.”

With 95,000 employees globally, Medtronic is a leading provider of medical devices and therapies. It’s also a company that has set aggressive goals to address the climate change crisis.

Across its operations in more than 150 countries, Medtronic is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and reducing carbon emissions to net-zero in its operations, supply chain and logistics by 2045.

Medtronic Canada is very much in the vanguard of that global effort. In fact, the company’s Brampton, Ont., head office,

opened in 2009, was the first Medtronic office globally to be certified a LEED building, the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

Medtronic has also championed the recycling of medical devices once they have served their purpose. In Canada alone, this has prevented more than 10,000 devices annually being sent to the landfill.

Employee resource groups on sustainability are active across Canada, leading to employee-driven initiatives such as eliminating single-use cups, installing electric charging stations outside company

offices and going paperless.

Based in Montréal, Jasmine Giahchai, Medtronic Canada’s senior marketing communications supervisor, oversees all printing requests. If something can be done digitally instead, it will be; for example, all major corporate reports are now digital-only.

A company that makes the future a priority is a company I want to work for.”

— Jasmine Giahchai Senior Marketing Communications Supervisor

“Our printing has gone down significantly in recent years,” says Giahchai. “We are helping the environment and also reducing costs. It’s absolutely a ‘win-win’ situation.”

Giahchai also participates in a project at the Montréal office in which employees are given garden boxes to tend, with seedlings grown in an on-site greenhouse. In the fall, everything grown in the gardens is donated to local food banks.

“We are reducing our carbon footprint while also addressing food security in our community,” says Giahchai. “It’s a great bonding experience for everyone involved.”

Like Dufresne, Giahchai says her concerns about climate change and sustainability are very much inspired by having two young children, and she couldn’t imagine working for a company that didn’t take such matters

 Francis Dufresne, senior regional business director at Medtronic, supporting his son's soccer game.

 Jasmine Giahchai, senior marketing communications supervisor at Medtronic, avoids single use plastics.

seriously.

“A company that makes the future a priority,” says Giahchai, “is a company I want to work for.”

Dufresne says that Medtronic’s commitment to being a green employer also helps attract new talent.

“This is something people care about more every year as we see the impact of climate change,” he says. “In 2024, it’s the only way to go.”

A 15-year veteran at Medtronic, Dufresne says he has two key inspirations for coming to work

every day.

The first has to do with the company’s core mission statement, as a global health-care technology company, to “alleviate pain, restore health and extend life.”

The second is the company’s willingness to set ambitious

Recycling

sustainability targets and a transparency report each year on its progress towards meeting those goals.

“For me a job is more than a job; I need to feel like I have a purpose,” says Dufresne. “I have that here.” 

awareness campaign for employees Building footprint includes reflective white roof Green procurement strategy  In-house and external environmental audit

Metrolinx employees have a passion for sustainability

When James Skuza joined Toronto-based Metrolinx last year as the Ontario Crown agency’s manager of environmental management, he welcomed the opportunity to be part of a major, and rapidly growing, public transportation provider.

In addition to operating an expansive network of GO trains and buses across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area, Metrolinx has begun construction on the Ontario Line, a 15.6-kilometre subway that will make it faster and easier to travel within Toronto and beyond.

Metrolinx is also in the midst of an ambitious transformation that

will see much of its diesel-powered train and bus fleet gradually converted to electric vehicles through the mid-2030s, resulting in a dramatic reduction in the agency’s carbon footprint.

“Metrolinx’s expansion and reach across southern Ontario is astonishing,” says Skuza. “The chance to be part of the environmental team here is something that really drew me to this organization. I feel like we can have a significant impact in advancing the sustainability of our operations and expanding our ridership.”

Skuza’s group is responsible for consolidating and promoting environmental standards and best practices across the organization.

“We capture data and roll out

standards on a wide range of areas, including energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste management,” says Skuza. “Our success depends on buy-in from every corner of our organization and I find the response is generally very positive.”

Skuza adds that he puts a strong emphasis on the connection between improved environmental performance and cost management.

“If you can reduce energy and water use, you will also reduce your operational costs. It’s a ‘win-win.’”

When Matt Muratore joined Metrolinx three years ago as assurance specialist, sustainability, he was similarly attracted by the

alignment between his personal values and those of the organization.

“During the interview process, I learned a lot about the sustainability initiatives here and it really matched what I was enthusiastic about,” says Muratore. “It’s so important, as a public transportation organization, that we provide the kind of infrastructure that recognizes the realities of tomorrow, knowing that climate change is on the rise.”

The opportunity to work for a good corporate citizen is definitely attractive to a lot of people.”

— James Skuza Manager, Environmental Management

Muratore’s work focuses on ensuring that Metrolinx’s buildings and facilities live up to the high environmental performance standards the organization sets for itself. For example, Metrolinx now has 16 stations and storage facilities that have either silver or gold LEED certification, the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

In the same vein, the Ontario Line subway system is being designed in keeping with the Envision framework established by the Washington-based Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

“Envision is a fairly new framework that prioritizes a holistic view of building out public infrastructure,” says Muratore. “It

 Metrolinx champions sustainable transit by reducing emissions while striving to preserve the natural environment.

focuses on things like the impact on surrounding communities, ecology and biodiversity, as well as enhancing resiliency to climate change.”

Metrolinx also has a strong tradition of employee engagement when it comes to sustainability.

 Many Metrolinx employees show their passion about sustainability by being a part of its employee-driven Green Team. metrolinx.com/careers

“Historically, there’s been a pretty robust Green Team here,” says Skuza. “That’s an employee-driven group that looks at everything from waste management to energy efficiency and makes recommendations for improvements.”

While the Green Team was on a bit of a pause during the pandemic, Skuza says it’s once again on the upswing, intending to organize recycling and cleanup days, tree-planting initiatives and other environmental awareness and outreach activities.

Sustainable design team Vegetation guideline for tree replacements Water-efficient landscaping Building footprint includes rainwater collector

Skuza also believes that Metrolinx’s overall focus on sustainability helps when it comes to recruiting and retaining talented employees.

“The opportunity to work for a good corporate citizen is definitely attractive to a lot of people.” 

FPCL Construction is powering a brighter global future

ive years into his career at PCL Construction, Don Demers was offered an opportunity to be a part of something new and exciting for the general contracting giant – solar energy.

“We saw that there was a new market approaching that was kind of niche and I felt I had the opportunity to become an expert in the solar market,” says the superintendent, who just marked his 16th year with the Edmontonbased company.

That initial project, the Breen 2 solar park in Putnam, Ont., was

the first step in a new path for Demers. Not only was it an opportunity to carve out a niche and develop expertise in the construction industry while growing in his profession, it was a chance to make a difference in the world.

“I fell in love with the work,” says Demers. “I have stuck with it ever since and truly have a passion for the impact that these projects have on the communities in and around where we’re building.”

PCL is focused on utility-grade solar projects – large-scale solar panel projects that produce power

to feed into the broader power grid – in Canada, the U.S. and Australia.

In the bigger picture, clean solar energy is helping the world reach net-zero goals and create a greener future for the planet, Demers notes.

“That’s the thing that excites me the most. There’s a need for alternative power sources,” he says. “It’s going to make a better future for the younger generations.”

Since working in solar, PCL has only seen both demand and capacity for its projects increase

– recently surpassing six gigawatts of built solar capacity – thanks to its team’s dedicated commitment and solid training.

“It’s a milestone we are particularly proud of,” says Todd Craigen, COO and president of corporate services, who also oversees solar operations.

When I’m hanging up my boots and calling it a day, looking back at all of the cleaner energy projects I’ve been a part of, I feel like I will have had an impact on a greener, healthier planet for future generations.”

— Don Demers Superintendent

“Countries are setting targets and making commitments and we have the expertise to deliver,” he says. “We started at 10 megawatts and there are projects that are now in gigawatts – it’s incredible to think how much it’s grown over the years and it’s still going.”

The construction industry, he says, has a role to play in reducing carbon emissions – from helping to build the kind of utility-scale solar projects that PCL is excelling at to the actual structures being built in people’s communities.

“It’s an industry-wide responsibility,” says Craigen. “Solar power is

going

to become an

 PCL Construction has built solar projects throughout North America and Australia that have a combined capacity of more than six gigawatts.

 The utility-grade solar projects built by PCL Construction contribute to a sustainable future by feeding renewable power into broader power grids.

integral part of the built environment: buildings, houses, factories, warehouses – you name it. The industry is heading in a great direction and we’re fortunate enough to help our employees provide meaningful contributions towards a net-zero built environment.”

While working on the Travers Solar Project in Vulcan, Alta., Canada’s largest solar farm, Demers says he had a “light-bulb” moment.

“Our ability to take on these projects comes down to our

people and everything they bring to the table,” he says. The father of two is hopeful that when he retires from the construction industry, he will be able to say that he had a part in creating a better world for his children and eventual

grandchildren.

$3 billion worth of completed renewable energy projects

263 completed LEED projects with a total value of more than $20.4 billion

288 LEEDcredentialed staff

Nearly 60 solar projects built across North America and Australia

“When I’m hanging up my boots and calling it a day, looking back at all of the cleaner energy projects I’ve been a part of,” he says, “I feel like I will have had an impact on a greener, healthier planet for future generations.” 

At RONA, it’s about doing business the right way

Since its inception in 1939, Boucherville, Que.-based RONA Inc. has grown into one of Canada’s biggest home improvement companies, with some 425 corporate and affiliated dealer stores from coast to coast. And when it comes to sustainability, RONA is constantly working on new ways to have a greater, greener impact – as a supplier to DIYers and builders across Canada, as an employer and as a business.

For starters, RONA offers more than 5,000 products with an environmental plus-value that bear its ECO seal to help builders and homeowners reduce their environmental impact. In fact, since 2022 all the company’s new bathroom products under its private brands have been WaterSense certified.

“We’ve had the ECO program for many, many years,” says Ariane Pinsonnault, a sustainable development advisor, who says that more than 18,000 RONA

employees from across Canada have been trained on ECO products. “The products are all from different categories – building materials, appliances, bathroom and home décor, private brands – and in all price ranges. It makes it really interesting for customers.”

Operational waste is another concern for RONA, and since 2022 the ECO squad, a group composed of employees from all stores, has met every two months to learn best practices and share ideas on

waste management. Since 2021, all employees are trained on properly sorting all material that can be recycled – cardboard, paper, plastic, wood, metal and hazardous waste – to divert it from landfill.

“We are constantly looking for new opportunities to have a greater impact,” says sustainable development manager Héloïse Régnier-Pelletier. “For example, not all of the material generated from our operations is recyclable in the traditional streams, so we are always striving to find recyclable solutions for these materials.”

When our customers go into our stores, we want them to be confident that we are doing the right thing with regard to the environment.”

— Ariane Pinsonnault Sustainable Development Advisor

With its Take Back program, the company makes it easier for its customers to divert waste from landfill as well. Each RONA store offers depositories for products such as batteries, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and paint.

“We have been a Call2Recyle partner since 2009 for battery recovery and we were also one of the top three retailers collecting batteries across Canada in 2023,” says Régnier-Pelletier. “This is something we’re really proud of,

 Ariane Pinsonnault, sustainable development advisor (left) and Héloïse Régnier-Pelletier, sustainable development manager, at RONA.

 ECO products at RONA play a key role in its sustainability approach.

and it’s really appreciated by customers.”

In addition, the company has eliminated from its inventory household products that contain chemicals that may raise concerns for the health and the environment, such as plants and

pesticides containing neonicotinoids. The latter are believed to be harmful to bee populations.

“We know the products we sell make up the bulk of our operations’ impact on the environment,” says Pinsonnault. “So it makes sense to invest our

efforts there as we can have a significant positive impact.”

And there’s much more to come.

“In 2024, we plan to launch new initiatives that will reduce the environmental impact of our products, while continuing to consolidate our achievements,”

Waste management incentive plan to help stores reach diversion goals

More than 18,000 store employees trained on ECO products

Among the top 3 Canadian retailers for battery recovery

Sustainable sourcing policies that exceed regulations in place

says Régnier-Pelletier.

“It’s all about doing business the right way,” adds Pinsonnault.

“When our customers go into our stores, we want them to be confident that we are doing the right thing with regard to the environment.” 

Say yes to your best project yet!

Sanofi Canada aims to take care of the planet

For Matthieu Puyet, it makes perfect sense that Sanofi Canada, which operates one of the largest vaccine research and development and manufacturing facilities in the world, has an over-arching commitment to a sustainable and resilient future.

“It’s in our DNA,” he says. “We’re a health-care company dedicated to improving people’s lives and that includes caring for the planet.”

Puyet is head of manufacturing and supply for Canada as well as Toronto site head. That gives him a key role in managing the environmental impact of Sanofi Canada’s 54-acre campus in north Toronto.

In addition to state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities that produce vaccines, the campus also hosts commercial and support function teams. Puyet, his team and all Sanofi Canada employees on site are engaged in a wide range of initiatives to protect the planet.

“People are stepping up,” says Melanee Short, head of sustainability, global engineering. “They’re passionate about finding new ways of doing things that help mitigate our environmental footprint.”

A global biopharmaceutical and health-care company with operations in over 100 countries, Paris-based Sanofi is committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 and

to net-zero emissions by 2045.

Short works with manufacturing and supply teams around the world to meet those and other objectives set out in Planet Care, Sanofi’s global environmental sustainability strategy.

“I help turn goals into action plans,” she says. That includes at her home base in Toronto where there’s a focus on water and energy management.

Many measures, including switching over to more energyefficient LED lighting, have already been implemented. But cutting back on heating, cooling and ventilation could be a challenge as many of the manufacturing facilities need to be kept within precise temperature ranges.

Help is on the way with $176 million being invested in infrastructure related to Sanofi Canada’s environmental initiatives. That’s in addition to over $2 billion in new infrastructure investments it is on track to deliver by 2028 to enhance its vaccine capabilities.

People are stepping up. They’re passionate about finding new ways of doing things that help mitigate our environmental footprint.”

— Melanee Short Head of Sustainability, Global Engineering

“I’m so proud,” says Puyet. “It’s very rare for one site to receive more than $170 million to drive decarbonization and reduction in water consumption. Our global headquarters believes we are the right site with the right strategy.” This includes ambitious plans to reduce water and energy consumption. By September 2024, Sanofi Canada will begin to reuse 20 per cent of its wastewater thanks to its on-site water treatment processes. Furthermore, the energy master plan for the campus includes a commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 15,000 tonnes per year by 2026.

The commitment to environmental sustainability goes beyond

 An employee eco-garden at Sanofi Canada.

 Sanofi Canada employees getting ready for an annual cleanup in the public park next to its campus.

infrastructure and operations. Like other Sanofi sites around the world, Sanofi Canada is sponsoring offsite beehives to promote bees and other pollinators. The honey collected is sold to employees with all proceeds donated to charity.

Sanofi Canada employees also joined other teams of volunteers to spend a day pulling out invasive plants from a ravine that’s part of a city park adjacent to the Toronto campus. They ended up with more than weeds; they also removed bags of garbage and

abandoned bicycles.

Mobilizing employees and empowering them to do more to protect the planet is another of Sanofi’s key objectives. Short says that sort of engagement also contributes to employees’ job satisfaction.

In-house and external environmental audit

Established carbon reduction targets

Informal employee-led green initiatives

In-house waste reduction and recycling

“People all want to feel that they’re doing the right thing,” she says, adding that having an environmentally conscious culture in the workplace is particularly important to younger employees. “For them it’s an expectation, not a ‘nice to have.’” 

Sustainability is embedded in Siemens’ core strategy

Sustainability is ingrained into everything Amy Geisberger does at Siemens Canada Limited, both internally driving the company toward its goal of net-zero emissions and externally working with its partners.

“Our diverse portfolio covering industry, buildings, electrification and mobility, along with financing solutions, positions us uniquely to empower our customers in achieving their sustainability goals,” says Geisberger, sustainability manager.

Siemens has a proven track record. Since 2019, the company has reduced carbon dioxide emissions in its global operations by 50 per cent. And it spends approximately 6.2 billion euros (about $9 billion) globally on research and development each year to generate new inventions

that drive innovation.

“Sustainability is embedded into our strategy, our technology and our portfolio,” says Faisal Kazi, president and CEO of Siemens Canada. “We not only help our customers address their sustainability challenges and opportunities, but we are also committed to our own goals, including achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.”

Geisberger is focused on decarbonizing Siemens’ factories in Canada. She and her colleagues developed a roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions at factories in Concord and Peterborough in Ontario, as well as Drummondville, Que. After installing Siemens’ Enlighted LED light fixtures at the Peterborough facility, along with a network of light sensors and an analytics platform to monitor environmental and occupancy changes, the

company has generated energy savings of 500 megawatt hours, worth about $70,000 per year.

Siemens’ experts are not only working to decarbonize their own facilities but are also providing comprehensive solutions for their customers.

“We’re driving decarbonization, energy efficiency and resource efficiency, and we know we cannot tackle climate change on our own,” says Kazi. “Together with our trusted partners, we can deliver end-to-end solutions for any organization’s sustainability journey.”

Siemens Canada strives to inspire its partners by implementing best practices and helping others get there, says Kazi. Siemens’ Robust Eco Design approach enhances the environmental performance of a product throughout its lifecycle. At the Peterborough factory, products are

now made smaller to reduce materials and shipping, and built using a modular design, so instruments can be broken down and separated for recycling.

Globally, Siemens is putting all its products through a lifecycle assessment to determine how much carbon is emitted creating each product. The information gathered will be used to develop new ways to produce the product more sustainably. “We are looking at how we can reduce emissions and the environmental impact as much as we can, from cradle to cradle,” says Geisberger.

We not only help our customers address their sustainability challenges and opportunities, but we are also committed to our own goals, including achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.”

— Faisal Kazi President and CEO, Siemens Canada

Siemens is also committed to educating future generations about green energy technology. “We’ve started an initiative aimed at educating high school students about renewable energy and microgrids,” says Geisberger. “We’re trying to get them excited and provide them with a hands-on learning experience.”

 Siemens Canada employees at its head office in Oakville can use provided electric vehicles or charge their own at no cost.

 Siemens Canada holds annual tree-planting events across the country, having planted more than 17,500 trees since 2012.

Through its Net Zero Classroom program, Siemens installed a Smartflower microgrid in a Saskatoon high school and plans to introduce more in schools across Canada. The Smartflower microgrid generates 2.5 kilowatts of energy, enough to power a

classroom. “What’s cool about the Smartflower is that it follows the sun to maximize energy generation,” she says.

At Siemens Canada, some seemingly small actions are having a noticeable impact. At its head office, there is a no-plastic

bottle policy and water dispensing machines were installed. Close to 30,000 plastic water bottles have been saved so far. And every year, the company holds tree-planting events across the country. Since 2012, they have planted more than 17,500 trees.

Technology with purpose

Formal greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets

Personal spending account covers environmental purchases

Head office solar array uses Smartflower Microgrid technology Publishes sustainability report

“We’re a company full of energy and digitalization specialists, and so it’s not surprising that tackling efficiency and decarbonization is something our folks are passionate about, pushing us to be better and innovate at every turn,” says Geisberger. 

TSysco Canada makes sustainability the bottom line

he Global Good Goal may not be the kind of program that immediately jumps to mind when the topic of multinational companies comes up. But for Sysco Corporation – the largest broadline food distributor on the planet – the $500-million charitable initiative, which provides food donations, volunteer time and financial support to Sysco’s global community, helps define the company’s values, says Roger Francis, president of Sysco Canada Inc. and Sysco International Americas.

According to Francis, when your

core business involves providing nutritious meals to millions of people in the hospitality, health-care and education sectors, giving back is part of the package. “We leverage our passion and resources to help make a positive impact on people’s lives,” he says. “Together with Sysco colleagues, we are empowered to make a difference in the communities in which we live and serve by doing good and giving back.”

Mississauga, Ont.-based Sysco Canada measures what it does under three key pillars: people, products, and planet, says Francis. Every sustainability initiative that the company pursues contributes

to one or more of those pillars. “Our purpose is to connect the world to share food and care for one another. And it’s something we do every day through our partnerships, with colleagues and with our customers.”

Giving back to the community also has a huge impact on Sysco’s bottom line, he says. “The actions we’re taking today for sustainability are important for the longevity of the business, but more than that they provide Sysco with a competitive advantage to win new business and drive profitable and responsible growth. As I like to put it, our values drive our value.”

When you are a leader in the

global food business, donating leftover food and logistical support might seem like an obvious way to channel resources. But Sysco Canada is also reducing its environmental footprint beyond its traditional area of expertise. A new company-owned solar farm in Edmonton will soon generate about 75 per cent of that location’s annual electricity needs. And Sysco Canada’s first eight electric semi transport trucks are set to hit the road at the company’s Victoria site by the end of this year. Both programs are prototypes likely to spin off more green initiatives across Canada.

Together with Sysco colleagues, we are empowered to make a difference in the communities in which we live and serve by doing good and giving back.”

— Roger Francis President, Sysco Canada and Sysco International Americas

As Sysco Canada’s manager of sustainability, Jaclyn Corneil is responsible for overseeing many of these initiatives. Corneil came to the company from a commercial real estate background, drawn to Sysco by the chance to make an impact in an organization with a global reach. “Sustainability is seen as driving business value

 Sysco is deploying eight electric vehicles in Victoria, British Columbia this year as a prototype for future green initiatives.

 Sysco employees sort produce during the inaugural Purpose Month at Food for Life.

here at Sysco. That’s why it has become such an integral part of our company growth strategy – because it helps ensure that we’re growing responsibly and purposefully.”

In 2023, Sysco Canada donated more than 1.5 million meals to

hunger relief organizations across the country – meals that reached their targets in a variety of large and small communities. “We have sustainability committees in each of our regions across Canada that help support and localize those donations,” says Corneil. “Our

community partners and our teams do a great job making sure our food donations go to the people who need it.”

“When you operate a business on a global scale, you develop a global perspective,” says Francis.

“We have measurable metrics on

5,350 employees in Canada Green strategy for product and services procurement Building footprint includes PV solar panels Formal employee green team

our sustainability projects. We’ve said publicly that we plan to reduce our operational emissions by 27.5 per cent by 2030. That’s something we’re going to see through as a leadership team. It’s not going to be left to the next generation.” 

TD takes a unified approach to sustainability

The first thing Scott Kirby did when he started as a TD Insurance (TDI) advisor at TD Bank Group 17 years ago was join the Green Team, an employee-driven environmental committee, focused on raising awareness and empowering colleagues. Always passionate about sustainability, Kirby held several management positions in TDI before moving into his current role in 2022 as manager, environmental partnerships and initiatives.

“From my early days at TD, I’ve had the opportunity to bring my

passion for the environment to work,” says Kirby, a recent TD Insurance Allstar annual award recipient. “My managers were consistently supportive, helping me find opportunities to be involved as a volunteer. Now it’s very exciting to officially have an environment-focused component to my mandate and be able to do what I love for my job.”

Kirby works closely with the TDI Advisory Board on Climate Change, including initiatives focused on climate resiliency and educating customers and the community on how they can reduce risks associated with

extreme weather. For instance, TDI recently sponsored an event in Edmonton to raise awareness on the increasing issue of basement flooding risks. Another example is the Green Citizen Symposium, sponsored by TDI at Seneca College in Toronto, that hosted keynote speakers and held workshops on topics such as wildfire, biodiversity loss and the role of corporations in addressing the risks of climate change. The bank supports environmental projects in the community with corporate giving and employee volunteering through the TD Ready Commitment – its

corporate citizenship platform.

“I’m proud to work at an organization where I can participate in initiatives designed to make an impact, not only locally, but across the country and worldwide with some of the global programs we participate in,” says Kirby. “Every year, I look forward to TD Tree Days, which has a goal of planting one million trees and shrubs by 2030. It is great to see TD employees and members of the general public attend these events.”

From my early days at TD, I’ve had the opportunity to bring my passion for the environment to work.”

— Scott Kirby Manager, Environmental Partnerships and Initiatives, TD Insurance

Since the program began in 2010, more than 511,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted with the help of volunteers across Canada.

Hamida Sachedina, associate vice-president, social strategy & advice, says focus on sustainability is an integral part of the bank’s culture and corporate strategy. Sachedina leads the team that guides the social pillar of the TD sustainability strategy. Launched in 2023, TD Pathways to Economic Inclusion focuses on helping to improve employment, financial and housing access.

“Economic inclusion has long

 Scott Kirby is the manager of environmental partnerships and initiatives at TD Bank Group.

 Hamida Sachedina is the associate vice-president of social strategy & advice at TD Bank Group.

been core to the bank’s sustainability priorities,” says Sachedina. “The new TD Pathways to Economic Inclusion framework unifies our work across our business, philanthropy and employment practices, which inspires our future efforts toward

improving economic inclusion.

“A great example of a recent initiative at TD to help improve economic inclusion is the Black Entrepreneur Credit Access Program, which is designed to provide more equitable access to credit for Black entrepreneurs,

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

who disproportionately face hurdles to securing funding for their businesses.”

Sachedina attributes the achievement of TD Pathways to Economic Inclusion and her own success during her nine-year career journey at TD to the

supportive culture she experiences, where people are willing to open doors and help others grow.

Kirby would agree, saying, “We truly have a culture of care and a focus on engaging employees and empowering them to help make a difference for a better future.” 

TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Low-carbon economy investments Building footprint includes green roof and PV solar panels Forum for low-carbon and inclusive economy

At 50, the Toronto Zoo looks to a sustainable future

During one of his regular weekendduty shifts, recalls Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong, he recently paused to sit in the Indo-Malaya Pavilion, watching both an animal and a half dozen children who were also present. “It was a tomistoma, which is a slender-snouted crocodile, partially out of the water and looking gorgeous,” says DeJong, “and the kids were looking at it in complete awe and wonder.

“The zoo experience creates

memories that connect people to the bigger picture – that we’re not alone on this planet,” DeJong says. “It was the kind of moment that reminds me why I do what I do.”

The zoo as a whole is focused on a better, more sustainable environment for the planet’s biodiversity and to leading by example, says Kyla Greenham, manager of conservation programs and environment.

Hence its Green Eco-Zoo Team – a group of volunteer employees headed by Greenham who report directly to DeJong – and its annual

audits examining everything from waste control to palm oil and energy use.

And the zoo’s ambitious green targets: net-zero to landfill by 2027, net-zero water consumption and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, while electrifying its auto fleet and restoring 80 hectares of natural space – close to a third of its total area – by 2030.

“I’m very confident we’ll be able to achieve those targets,” Greenham says. “We have several different projects in the works right now for each one, including

a program called Close the Loop where we’re addressing our waste management, and increasing the opportunity for compostables to be collected on site.”

As for one unavoidable question, yes, indeed, there is a lot of manure to manage – some 3,000 tonnes annually – and the zoo already has that covered. “It goes to the biogas plant, which was built here at the zoo by an outside organization called ZooShare,” says Greenham. “They convert it into electricity for the Ontario Hydro grid, enough to power around 250 homes per year.”

The zoo experience can create moments that connect people to the bigger picture – that we’re not alone on this planet. It was the kind of moment that reminds me why I do what I do.”

— Dolf DeJong CEO

Sustainability is a crucial pillar in the zoo’s concept of itself and its mission. “You really can’t separate biodiversity loss, habitat deterioration and climate change in their overall impact on animals,” says DeJong. “You need to be addressing every side of it, tackle carbon while protecting spaces, and conserve individual species and genetics. All those things need to come together when we talk about saving wildlife.”

 Toronto Zoo CEO, Dolf DeJong, planting trees for a program that aims to restore native biodiversity.

 Poly Bear at Toronto Zoo, made entirely of recycled plastic.

That’s why the zoo’s upcoming 50th anniversary – it opened Aug. 15, 1974 – is more focused on the future than the past, despite DeJong’s pride in its previous accomplishments. “We have an amazing legacy,” the CEO says, “of collecting sperm, eggs, embryos

and living tissue as a genetic insurance starting in the 1980s. We have used sperm frozen in 1981 to artificially inseminate bison for calves that were born in 2016. Instead of having to restore a population from one or two dozen animals, you can literally have

hundreds of them represented in the biobank.”

But the future is onrushing, and the zoo is in what Greenham and DeJong call a “unique” position to champion sustainability. “We have much to show in our own practices and structures as well as

Formal zerowaste program

Green sustainability and greenhouse tours

Sustainable events planning guide

PhoneApes program to collect e-waste

in our animal care, and our visitors are incredibly supportive,” says DeJong. “And that is really critical, because none of this matters without the public at large, without striving to turn 1.3 million annual guests into 1.3 million activists.” 

Igniting Passion at Your Toronto Zoo!

Connecting people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction. Open year-round!

Learn more about our conservation efforts at torontozoo.com

‘Continuous improvement’ is green at Toyota

Miye Cox has been working on environmental issues at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC) for 26 years, but she and her team were still a bit surprised to learn of a new green project back in 2017. That was creation of a 1.5-km extension to southwest Ontario’s Vansittart Woods trail that would loop through the property of Toyota’s Woodstock, Ont., vehicle manufacturing plant. “All of my team are engineers, so biodiversity was a new thing for us,” she says.

But it’s a good example of

Toyota’s commitment to sustainability in all fields where it can make a difference. Biodiversity is one of the six Toyota 2050 Environmental Challenges that the global carmaker focuses on, and which are core to the operations of TMMC’s two Canadian plants. Cox’s team is now responsible for 73 bird boxes on the trail in Woodstock and another six at Toyota’s plant in Cambridge, Ont. They also count the number of eggs and hatched birds each year (337 fledglings in 2023).

“Usually we’re more on the process side, like paint processes and wastewater treatment plant

processes,” says Cox, senior manager, environmental engineering, based at the Cambridge plant and a chemical engineer by training. “So for us, getting to the outside areas, it was a joy to bring that to life.”

Among Toyota’s five other 2050 challenges, three involve reducing carbon dioxide emissions – via vehicle design, through supplier partnerships and, especially relevant to Cox, in plant operations. The other two involve water conservation and recycling, also in Cox’s mandate.

The two Canadian plants have made important innovations that have won a series of Toyota’s

internal Environmental Kaizen (“continuous improvement”) awards for the North American region and globally. In the past year, a group of team members came up with an automatic shutoff system for electric pumps when production is stopped, and another group arranged to eliminate the paper that covers parts shipped to the plants in returnable containers.

In addition, when painted plastic bumpers fail quality-control inspection, the plants can now regrind them down to pellets and build new bumpers from them. “We’re the first plant to do that activity for painted bumpers,” says Cox.

Sustainability is ingrained in everything we do.”

— Bob Ruggieri Vice-President, Manufacturing, and Environmental Director

Annually, a celebration that started for the company as Earth Day became Earth Week and now, she says, is Earth Month, when a series of team engagement activities go on all over the company. “I am very proud that I work at Toyota because it’s so driven toward environmental protection.”

Bob Ruggieri, vice-president, manufacturing, and environmental director for TMMC, says he, too, was struck by Toyota’s strong green policies when he joined straight out of university in 1997. “That was very new for someone

 TMMC employees volunteering at its Giving Garden to donate its yield to local charities in their community.

like me, and honestly, that level of intensity never subsided over the last 27 years.”

Toyota introduced the hybrid Prius in Japan in 1997 and North America in 2000, and has continued to champion emission-reducing hybrids as an

important part of Toyota’s approach to electrification and sustainability ever since. It produces hybrid vehicles at its Canadian plants. But Ruggieri adds that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids are also important offerings within

Toyota’s electrified vehicle line-up. Further, the company expects to see far more efficient BEVs, with a 1,000-km range and very short charging times, within the coming decade, and is investing in BEVs. Meanwhile, last year, the Canadian plants set an emission

Environmental Kaizen awards

On-site organic charity garden

Plastic bumper recycling

Earth Month celebrations, including Green Pledge program

reduction target of two per cent and achieved 13 per cent, Ruggieri says. He and his colleagues constantly look for ways to reduce energy use. “Sustainability is ingrained in everything we do,” he says. “It’s almost taken for granted.” 

 The entrance sign to an extended Vansittart Woods trail on TMMC property.

PTransLink is leading the way to emissions-free transit

ublic transit providers are, by definition, part of the solution to climate change, and Metro Vancouver’s integrated transportation authority has a leg up on its peers. Originally operated by BC Hydro, the TransLink (South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority) enterprise grew from a network of zero-emission electric trolley buses that – in modern form – are still on the city’s streets 75 years later.

“We were already a green organization before vehicle emissions were recognized as a problem,” notes Randy Helmer, vice-president of maintenance at Coast Mountain Bus Company, a TransLink subsidiary.

Green from the outset, the authority had the foresight to adopt the SkyTrain system, an all-electric rapid transit technology, 40 years ago, and continues pushing the envelope of clean transportation today. In 2019, it implemented a low-carbon fleet strategy that is working to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from its bus fleet. It piloted battery-electric buses as part of a pan-Canadian trial, then renewable natural gas, then renewable diesel. Now, it’s looking at hydrogen technology.

“One of the advantages we have is our size,” Helmer says. “We can take on big initiatives that smaller transit agencies can’t.”

Through the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation

Consortium, the TransLink enterprise shares its findings to help other systems transition to clean energy. The battery-electric bus pilot analyzed not only performance, but the charging infrastructure as well. When renewable diesel was tested, engine manufacturers were engaged to ensure they would still honour warranties.

TransLink’s green outlook isn’t limited to vehicles. New facilities are built with sustainability and climate change in mind. Employees have free access to transit, and those who need to drive to work can take advantage of EV charging at many work sites. The organization measures key performance indicators for ridership, GHG emissions, other

air pollutants, energy and water consumption, and waste diversion so it can respond to problems and plan improvements.

Kevin Matsuo joined TransLink subsidiary British Columbia Rapid Transit Company six years ago, after earning an environmental science degree at the University of British Columbia. After one year as an environmental assistant, he was promoted to environmental officer, helping develop programs for everything from hazardous materials to vegetation management.

We’re not slowing down. In many areas, we’re exceeding everything we projected.”

— Randy Helmer Vice-President, Maintenance, Coast Mountain Bus Company

“One day I’ll be working on waste and recycling and the next I’ll be working on spill response,” Matsuo says. With environmental impacts and criteria now part of every corporate decision, his team is kept very busy. Among employees, he says, “there’s good buy-in. Things like hazardous waste management have improved a lot.”

Unlike other transit operators, TransLink is also responsible for planning, managing, funding and operating major roads, bridges and active transportation infrastructure. The authority contributed to more than 640 road, cycling and pedestrian improvement projects over the

 TransLink adapted its 75-year-old network of zero-emission electric trolley buses to its current transit systems.



past six years, giving the organization a holistic view of moving people and goods around.

Last year, for example, TransLink introduced a Bike Bus to take cyclists between downtown Vancouver and the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, facilitating pedal-

powered trips to and from Vancouver Island. The authority also collaborates with municipalities to build pedestrian and bike paths, sponsors Car Free Days, and works with school districts to organize walking school bus programs.

With the support of the B.C. government’s Get on Board program, TransLink has been offering free transit to children 12 and under since 2021. The hope is that kids growing up with transit will bring the habit into adulthood. While TransLink had an

Working toward a zero emissions fleet by 2040

Issues green bonds for sustainable infrastructure projects

Formal idling reduction policy

Environmental training for employees

early start at tackling the energy transition, it knows there is still plenty to do and is working hard to build a greener future.

“We’re not slowing down,” Helmer says. “In many areas, we’re exceeding everything we projected.” 

TransLink is proud to be one of Canada’s Greenest Employers.

One of the TransLink battery-electric buses as part of its low-carbon fleet strategy.

Unilever aims to make sustainable living commonplace

Holly Whitnall has been working at Unilever Canada for more than 10 years, in a variety of different positions. But while she currently leads a team working on global technology and operations transformation for the Torontobased consumer packaged goods company, it’s a volunteer role that’s igniting her passion right now.

“Unilever has several business resource groups, where people from different departments are focused around a purpose,” says Whitnall, who leads the company’s Sustainable Living team business resource group.

“We volunteer above and beyond our jobs because we’re passionate about the topic.”

The team gets together once a month to talk about issues, work together on initiatives, bring in guest speakers and organize events like community garbage pickups and, recently, a visit to a Toronto recycling facility.

“We’re very aware of the role we play in the waste creation cycle, and we thought it would be impactful to go to the facility and see how it works,” she says. “It was eye-opening. And we shared what we learned with the staff and leadership, which will hopefully lead to developing packaging

that’s easier to recycle.”

Naniss Gadel-Rab, general manager of Unilever Canada’s Nutrition division, stresses that sustainability is central to everything the company does. “Our purpose is to make sustainable living commonplace,” she says. “And while we drive sustainability from the top down, it’s fascinating to see the passion and energy of employee-driven efforts like the Sustainable Living team, and what you get when you create the space for people to develop their own program and purpose.”

Whitnall says that being in the business resource group also

creates opportunities for her to communicate and connect with company leaders. “They recognize the passion we have and the fact that we’re volunteering our time, and they take it seriously,” she says. “It’s given me a lot of chances to interact with leadership and have influence in ways that I wouldn’t have just in my job.”

Whitnall is also grateful for the opportunities she’s been given to work in different roles and divisions.

While we drive sustainability from the top down, it’s fascinating to see the passion and energy of employeedriven efforts like the Sustainable Living team.”

— Naniss Gadel-Rab General Manager Nutrition

“Your breadth of responsibility tends to be big, and you get exposed to a lot of different areas,” she says. “I was customer-facing with retailers, but I also spent time in marketing and then technology, which led me to join the supply chain team, and from there I moved into this global role. There’s a huge amount of opportunity to move around and do what interests you.”

For Gadel-Rab, who has been with Unilever for 23 years, the company’s culture of open

 Unilever Canada members of the Sustainable Living team participate in a bingo game and cleanup at Queen's Park in Toronto.

communication is key. “It’s people-centric and very inclusive,” she says. “Every voice and opinion matter, every idea is welcomed, everyone has a space to express their opinions. And it’s purpose-led.”

Gadel-Rab’s own purpose

includes a focus on reducing food waste through initiatives that engage employees as well as consumers.

“We introduced a free app called Fridge Night that shows you how to turn a few things in your fridge into a great meal,” she says. “We’ve

also partnered with an organization to go to schools and teach young people how to reduce food waste, and collect unsold food from stadiums across Canada and give it to food banks.”

Whitnall also values the company’s commitment to

A BETTER BUSINESS. A BETTER WORLD. A BETTER YOU.

#UnileverCanada

In-house

In-house and external environmental

sustainability. “Food waste is a good example, and there are lots of others,” she says. “I think the reason I’ve stayed so long and see a future in front of me is that this is a company that has a true purpose in how we operate and everything we do.” 

waste reduction and recycling Green procurement strategy

If you are an exceptional employer with progressive HR initiatives and great environmental programs, consider applying for next year’s edition of Canada’s Greenest Employers. Now entering its 25th year, the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project is the nation’s longest-running and best-known editorial competition for employers.

For information on next year’s application process, visit: CanadasTop100.com/2025 Applications for our 2025 competition are now available and must be returned by May.