List commends reduced footprint, employee involvement
Fifty-five employers across the country were recognized for their green initiatives as part of Canada’s Greenest Employers list by Mediacorp Canada.
"It's clear that 'going green' isn't a fad for Canadian employers," said Richard Yerema, managing editor of Canada's Greenest Employers. "These organizations recognize that sustainability is more about changing mindsets than changing fashions, which can go in and out of style. It's not just about being 'good for business' anymore — the industry leaders of tomorrow are building sustainability into their cultures today."
The Canada's Greenest Employers competition recognizes employers that lead the nation in incorporating environmental awareness into their organizational cultures. Employers are evaluated by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers on four main criteria:
• unique environmental initiatives and programs at each organization
• how successful they've been at reducing their organization's environmental footprint
• the degree to which employees are involved in these programs and whether they contribute any specialized skills
• the extent to which these initiatives have become linked to the organization's public identity, bringing new employees and clients to the organization.
"This year's competition uncovered environmental initiatives across a range of industries that bring employees and clients together in imaginative ways," said Julien Gagnier, editor of Canada's Greenest Employers. "Organizations are discovering that these initiatives tap into a deep reservoir of creativity and goodwill among employees and customers alike."
Highlights from this year's winners include:
• Employees at Nature's Path Foods receive mandatory sustainability training after joining the company and oversee an employee-managed organic garden at the head office.
• Employees at Keilhauer developed new initiatives adopted by Canada's furniture industry to improve textile recycling, diverting thousands of pounds of excess fabric from landfills annually.
• Employees at Siemens Canada now work exclusively on sustainable technologies, including renewable initiatives that will create the energy products of tomorrow.
• Employees at BC Public Service have organized more than100 "Green Teams" and developed a website that makes ride-sharing easier for employees who commute.
• Employees at SAS Institute (Canada) use state-of-the-art water filters and reusable tableware to eliminate bottled water and disposable food containers from their head office.
The 2013 winners (in alphabetical order):
• Accenture
• ARAMARK Canada
• Assiniboine Credit Union
• Bayer
• BC Hydro
• BC Public Service
• Certified General Accountants Association of Canada
• Christie Digital Systems Canada
• Corus Entertainment
• Enmax
• Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
• Georgian College
• Hewlett-Packard Canada
• Home Depot
• Hydro Ottawa
• Ikea Canada
• Information Services Corporation
• Keilhauer
• KPMG
• Ladysmith, Town of
• Loblaw Companies
• Lower Canada College
• LoyaltyOne
• Manitoba Hydro
• National Capital Commission
• Nature’s Path Foods
• Ontario Public Service
• Perking+Will Canada
• Provincial Health Services Authority
• PwC
• RBC
• Red River College
• Rescan
• Rogers Communications
• SAS Institute
• SaskTel
• Siemens Canada
• Sodexo Canada
• Stantec
• Stikeman Elliott
• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Symcor
• TD Bank Group
• Telus
• Toronto Hydro
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada
• University of British Columbia
• University of Northern British Columbia
• University of Alberta
• Vancouver City Savings Credit Union
• Vancouver, City of
• Veridian
• Whistler Blackcomb
• YMCA of Greater Toronto
• York University
