ISL Engineering, Benefits by Design, Lush top 3 greenest employers in Canada: Aon Hewitt

ISL Engineering and Land Services took the top spot as Canada’s greenest employer, according to the Green 30 list released by Aon Hewitt. Benefits by Design, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, the Co-operators and LoyaltyOne round out the top fove.

Of the employers on the list, 83 per cent of employees have a positive perception of their employer's eco-friendly efforts. Employers are evaluated on environmental strategies and activities, and their efforts to consider long-term social, environmental and economic impacts when making business decisions.

"Building and maintaining high employee satisfaction with social and environment practices is a key factor in sustaining strong employee engagement," said Neil Crawford, Aon Hewitt's leader of the Best Employer in Canada study. “Employees in Green 30 organizations are consistent in their positive perceptions across a range of environmental stewardship dimensions and are well aware of their employers' eco-friendly efforts."

The Green 30 are more likely to implement practices and programs to support and reinforce their commitment to environmental stewardship. Eighty-five per cent of the strategies and activities at these organizations are environmentally responsible and the same amount work to minimize the impact of their products and services on the environment.

Eight in 10 (80 per cent) of the Green 30 companies disclose their environmental practices and 81 per cent effectively communicate the actions they are taking to minimize environmental impact.

"These employers have clearly demonstrated their commitment to reducing the impact of their business on the environment,” said Crawford. “These actions are highly valued by their employees."

The list was compiled by Aon Hewitt based on employee opinion data collected as part of the annual Best Employers in Canada study and Best Small and Medium Employers study. Over 190,000 employees and 2,500 leaders in 280 organizations participated in the 2013 edition of these studies.

2013 Green 30 list

1. ISL Engineering and Land Services
2. Benefits by Design
3. Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
4. The Co-operators
5. LoyaltyOne
6. Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Pension Plan
7. Vancity Group
8. The Sovereign General Insurance Company
9. Quadra Chemicals
10. Pinchin Environmental
11. Innovation Place
12. Intelex Technologies
13. The Co-operators Life Insurance Company
14. Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls
15. BC Biomedical Laboratories
16. Arrow Professional Services
17. Dillon Consulting
18. Nexen
19. PCL Constructors
20. Delta Hotels and Resorts
21. Celestica
22. Wakefield Canada
23. Port Metro Vancouver
24. Cisco Canada
25. Stikeman Elliott
26. GEF Seniors Housing
27. Auto West Group
28. BESTECH
29. SAP Canada
30. Island Savings Credit Union