Members have made a commitment to take action on climate change through active greenhouse gas (GHG) management across their operations. In addition to supporting members in the implementation of their GHG management practices, the City of Edmonton is working with Green Economy Canada to help build capacity for lasting change within member organizations.
The program will facilitate members sharing best practices and lessons learned, exploring emerging business opportunities related to the low carbon economy, mentoring newcomers and celebrating success. These will be communicated community-wide, inspiring all Edmontonians to take climate action.
The goals of Edmonton’s Corporate Climate Leaders Program are:
- To encourage, support and empower Edmonton corporations to reduce their GHG emissions and increase their climate resilience
- To promote the collaboration of Edmonton corporations in sharing best practices (re: climate action) and advancing low carbon business opportunities
- To fast-track the transition to a green economy by building industry capacity
- To showcase the climate actions of member corporations as a way of inspiring action on the part of all Edmontonians
Read the Program Executive Summary for additional details.
All Edmonton corporations (profit and non-profit) are invited to be members, including those that are located and operate solely in Edmonton and ones that are world-wide with franchises or operations in Edmonton. Membership in the Corporate Climate Leaders Program signifies a corporation is concerned about climate change and is advancing climate action within its operations (or soon will be).
Membership calls on corporations to make the following three commitments, and demonstrate that they have been achieved within 12 to 18 months of signing up:
- To establish and maintain a corporate GHG inventory
- To develop plans and targets for reducing GHG emissions
- To share these commitments publicly
Please review the program summary to fully understand the expectations related to meeting these three commitments.
Sign up for the program:
Registration for Year 5 of the Corporate Climate Leaders Program has now closed. Please sign up for Change for Climate Newsletter to learn more about registration timelines in 2023.
As proud partners in this program, Green Economy Canada is excited to help member businesses successfully meet the three program commitments of establishing a corporate GHG inventory, developing plans and targets to reduce emissions, and publicly sharing these commitments.
Green Economy Canada brings a decade of experience working with businesses of all sectors and sizes on emissions reductions to Edmonton. In addition to leading the delivery of the program, this award-winning national not-for-profit is also available to provide comprehensive training and tailored support services to help members reduce their emissions and leverage their sustainability work to drive business value.
Green Economy Canada provides:
- Small group training sessions and direct tailored one on one support to help you:
- Understand the basics of GHG accounting and measure your footprint
- Set an ambitious but achievable GHG reduction target
- Develop and implement an emissions reduction plan
- Guidance to help you sustain action and maximize business value through:
- Engaging your staff
- Forming and managing Green Teams
- Incorporating your sustainability work into your brand and stakeholder communications
Learn more about Green Economy Canada. Those who are interested in support to meet the program commitments are encouraged to register with Green Economy Canada after becoming a member of the Corporate Climate Leaders Program.
In addition to a focus on measuring and managing direct GHG emissions, Canadian Western Bank (CWB) continues to embed sustainable practices into daily operations as they grow across Canada. CWB follows sustainability-focused industry standards in the design and construction of new locations, including considerations such as building orientation, energy efficient lighting, triple-glazed windows and carpet tile.
Chandos Construction is committed to environmentally friendly construction practices, which are helping to reduce their carbon footprint. Their jobsite waste diversion efforts have received provincial acclaim and recognition. In 2005, Chandos won an award from the Alberta Environment Minister, which recognized the high waste diversion rate achieved at an Edmonton jobsite. 
Policies and programs that improve the corporation’s environmental impact and reduce GHG emissions have been a major part of the City of Edmonton’s environmental commitment for decades.
Clark Builders is committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in practical and real-world applications. They are focused on being environmentally responsible, providing the best value to their clients through innovative and sustainable solutions, and continuing to grow their team of sustainable superheroes.
Covenant Health’s commitment to health care and sustainability is rooted in the spiritual purpose of healing and restoration, and grounded in a deep respect for the value of life.
As a North American energy infrastructure leader, Enbridge’s purpose is to meet society’s need for secure energy supply, while at the same time, reducing emissions and protecting the environment. With systems that deliver oil, natural gas and renewable energy and power to millions of homes and businesses, Enbridge is uniquely positioned to help bridge the transition to a lower-carbon energy future. The company’s Corporate Safety, Climate and Corporate Social Responsibility Policies detail its commitment to safely and reliably deliver the energy that people need in a responsible manner that manages climate risks and opportunities.
EPCOR is committed to taking corporate action to reduce the impact of climate change. As part of this commitment EPCOR has established energy efficiency programs that track the performance of assets within water treatment plants, reservoirs, and booster stations to ensure that equipment replacements and upgrades are conducted in a timely and cost effective manner. Upgrades to lighting fixtures, windows, HVAC systems, roofing, and pumps have resulted in significant energy savings. Despite pumping water farther every year to reach new Edmonton neighbourhoods, the energy required per unit of water delivered per capita has decreased by 21% since 2001.
The large footprint of the IKEA store in Edmonton means that managing building operations is a vital part of reducing energy usage and managing greenhouse gas emissions. The IKEA building maintenance system (BMS) contractor monitors the store’s HVAC system on a day-to-day basis and is better able to control equipment like fans and radiant heaters by tying them to that system. IKEA has also made the switch from conventional lighting to LED, monitors the energy use of their lighting systems, and has recently installed a 1060.3 kW solar PV system on the Edmonton store.
Lafarge’s environmental efforts stretch beyond its own operations by working in partnership with industry peers. Together with its peers, the goal is to encourage all businesses to be more innovative and mindful of their resource use and environmental impact. By offering innovative construction material solutions, LafargeHolcim worldwide has a 2030 goal to help its customers reduce the CO2 emissions from buildings by 10,000 million tonnes per year.
Over a decade ago, Landmark Homes set a vision “to be a North American housing solutions provider recognized for sustainability and for leading a revolution in the industrialization of housing construction.”
Lehigh Cement recognizes the importance of taking action on climate change and is committed to being accountable for environmental impacts. Through the Sustainability Commitments 2030, the company has reaffirmed its corporate responsibility to keep the global temperature rise below 2oC. The company has committed to a 30% reduction in its carbon footprint compared to 1990 levels by 2030 through the increased use of alternative fuels and the introduction of new cement types with lower specific CO2 footprints. The goals have been assessed by an independent external consultant and confirmed as being in line with the 2oC target. The 2030 Sustainability Goals are based upon the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Lehigh Cement recognizes that these sustainability goals, which include CO2 reduction, cannot be realised without meaningful engagement by business. The private sector has a crucial role to play as a driver of innovation and technological development and as a key engine of economic growth and employment.
MacEwan University takes a holistic approach to sustainability understanding the importance of balancing environmental responsibility, cultural vitality, social equity and economic integrity. The university’s work on sustainability involves all members of the university community - academics, operations and engagement and leadership - who worked together to create the 2017-2021 Strategic Campus Sustainability Plan.
Over the past eight years, NAIT has achieved a 30% reduction in energy use per square metre in its facilities, saving an aggregated total of 85,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions since 2009. Building retrofits and mechanical and electrical upgrades have played a major role in this success.
