- Corporate Knights named Bell the top telecom company in the
world and #4 in Canada overall on
the Best 50 Corporate Citizens list
- Science-based targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction
approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
MONTRÉAL, Aug. 8, 2022
/CNW Telbec/ - Bell announced today that it has been recognized for
its corporate responsibility, and that it has achieved an important
milestone for its greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy,
furthering its commitment to the highest ESG standards.
Corporate Knights has named Bell the top telecom company in the
world, and #4 company in Canada
overall, on the Best 50 Corporate Citizens list. The annual
Corporate Knights ranking evaluates 332 of the largest Canadian
companies on a set of 24 environmental, social and governance (ESG)
indicators to single out the Best 50 that Corporate Knights
considers "the vanguard of corporate sustainability leadership in
Canada."
In addition, Bell is pleased to announce that its science-based
targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction have been
approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), confirming
the company's alignment with the most ambitious temperature goal of
the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
"We are proud to build on our environmental leadership by
setting science-based targets, positioning us as a corporate leader
in the transition to the low-carbon economy. We're committed to
building a sustainable future and contributing to a better world.
By reducing greenhouse gas emissions across our operations, we are
continuing to take action to help fight climate change and improve
our energy performance."
- Mirko Bibic, President
and CEO BCE Inc. and Bell Canada
Addressing climate change
Bell's leadership on
environmental issues includes a wide range of innovative programs
to reduce environmental impacts throughout our operations. We
demonstrate our commitment to energy management and reducing the
carbon footprint of our network, in line with our strategic
imperative to help create a sustainable future, with projects and
innovations such as:
- Reducing fuel consumption through ongoing fleet modernization
and electrification;
- Collaborating on innovative solar-powered systems that reduce
our reliance on diesel generators, in partnership with the
University of Sherbrooke's
Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) and
its Nanotechnologies and Nanosystems Laboratory (LN2), as well as
with Saint-Augustin Canada Electric;
- Optimizing facility and equipment heating and cooling to reduce
electricity usage;
- Implementing other renewable energy projects across Canada,
including 10 sites with solar panels in the Atlantic region,12 wind
and solar power equipped cell sites across Ontario and 10 photovoltaic and diesel hybrid
power systems in the Northwest
Territories.
In addition, Bell's next-generation telecommunications
technologies (including cloud services, virtualization,
teleconferencing and videoconferencing) are major contributors to
the fight against climate change by reducing the carbon footprint
of governments and businesses across the country. Rapid advances in
Internet of Things (IoT) services powered by Bell's networks are
enabling the optimization of asset and fleet management, as well as
smart buildings, smart cities, smart operations and smart fieldwork
applications, all enabling customers to reduce their GHG
emissions.
Science Based Targets initiative
The SBTi is a
partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World
Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature to mobilize
companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets and
boost their competitive advantage in the transition to the
low-carbon economy. The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in
science-based target setting and independently assesses companies'
targets.
Science-based targets are emissions reduction targets in line
with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the
goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C above
pre-industrial levels.
Bell has set the following science-based
targets1:
- Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 57% by 2030 from a
2020 base year;
- Reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from capital goods,
fuel-and energy-related activities, upstream transportation and
distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel,
employee commuting, downstream transportation and distribution, use
of sold products, end-of-life treatment of sold products,
franchises and investments 42% within the same timeframe;
- Reach 64% of our suppliers by spend, covering purchased goods
and services, having science-based targets by 2026.
Leading in environmental, social and governance
performance
Bell's ESG strategy creates social and
environmental benefits by helping to build a better world, better
communities and better workplace. Our approach includes enhancing
our environmental leadership, creating a workplace focused on
diversity, equality and inclusion, and employee well-being, leading
in mental health through Bell Let's Talk and demonstrating
best-in-class governance.
In 2022, Bell achieved ISO 50001 certification of its energy
management system for a third consecutive year, after becoming
the first communications company in North America to
achieve that designation for our Energy Management System.
Bell announced its goal to have carbon neutral operations
starting in 2025 and have been recognized as one of Canada's
Greenest Employers for the sixth consecutive year.
More information about Bell's environmental track record is
available in its Corporate Responsibility Report, which
outlines the benefits we deliver to our customers, team and
communities, including our Bell for Better investments in
mental health, environmental and workplace leadership that make
Bell a top corporate citizen. Bell's ESG commitment is also
highlighted in the BCE 2021 Annual Report to shareholders,
available at BCE.ca.
_____________________
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1
|
Our science based
targets may need to be adjusted in the future because the SBTi
requires that targets be recalculated (following the most recent
applicable SBTi criteria and recommendations) at a minimum every
five years, or more often if significant changes occur (e.g.
business acquisitions/divestitures).
|
About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications
company, providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet, media
and business communication services throughout the country. Founded
in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn
more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a
better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and
economic prosperity of our communities with a commitment to the
highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. This
includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian
mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns
like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community
care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives
throughout the country. To learn more, please
visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries
Jacqueline
Michelis
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
@Bell_News
Investor inquiries
Richard
Bengian
richard.bengian@bell.ca
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Certain
statements made in this news release are forward-looking
statements, including statements relating to our environmental,
social and governance (ESG) objectives including, without
limitation, our goal to have carbon neutral operations starting in
2025 and to achieve our science-based targets for GHG emissions
reduction, our business objectives, plans and strategic priorities,
and other statements that are not historical facts. All such
forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the "safe harbor"
provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws and of the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks
and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions which give
rise to the possibility that actual results or events could differ
materially from our expectations. These statements are not
guarantees of future performance or events, and we caution you
against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe
our expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly,
are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by
applicable securities laws, we do not undertake any obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this
news release, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise. Our ESG objectives, and the benefits expected to
result therefrom, are subject to risks and, accordingly, there can
be no assurance that our ESG objectives will be completed or that
the benefits expected to result therefrom will be realized. In
addition, forward-looking statements for periods beyond 2022
involve longer-term assumptions and estimates than forward-looking
statements for 2022 and are consequently subject to greater
uncertainty. In particular, our GHG emissions reduction targets are
based on a number of assumptions including, without limitation, the
following principal assumptions: implementation of various
corporate and business initiatives to reduce our electricity and
fuel consumption, as well as reduce other direct and indirect GHG
emissions enablers; no new corporate initiatives, business
acquisitions or technologies that would materially increase our
anticipated levels of GHG emissions; our ability to purchase
sufficient credible carbon credits and renewable energy
certificates to offset or further reduce our GHG emissions, if and
when required; no negative impact on the calculation of our GHG
emissions from refinements in or modifications to international
standards or the methodology we use for the calculation of such GHG
emissions; no required changes to our science-based targets
pursuant to the SBTi methodology that would make the achievement of
our updated science-based targets more onerous; and sufficient
supplier engagement and collaboration in setting their own
science-based targets and sufficient collaboration with partners in
reducing their own GHG emissions. For additional information on
assumptions and risks underlying certain of our forward-looking
statements made in this news release, please consult BCE Inc.'s
(BCE) 2021 Annual MD&A dated March 3,
2022, BCE's 2022 First Quarter MD&A dated May 4, 2022, BCE's 2022 Second Quarter MD&A
dated August 3, 2022 and BCE's news
release dated August 4, 2022
announcing its financial results for the second quarter of 2022,
filed by BCE with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory
authorities (available at Sedar.com) and with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (available at SEC.gov).
These documents are also available at BCE.ca.
SOURCE Bell Canada