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News & Announcements3/11/2011 | BLJC demonstrates industry leadership with sustainable workplaces event Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls (BLJC) demonstrated its industry leadership yet again with a recent event featuring leading edge practices to create sustainable workplaces. Global leader for Nortel Networks Corporate Real Estate division David Dunn offered the keynote presentation, speaking to the need to change workplace profiles. He proposed that corporations target a 50 per cent reduction in space, noting most are sitting on twice the real estate they require. Dunn shared insights on the opportunities that exist for corporations to reduce their real estate and the benefits to employees, the corporate bottom line and the environment. A key solution he identified was creating an integrated work environment, where technology, human resources and real estate are considered holistically. TELUS executive vice-president for Human Resources Josh Blair presented on TELUS’ current journey to reduce their office portfolio by 30 per cent, while providing a more flexible officing solution for team members. This approach is achieving significant cost reductions, increasing employee engagement and reducing the company’s environmental footprint. Finally representatives from three leading Canadian financial services companies, CIBC, TD Bank Financial Group and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), offered a panel discussion on leading sustainable workplace solutions from the financial services industry. CIBC corporate Services vice-president Barclay Cornell, TD Enterprise Real Estate senior vice-president Roger Johnson and RBC senior vice-president head of Procurement and Corporate Real Estate Linda Mantia each described their organizations’ commitment to the environment, as well as the real estate strategies employed to reach those objectives. BLJC president Gordon Hicks says the event achieved two key objectives, one of which was to create awareness and inspire other organizations to look at innovative ways to reduce their environmental impact through optimization of their real estate portfolios. The second objective of raising funds for The Climate Project Canada (TCPC) was also realized, with more than $25,000 collected. TCPC is a non-profit organization that serves as the Canadian component of a global movement of more than 3,000 diverse and dedicated volunteers who are committed to educating the public about the science and impacts of climate change, as well as solutions to address the climate crisis. (www.climateprojectcanada.org) Hicks says he was excited by the evidence the event provided of the importance organizations are placing on environmental sustainability and the investments that are being made to ensure they meet their commitments. In his welcoming address, Hicks spoke to BLJC’s achievements in reducing its environmental footprint, most notably its reduction in net carbon emissions by almost 26,000 tonnes over the last year. Also noting the tremendous environmental impact of the real estate industry, Hicks highlighted that as leaders “it is our responsibility to pursue innovation and leverage advances in technology and ‘green’ product development, to reduce our environmental impacts.” BLJC’s 2010 sustainability report was issued during the event. Several symbolic tokens were also handed out during the event, including a seedling for each participant. The point made was that the 150 seedlings in the room growing for 45 years would be equivalent to removing 15 passenger vehicles from the road for one year. It’s an illustration of how hard and long nature must work to mitigate the activities and impact of humans on the environment. A glass globe inscribed with the words “our choice” was also presented to each delegate as a reminder that the future of the Earth is in this generation’s hands, and the choices made today will impact future generations. “Ultimately it is up to us — what happens to our environment and the state of the world that we leave our children and our grandchildren, is truly our choice,” said Hicks. Additional sponsors of the event included Turner Construction as a title sponsor, The Pinchin Group and Stantec as gold sponsors, and Colliers International, Philips Lighting, Camino Modular Systems and Brigholme Business Interiors as bronze sponsors. |
