Cogeco 2014 Annual Report Download - page 48

MD&A COGECO CABLE INC. 2014 47
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
OVERVIEW
The Corporation has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility ("CSR") program aimed at operating responsibly and sustainably and being
a good corporate citizen. Concretely, this means we seek to integrate practices that improve the environmental and social impacts of our operations
while ensuring the Corporation’s continued growth. The COGECO Group Code of Ethics together with the Corporate Social Responsibility Policy,
which was adopted in 2013, form the framework of our CSR program.
Our CSR policy integrates our corporate social responsibility objectives articulated around six pillars:
• Managing our environmental footprint;
• Taking part in developing communities;
• Taking part in developing our employees;
• Integrating the best CSR practices;
• Being transparent in communicating our CSR activities; and
• Ensuring the company’s growth sustained by a solid corporate governance foundation.
Supported by a corporate management structure, overseen by a Steering Committee composed of Executives from all business units, and a
sound corporate governance framework, we will strive to improve our performance going forward in line with the expectations of our stakeholders,
our corporate values and our business objectives.
FISCAL 2014 ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
During fiscal 2014, the CSR Program was moved to the corporate level and is now under the responsibility of the Vice-President Internal Audit
and Risk Management. One of the main responsibilities of the Corporate CSR team is to roll-out the CSR program and related initiatives to all
business units. Cogeco Cable Canada and Cogeco Data Services were already part of our extra financial reporting. Other business units will be
integrated progressively.
Some examples of Cogeco Cable’s CSR initiatives that were conducted in fiscal 2014 include:
• We published our second CSR report, following the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. We increased the number of indicators that
were disclosed;
• We published our third Carbon Disclosure Project ("CDP") report and completed for the first time the Information and Communications
Technology additional module;
• We measured our Greenhouse gas emissions ("GHG") and have achieved one of three GHG emissions reduction targets (for Cogeco
Cable Canada);
• 20% of Cogeco Cable's facilities underwent environmental assessments conducted by a third party;
• We started the implementation of an in-house Environmental Management System ("EMS");
• We obtained the BOMA BEST certification for the Trois-Rivières location, our largest facility in Québec. This certification recognizes
the good environmental practices implemented over the past years, including energy, waste and water management, pollution control
and environmental health and safety programs;
• Cogeco Cable Canada adopted a Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics section in its new revised Procurement Policy. We started
to develop tools and processes that will enable the procurement department in the assessment of the sustainability performance of its
suppliers when releasing a request for proposal;
• Cogeco Cable Canada voluntarily purchased carbon offsets to cover the greenhouse gas emissions from its business travel in fiscal
2013 (638 tons of CO2e). The offsets purchased are Gold Standard and Gold Standard Transition, and will fund emissions reduction
projects located in Québec and in developing countries; and
• We donated approximately $2 million and offered air time for fund raising purposes. Our principal focus areas are the health, culture
and education sectors.
For more information on our initiatives and our performance, please refer to the CSR Report published in January 2014, which covers fiscal 2012
and 2013.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Cogeco Cable’s CSR program and related initiatives were recognized during fiscal 2014:
• We secured a place on a new ranking launched in 2014 by Corporate Knights, The Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leaders in
Canada. Corporate Knights selected the Corporation on the basis of its performance relative to 12 indicators measuring social and
environmental performance and corporate governance; and
• Since April 2014, the Corporation is part of the Jantzi Social Index, consisting of 60 Canadian companies that passed a set of broadly
based environmental, social, and governance rating criteria. The analysis highlights the Corporation's implementation of relatively
strong policies and management systems to ensure customer data security and privacy. It also underlines the Corporation's engagement
with key suppliers regarding its social and environmental performance.