FUTURE-READY OPERATIONS & SERVICES WSP in Canada s 2014-2016 Sustainability Action Plan
We are honoured to introduce WSP s 2014-2016 Sustainability Action Plan for Canada entitled Future-Ready Operations & Services. We ve travelled a long way since 2011, the year we rolled out our very first Action Plan. That plan was successfully completed at the end of 2013 and brought our offices and corporate practices to new levels of social responsibility towards our stakeholders, our clients, the communities in which we thrive, and our future generations. As you know, major changes took place during the implementation of the first Action Plan, notably with the growth of our company, which has now led us to become a world-class professional services firm. With our firm s expansion comes new challenges and responsibilities, and this is what we want to address in this second Sustainability Action Plan. Ultimately, our aspiration for our Canadian operations is to be the leading professional services consultancy to the built and natural environment. To move us towards that vision, and to live up to our Global Sustainability Policy, the 2014-2016 Action Plan sets out a series of objectives centered around two main focal points: OPERATIONS Make our offices and corporate practices even more sustainable and further empower our staff to create change. SERVICES Leverage our expertise to deliver cutting-edge sustainable services, measure the impact of our recommendations, and engage more effectively with like-minded clients and stakeholders. In addition to these two focal points, we are also adding accountability, as we will ensure that the disclosure of our extrafinancial performance meets international best practices. To our staff, we thank you for your continued commitment. All that was achieved in recent years was of your making, and we encourage you to get involved in furthering our sustainability vision with this second Action Plan as your inspiration. To our clients and stakeholders: this is the cause that drives us forward, and we hope to continue this journey together with you. MARC RIVARD President and Chief Operating Officer Canada/ Caribbean/ France ANDRÉ-MARTIN BOUCHARD National V.P. Environment, WSP Canada Inc. Chair National Sustainable Development Committee 2
A SECOND ACTION PLAN In 2010, our Canadian offices approved a Sustainable Development Policy that would be implemented through an Action Plan covering the 2011, 2012 and 2013 calendar years. That plan was successfully completed on the 31st of December 2013, marking a key step in our growth as a business. Building on the first Action Plan s success, and further implementing WSP s Global Sustainability Policy, WSP in Canada is now committing itself to a second Action Plan covering 2014 through to 2016. THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE SECOND ACTION PLAN IS ONE OF GETTING PREPARED FOR THE CHALLENGES THAT LIE AHEAD WITH REGARDS TO SUSTAINING A STRONG ECONOMY WHILE ENSURING THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THE BUILT, HUMAN AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS. BEING FUTURE-READY IS BEING BOTH RESPONSIBLE AND RESILIENT. André-Martin Bouchard Chair of the National Sustainable Development Committee Canada 3
SECOND ACTION PLAN OBJECTIVES The Action Plan has five main objectives, organised as follows: OPERATIONS OBJECTIVE 1 Implement a system of sustainability standards for offices (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) OBJECTIVE 2 Increase the level of our staff s personal engagement/commitment with regards to sustainability OBJECTIVE 3 Maintain and increase corporate departments commitments SERVICES OBJECTIVE 4 Measure and communicate the impact of Canadian sustainable commercial projects ACCOUNTABILITY OBJECTIVE 5 Apply Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Guidelines Each objective is then broken down into smaller sub-objectives, with information on targets and how progress against them will be measured. 4
OPERATIONS The first Action Plan set minimum standards across all offices. Among other things, offices now have recycling programs, default double-sided printing settings, utilize ethically-sourced paper and have committed to reducing the use of individual vehicles through a wide variety of measures. In Canada, WSP s corporate departments have also achieved strong sustainability progress with regards to sustainability training and awareness, employee engagement as well as Health, Safety & Environment measures. In the years 2014-2016, we will maintain the corporate programs, plans and practices established in the previous Action Plan. On top of that, offices will now have access to an internal Office Certification Program with Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum standards. These standards will require offices to implement measures and policies specified in our Standards Guidelines, and will necessitate an audit by management in order to be attributed a certification. The passion with which our staff generate ideas and sustainable solutions will also be leveraged in various ways to establish a strong network of expertise in sustainability across the business. Corporate departments will maintain and deepen their already ambitious targets and objectives 1, while further developing measures that will enable a better control of the company s environmental and social impact. OBJECTIVE 1. Implement a system of sustainability standards for offices (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) Sub-objectives How progress will be measured Target Sub-Objective 1a Apply WSP s Office Sustainability Standards to Canadian offices by conducting an initial round of certification for all offices Number of offices of more than 10 permanent staff having successfully received initial certification (Bronze) All offices with confirmed Bronze (or higher) certification level by the end of 2015 Sub-Objective 1b Encourage offices to move up in certification levels (i.e. from Bronze to Silver, Silver to Gold) and hold office managers accountable for the achievement of these standards 1 As set out in the first Sustainable Development Action Plan Increase in certification level against the previous year s baseline (i.e. number of new Silver, Gold or Platinum certifications) By 2015: 5 Silver certified offices By 2016: 6 Silver certified offices and 2 Gold certified offices 5
OPERATIONS OBJECTIVE 2. Increase the level of our staff s personal engagement/commitment with regards to sustainability Sub-Objectives How progress will be measured Target Sub-Objective 2a Reinforce and support the Local Sustainability Coordinators network and recognise their efforts Sub-Objective 2b Lead and encourage participation in an online network for employees individual environmental footprint management (i.e. PACT 2 ) Coordinator-to-office ratio Number of Certificates of Recognition* distributed Timely implementation of key phases. Degree of participation in online platform (number of registered users/contributors, posts). Consistently over 95% of offices with a Coordinator in charge of sustainability, for all offices with >10 permanent employees All current coordinators are in the process of receiving their Certificate of Recognition. New coordinators will receive certification within 6 months of accepting the role. 2014: Launch pilot phase 2015: Complete the translation (EN-FR) of the selected tool(s) and roll-out according to demand. 2014 through 2016: Regular corporate announcements (at least twice a year) on progress and success stories. 70% of initial users participate for at least a year in usage of platform * Certificates of Recognition are distributed to local coordinators upon demonstration of successful engagement with in sustainability practises. 2 PACT is a software-based environmental footprint management system for staff. It has been used in various contexts and regions within WSP and is considered for implementation across Canadian offices. 6
OPERATIONS OBJECTIVE 3. Maintain and increase corporate departments commitments Sub-Objectives How progress will be measured Target Sub-Objective 3a Information Technologies (IT) Decrease our technologies overall energy and waste impact % of recycled IT equipment 95% of equipment for which specialised recycling facilities exist % decrease in IT-related Energy Consumption (estimate) 10% in energy intensity decrease between 2014 and 2016. Sub-Objective 3b Health, Safety & Environment Maintain a prevention-oriented culture in the areas of health, safety and environment Frequency of Lost-time injury rates per year Frequency of Recordable incidents per year Frequency of Worksite spills per year Number of projects with P360* HS&E scoping at the inception stage Objective of 0 (zero) Objective of 0 (zero) Objective of 0 (zero) 90% of P360-compatible projects scoped by early 2015 Sub-Objective 3c Human Resources Motivate employees and leverage sustainability to encourage retention % of employee retention rate 87% or higher % of net fees invested in training of staff across Canada 1% nationally * WSP uses P360, a tool to improve and standardize our internal project management processes. The software will include scoping tools for HS&E. Some sustainability objectives make use of P360 to measure progress and generate useful information. 7
SERVICES OBJECTIVE 4. Measure and communicate the impact of Canadian Sustainable Commercial Projects Being a professional services company provides a significant opportunity to do well by doing good. Historically, our services have helped clients restore the natural environment, transform the built environment, de-carbonise, waste nothing and enrich peoples lives. It is with a renewed confidence in our commitment to sustainability that we now aim to deliver even more sustainable services, while making sure we measure the impact of our recommendations properly. It is our hope that we can engage in a meaningful conversation and partnerships with like-minded clients and stakeholders to continue to learn while also showcasing our successes. Sub-objectives How progress will be measured Target Sub-Objective 4a Measure the sustainability impact of WSP s projects by creating and using sustainability measures Presence or absence of tools and measures. By 2014, assemble a WSP expert panel on sustainability metrics and include tools within P360 to measure the sustainability impact of projects and recommendations provided by our experts. Degree of use of tools and metrics by project managers. 5% of P360-compatible projects with measured sustainability impact by end of 2014, 10% by 2015, and 15-20% by 2016. Sub-Objective 4b Contribute to WSP s global online inventory of sustainable commercial projects Number of projects added to the database Add an average of 15 projects per year to the database, with measures of impact Sub-Objective 4c Encourage WSP s sustainability leaders, directors and other staff to act as ambassadors of sustainability Frequency of corporate reminders and updates of sustainability materials. Number of presentations by WSP sector leaders and sustainability experts made to internal audiences (i.e. luncheons) and in the marketplace. Yearly corporate reminders. Yearly updates of sustainability material and presentations. Target yearly increase in number of presentations made to staff by WSP experts, and encourage the use of sustainability mini-presentations within corporate presentations. 8
ACCOUNTABILITY OBJECTIVE 5. GRI Sustainability Reporting In order to provide clients, shareholders and stakeholders with an accurate view of our Canadian sustainability activities and extra-financial performance, sustainability reporting will be performed according to Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines 1. These guidelines are globally-recognised, and help organisations in the reporting of the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of their activities, products and services. Sub-objectives How progress will be measured Target Sub-Objective 5a Conduct a Stakeholder Engagement Process (SEP) 2 Timely completion of SEP Conduct SEP by end of 2014 Sub-Objective 5b Conduct a Materiality Assessment Timely completion of Materiality Assessment Conduct 1 Materiality Assessment by end of 2014 Sub-Objective 5c Review the current second Action Plan according to the Stakeholder Engagement Process and Materiality Assessment Timely completion of review Review completed by Q2 2015 Sub-Objective 5d Integrate the measurement of important environmental metrics (i.e. greenhouse gas emissions) in business processes and office management practices Sub-Objective 5e Disclose Sustainability Report according to GRI guidelines Number of metrics integrated N/A Carry out greenhouse gas emission reporting according to GRI-accepted standards by Q1 2015. Measure other metrics through office samples in 2015 and select metrics to be deployed across all offices for 2016. First report published by June 2015 for year 2014 1 More information on GRI Reporting can be found on their website: www.globalreporting.org 2 Stakeholder Engagement Process and Materiality Assessments are two components of the GRI requirements. 9
IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISM OF THE ACTION PLAN The implementation of the second Action Plan is overseen by the National Sustainable Development Committee (NSDC). The NSDC is primarily composed of representatives from each of Canada s regions. These representatives also act as Regional Sustainable Development Coordinators, motivating employees and local coordinators, organizing SD events as well as reporting back on regional news and progress to the NSDC. This action plan covers all our activities in Canada. B.C. ALTA. SASK. MAN. ONT. QUE. N.L. N.B. P.E.I. N.S. The following Corporate departments are also represented within the Committee: u u u u Information Technologies (IT) Communications Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) Human Resources (HR) Québec The NSDC is steered by its Chair, André-Martin Bouchard (National VP - Environment), with support from a National Sustainability Coordinator, Jean-Benoit Fournier (Sustainability Lead - Canada) Through its Chair and Coordinator, the NDSC represents Canada at the Primary Network meetings, WSP Global s coordinating body for Sustainability. The Action Plan covers the permanent offices of WSP in Canada. The ultimate responsibility for the implementation of the Action Plan sits with Managing Directors of each of these offices, as well as with the heads of Corporate Departments for objectives pertaining to Communications, Health Safety & Environment, Human Resources and Information Technologies. Reporting is the responsibility of the National Sustainability Coordinator, supervised by the NSDC and its Chair. 10
OUR PASSIONATE STAFF At the very core of Sustainable Development at WSP are the Local Sustainable Development Coordinators (volunteers), who act as leaders and motivators in their offices. Thanks to our entrepreneurial culture, there are several ways in which our employees can be involved in implementing more sustainable practices internally and act as ambassadors of sustainability. 11
APPENDIX BRONZE, SILVER & GOLD STANDARDS CANADIAN BUSINESSES Bronze REQUIREMENTS FOR BRONZE LEVEL 1. Successful completion of first Action Plan s objectives, as evaluated by the National Sustainable Development Committee. 2. Statement of understanding and support of WSP Sustainability Policy 3. Action Plan detailing steps for achieving Silver level REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTAINING BRONZE LEVEL 4. The office maintains key objectives set in the first Action Plan (i.e. transportation plan objectives). 5. The office has continually maintained Local Sustainability Coordinator(s) for most of the compliance period, with sufficient support from managing director. 6. Lessons learnt and performance improvement workshops on sustainability for/by staff on a regular basis. 7. Offices sustainability actions included in the induction of all new members of staff (in addition to corporate e-learning programs). 8. Complete implementation of corporate policies (HR, HS&E, IT, ethics, etc). 9. Community engagement in line with local cultures/practices and the needs of the business and the community. MONITORING AND MEASUREMENT REQUIREMENTS 10. Measurement of direct carbon emissions (energy consumption and business travel) integrated in business operations (web-based data collection system). 11. Annual review of sustainability performance (against each element of the WSP Group Sustainability Strategy and Policy) by the National Sustainable Development Committee. 12. Measurement of the sustainability outcomes of at least one commercial project managed by the office annually. (Guidance on these metrics to be issued in early 2014). 12
BRONZE, SILVER & GOLD STANDARDS CANADIAN BUSINESSES APPENDIX Silver REQUIREMENTS FOR SILVER LEVEL 1. All bronze standard requirements are met plus the following additional criteria. COMMITMENT & LEADERSHIP 2. Action Plan detailing steps for achieving Gold level. 3. Sustainability is integrated into the offices business plans, which clearly addresses each element of the WSP Group Sustainability Strategy and Policy. IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS 4. A customer engagement program that integrates feedback on sustainability. 5. A program to reduce carbon emissions, waste and water consumption. 6. A program to identify goods and services that can be provided locally. 7. A green building certification (e.g. LEED) sought upon (a) major renovation, (b) development or (c) lease (new or renewal) of a client-facing office. Businesses can meet Silver standard without meeting this criteria, providing no lease opportunities have occurred. 8. Either a volunteer or a pro bono coordinated program for staff, with the participation of the community being monitored. MONITORING AND MEASUREMENT REQUIREMENTS 9. Measurement and management of sustainability metrics of offices, specifically: a. Monitoring of direct carbon emissions (energy consumption in offices and business travel) and reporting every 6 months against targets. b. Monitoring of avoided waste (from recycling and re-use of office material) and residual waste to provide annual estimates. c. Monitoring of water consumption (when technically feasible) to provide annual results. 10. Measurement of the sustainability outcomes of all commercial projects with significant sustainability impact managed by the office. (Guidance on these metrics to be issued early 2014). 13
BRONZE, SILVER & GOLD STANDARDS CANADIAN BUSINESSES APPENDIX Gold REQUIREMENTS FOR GOLD LEVEL 1. All Silver standard requirements are met plus the following additional criteria. COMMITMENT & LEADERSHIP 2. The Action Plan, signed by the office manager, to commit to become a carbon, water and waste neutral office. IMPLEMENTATION 3. Implementation of an effective continuous development program for staff on sustainability (the business needs to justify its effectiveness). 4. A green lease/agreement if office has more than 75 permanent staff. 5. Proprietary office to be certified to an internationally-recognised green building standard. MONITORING & MEASUREMENT REQUIREMENTS 6. A continuous management program for carbon, waste and water monitoring. Platinum A BUSINESS THAT: 1. is carbon, water and waste neutral; 2. occupies green buildings; 3. is able to measure the sustainability outcomes of its project work; 4. implements exemplary staff learning and development programs; and 5. carries out community engagement programs. 14
CONTACT INFORMATION Jean-Benoit Fournier, M.Sc. National Sustainable Development Coordinator WSP Canada Inc. 171-A, rue Léger Sherbrooke (Québec) J1L 1M2 Canada T +1 819-562-8888 x. 20232 F +1 819-562-7888 Jean.benoit.fournier@wspgroup.com www.wspgroup.com/canada