Chosen as one of Canada's Greenest Employers for 2011:
By Kristina Leung and Richard Yerema, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editor
(
Apr 20, 2011)
Some of the reasons why Ontario Public Service was selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2011):
released its "Go Green Action Plan" in 2007 (now referred to as the "Climate Change Action Plan") that provides an overall framework for action to help the province reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions -- setting province-wide emission reduction targets, strategies for promoting more widespread use of clean and renewable energy sources, and a range of measures to reduce the carbon footprint of the province's industrial, transportation, municipal and residential sectors (the plan is championed by the "Climate Change Secretariat", who reports directly to senior levels of government)
in support of the action plan, the government established an in-house "Green Office" in 2008 to oversee its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint -- the office is led by an Assistant Deputy Minister within the Ministry of Government Services -- and is responsible for implementing a multi-year "Green Transformation Strategy" to guide and demonstrate the provincial government's commitment to sustainability for its own operaitons
the Service has established carbon dioxide reduction targets in keeping with its overall Go Green Action Plan -- to a 19 percent reduction in emissions below the 2006 baseline level by 2014 and 27 percent by 2020 -- through addressing vehicle use and fuel consumption, paper consumption, business air travel, packaging and waste reductions, water and energy consumption
as part of its reduction efforts, the OPS diverts electronic waste from landfills (over 680,000kg since 2007), is moving to FSC-certified paper products where possible (and double-sided printing), paperless pay stubs, has optional summer attire programs for many employees (reducing the need for AC in the summer), has updated its auto fleet procurement policies (with over 740 hybrids on the road saving over 700,000 litres of fuel each year), recently hooked-up the Queen's Park location to Enwave's Deep Water Cooling system in Toronto (saving enough energy each year to power 1,000 homes)
has introduced a number of renewable energy options, from Bullfrog green energy purchases to wind and solar energy installation at northern sites, the Ministry of Environment's head office in downtown Toronto, and travel centres in Eastern Ontario
across the province, the OPS reduced electricity consumption in its buildings by 12% from 2004 to 2007 -- and has recently committed itself to reduce electricity consumption by a further 10% by 2012
maintains a unique re-use and re-deployment program for everything from furniture to computers to paper to heavy equipment to laboratory equipment, ensuring that items that can be used elsewhere in the province are saved, cataloged and shipped to where they can be re-used -- approximately 30,000 items are re-deployed every year
encourages employee involvement through a educational green intranet site, called "Think Green", and has employee-led "Green Teams" across the Service to help develop and implement new initiatives across the province, including aggressive recycling programs, car pooling, and volunteer support for annual events such as Earth Day, Earth Hour, the annual Clean Air Commute Week, the OPS Tap Water Campaign and the Green Ideas Campaign, to name a few
recently hosted the fifth annual juried "OPS Think Green Art Show" that included over 130 art pieces from employees (and family members) -- winning selections were displayed for a full month at the John B. Aird Gallery in Toronto
through the Ministry of Research and Innovation, the Service recently established a unique Green Fund for Innovative Technology (called GreenFIT) to encourage the government's purchase and piloting of innovative Ontario-made green and clean technologies
has adopted the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard as a minimum for all new government-owned office buildings and major renovations (where possible)
through the Ontario Power Authority, the province recently established the progressive feed-in tariff (FIT) program which offers premium and stable prices for renewable power producers - a significant step in encouraging large- and small-scale alternative energy production in Canada's most populous province
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