- Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse Gases
"I think a company like Bell should take a stand on an issue like Kyoto, which other large corporations have done."
Sidney Ribaux, Co-Founder and General Coordinator - Équiterre
We produce greenhouse gases indirectly through electricity consumption and directly by using hydrocarbons. Our consumption is necessary to light, heat or cool Bell buildings, power telecommunications and electronic equipment and run vehicles to build and maintain Bell's telecommunications network.
As a telecommunications provider and responsible company, we have the dual role of reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions while providing consumers with innovative solutions that minimize travel and help stem climate change. See E-Solutions. We also have numerous energy saving initiatives in place in the company which have a direct and positive impact in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. See Energy.
In December 2005, Bell participated in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Montréal. Attended by delegates from 189 countries that had signed the Kyoto Protocol, the conference focused on GHG emissions reduction. Bell presented several telecommunications solutions as effective tools in reducing GHG emissions, such as audio, video and web conferencing and telework. In order to offset the GHG emissions produced by the conference, thereby making it Climate Preventive, Bell and other participating companies committed to a number of initiatives. For example, Bell will increase the number of teleconferences conducted by its employees in 2006.
Inside the company we document our greenhouse gas emissions and report these annually to our stakeholders including government. We also implement a range of programs aimed at reducing both direct and indirect emissions. Even though Bell's emissions represent only 0.02% of the total CO2e emitted in Canada, we recognize the importance of every contribution in preventing climate change. That's why on February 16, 2006, our Environmental Issues Network Committee approved an Operational Policy on climate change, which proposes actions to reduce the intensity of overall GHG emissions by 15%, by 2012.
Total Emissions
The following table provides details of emissions in terms of a "CO2 equivalent" (CO2e) measure, in line with Canadian and provincial inventories. The measure includes greenhouse gases targeted by the Kyoto Protocol. Conversion factors were taken from the Canadian GHG registries of the Canadian Standards Association, and our calculation methodology was based on the GHG Protocol of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
| Activity | Estimate of CO2e (metric tons) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |
| Indirect Emissions | |||
| Electricity for telecom network | 126,470 | 123,628(1) | 110,773 |
| Electricity for heating and cooling buildings | 59,316 | 58,309(1) | 51,877 |
| Vehicle rentals and use of employee vehicles for company business | 4,724 | 4,598 | 4,251 |
| Direct Emissions | |||
| Gas and fuel oil for buildings and fixed back-up generators | 20,575 | 18,850(1) | 35,673 |
| Bell vehicle fleet | 64,955 | 68,305 | 67,771 |
| Mobile generators | 439 | 366 | 353 |
| Cooling systems (HFCs) | 11,762 | 10,011 | 12,928 |
| Total emissions | 288,240 | 284,066 | 283,625 |
(1)The increase in emissions due to higher electricity consumption is counterbalanced by reduced gas consumption.
Note: 2003 and 2004 data have been adjusted to include the addition of subsidiaries.
Nitrous oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), particulate matters (PM10), and volatile organic compounds (VOC) were also emitted into the air as a result of petroleum based and natural gas combustion. The following table provides an estimate of theses values as a result of the emissions from our fuel and diesel consumption in 2005. Conversion factors were taken from the 2002 MOBILE6 EPA Vehicle Emission Modeling software and the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
| Other Emissions (2005 estimate - metric tons) | NOx | SOx | PM10 | VOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell vehicle fleet | 167 | 3 | 9.3 | 286 |
| Gas and fuel oil for buildings and generators (fixed and mobile) | 203 | 13 | 14.2 | N/A |
| Total | 370 | 16 | 24.5 | N/A |
Our performance indicators
| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Revenues (M $) | 17,300 | 16,787 | 16,614 |
| Intensity*: Tons of CO2e / (M $ Operating Revenues) | 16.7 | 16.9 | 17.1 |
*Intensity is defined as the amount of GHGs that are emitted to provide telecommunications services, based on operating revenues. |
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KEY OBJECTIVE: Reduce intensity of GHG emissions by 15%, by 2012
Reduction Initiatives
Our air emissions are decreasing thanks to our use of renewable energy as well as our ongoing efforts to reduce energy consumption within our Real Estate, Network Operations and Automotive Fleet. These initiatives are described in the Energy section of this report. See Energy.
The following initiatives also contributed to the reduction of greenhouse gases:
| Initiatives | CO2e Reductions (metric tons) 2005 |
|---|---|
| Real Estate and Network Operations | 1,068 |
| Automotive Fleet | 3,350 |
| Employee Awareness | 1,340 |
Employee Awareness
Everyday Kyoto, in partnership with Environment Canada and Québec-based Nature-Action, is our program to engage employees in the global effort. Launched on Earth Day 2004, the program raises awareness of the issues surrounding global warming and of what employees can do individually or through company initiatives to reduce emissions. Program elements included face-to-face and on-line training, a web-based video, posters, articles and web conferences. Click on the image to see the Climate Change awareness video produced early in 2005.
More than 115 information sessions were held throughout the company as part of Everyday Kyoto during the last two years. Employee response has been very positive and more than 1,340 people pledged on our intranet site to act on specific greenhouse gas reduction activities. These commitments were estimated to have reduced CO2e emissions by more than 1,340 tons in 2005.
Telework and Teleconferencing
Telework and teleconferencing contribute to reducing energy and material consumption, and consequently of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Supported by the company's telework and flexSPACETM policies, some 18,400 Bell employees are equipped to telework, potentially avoiding approximately 25 million km/year of work commute and, by extension, the emission of approximately 8,152 metric tons of CO2e annually.
- More than 299,900 teleconferences were conducted by our employees in 2005, each averaging 60 minutes and six participants per conference. Based on a McGill university study of the energy and air emissions saved by teleconferencing, and conservative assumptions about the travel required to attend face-to-face meetings, we estimate that these conferences saved 205,219 metric tons of CO2e in 2005. Benefits on a larger scale were also realized from the 2.5 million teleconferences held by our customers in 2005.
Free bicycles
Launched in 2003, this "zero emissions" initiative provides free bicycles and helmets for personal employee use at six Bell locations. In 2005, the project was expanded to include offices in Québec City. Some 25 bicycles were made available to employees, and were taken out on more than 500 occasions.
