Affiliations and Advocacy

BCE represents the interests of its stakeholders through active participation in industry and business associations as well as advocacy organizations. Our more prominent affiliations are described here.

Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP)

Bell Canada is a member of the Canadian Association of Internet Providers. CAIP's mission is to foster the growth of a healthy and competitive Internet service industry in Canada through collective and cooperative action on Canadian and international issues.

Canadian Business for Social Responsibility

Bell Canada is a sustaining member of CBSR (Canadian Business for Social Responsibility). CBSR is a non-profit, business-led, national membership organization of Canadian companies that have made a commitment to operate in a socially, environmentally and financially responsible manner, recognizing the interests of their stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, business partners, local communities, the environment and society at large.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Bell Canada is a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the largest, most influential advocate for business in Canada. Founded with the aim of creating a strong, unified voice for Canadian business and a set of values from which policies encouraging prosperity would emerge, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the only voluntary, non-political association that has an organized grassroots affiliate in every federal riding across Canada.

Conference Board of Canada

BCE is a member of the Conference Board of Canada. In 2005, we were involved with its Canada Project, Chief Privacy Office Council, Corporate Community Investment, Council on Corporate-Aboriginal Relations, and Council of Public Affairs Executives. Bell Canada also co-chairs the Board's Business Council for Sustainability (BCS). The role of this cross-industry council is to help discover, by presentation and hands-on learning, cutting-edge practices in environmental management and corporate sustainability. It also helps exchange insights and experiences with peers across a diverse range of Canadian organizations, and leverage emerging research, public policy insights and global best/next practice experiences for the benefit of organizations.

Global e-Sustainability Initiative

Bell Canada is a member and the vice-chair of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), an international organization created by Information and Communications Technology (ICT) service providers and suppliers, with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme and International Telecommunication Union. Its aim is to influence the sustainability debate, inform the public of its members' voluntary actions to improve their sustainability performance, and prompt information and communicate technologies that foster sustainable development.

Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC)

Bell Canada is a member of ITAC, whose mission is to identify and lead on issues that affect the information and communications technology (ICT) industry and to advocate initiatives which will enable its continued growth and development.

Mobile Phone Partnership Initiative

Bell Canada is a member of the UNEP Basel Convention Mobile Phone Partnership Initiative (MPPI) program, a pilot project, in partnership with the industry, on the environmentally sound management of end-of-life mobile phones. Members of the working groups address issues such as refurbishment of used mobile phones, collection and trans-boundary movement, material recovery and recycling of end-of-life mobile phones, and awareness-raising design considerations.

North American Telecommunications Industry

Bell Canada is a member of the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) - Environment, Health & Safety Policy Committee. Bell will continue to share knowledge from our environmental initiatives and advance new approaches to environmental protection in the industry.

Strategic Option Process

Bell is the only telecommunications company in Canada to have actively participated in the Canadian Government's Strategic Option Process (SOP) since 1994. The SOP for the Wood Preservation Sector was established to promote environmentally responsible handling of wood treated with preservatives. In 2005, version one of the Industrial Treated Wood Users Guidance Document (UGD) was distributed to industrial users of treated wood throughout Canada by means of an outreach program managed by Environment Canada. The UGD is intended to promote environmentally responsible management of the purchase, use, storage and disposal of wood treated with preservatives. The UGD focuses on recommendations for achieving reductions in releases from in-service use and post-use of industrial treated wood and will be distributed to industrial users throughout Canada during 2005. Bell is committed to following the recommendations in the UGD and is improving pole management practices in its operations.

BCE's Advocacy team

In addition to industry association affiliations, BCE has an internal team dedicated to representing the interests of customers and shareholders directly to government and regulators at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. They are publicly registered as lobbyists where required. (e.g., under the Lobbyists Registration Act).