ESG PILLAR
Environment
BCE Metric
Target
Verification
2021 performance
YOY CHANGE
Trend
Global Reporting Initiative
Sustainable Development Goals
United Nations Global Compact
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board
WEF5
ESG Pay link6
BCE Metric : Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions7
Intensity target: Reduce the ratio of our operational GHG emissions8 (tonnes of CO2 equivalent) to our network usage (petabytes) by 40% of the 2019 level by the end of 202119
PwC10
Intensity ratio
Intensity ratio
Intensity ratio: 13
Cumulative reduction: -55%
Cumulative reduction: -55%
21% percentage points below 2020; 15 percentage points over target
Achieved
305-4
7 Affordable and clean energy
8 Decent work and economic growth
13 Climate action
8 Decent work and economic growth
13 Climate action
7,8,9
TC-TL-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
Checked
Checked
New target: 1.5°C-aligned science-based targets11(SBTs)
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
1) Reduce our absolute scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions8 57% by 2030, from a 2020 base year
not applicable
New Target
not applicable
not applicable
305-1
305-2
306-5
305-2
306-5
7 Affordable and clean energy
8 Decent work and economic growth
13 Climate action
8 Decent work and economic growth
13 Climate action
7,8,9
TC-TL-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
Checked
Checked
2) Reach 64% of our suppliers by spend covering purchased goods and services having science-based targets by 2026
not applicable
New Target
not applicable
not applicable
305-2
305-3
306-5
305-3
306-5
7 Affordable and clean energy
8 Decent work and economic growth
13 Climate action
8 Decent work and economic growth
13 Climate action
7,8,9
TC-TL-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
Checked
Checked
3) Reduce our absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from categories other than purchased goods and services12, 42% by 2030, from a 2020 base year
not applicable
New Target
not applicable
not applicable
305-3
305-5
305-5
7 Affordable and clean energy
8 Decent work and economic growth
13 Climate action
8 Decent work and economic growth
13 Climate action
7,8,9
TC-TL-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
Checked
Checked
New target: Reach and maintain a 15% reduction in total waste sent to landfill by 2025 from a 2019 base year.
PwC
-5%
not applicable
Improving
306-2
11Sustainable cities and communities12Responsible consumption and production
7,8,9
TC0301-08
BCE Metric : Circular economy: Hazardous waste
Divert 100% of generated hazardous waste to certified recyclers by 2024
PwC
99%
not applicable
Stable
306-4
11Sustainable cities and communities12Responsible consumption and production
7,8,9
TC0301-08
not applicable
BCE Metric : Circular economy: e-waste recovery
Recover 7 million used TV receivers, modems, mobile phones and WiFi pods between January 1, 2021 and the end of 2023 13
PwC
2,462,098
+367,864;
35% of our 2023 target
35% of our 2023 target
Improving
301-3
306-2
306-2
11Sustainable cities and communities12Responsible consumption and production
7,8,9
TC-TL-440a.1
- Global Reporting Initiative
- Sustainable Development Goals
- United Nations Global Compact principles
- Sustainability Accounting Standards Board
- World Economic Forum
- Priority issues linked to corporate compensation and executive pay. To learn more about the ESG pay link at Bell, see Our corporate responsibility approach on our website
- For 2019, performance is based on data from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019. Starting in 2020, performance is based on data from July 1 of the previous year to June 30 of the reporting year
- Operational GHG emissions include scope 1 and scope 2 emissions. Scope 1 emissions are direct GHG emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by Bell. Scope 2 emissions are indirect GHG emissions associated with the consumption of purchased electricity, heating/cooling and steam required by Bell's activities.
- Network usage includes residential and wholesale Internet, business Internet dedicated (BID), VPN, IPTV, Inter-Network Exchange (INX), prepaid and postpaid wireless services, Wireless Home Internet, Voice-over-LTE traffic, IoT, and enterprise usage, both in Canada and on international roaming partners’ networks. As the methodology for gathering network usage differs from one carrier to the next, and because a company’s business model directly impacts the amount of GHG it emits and how those GHG emissions are calculated and classified (as noted in the Impact of the business model section of Our corporate responsibility approach on our website), the ratio itself cannot be used to directly compare carrier performance. This metric excludes our Bell MTS division.
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has provided limited assurance for indicators marked PwC. Please see PwC’s assurance statement
- Pending approval by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Our SBTs may need to be adjusted in the future because the SBTi requires that targets be recalculated (following the most recent applicable SBTi criteria and recommendations) at a minimum every 5 years, or more often if significant changes occur (e.g.,business acquisitions/divestitures).
- Scope 3 categories covered by this target include GHG emissions from capital goods, fuel- and energy-related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel, employee commuting, downstream transportation and distribution, use of sold products, end-of-life treatment of sold products, franchises and investments.
- WiFi Pods were first included in Bell's customer facing waste recovery target in 2021 because the collection and reuse of WiFi Pods was a new initiative introduced in 2019. Since 2021 marks the beginning of a new reduction target, we believe it is the most appropriate time to start including this data.
ESG PILLAR
Social
BCE Metric
Target
Verification
2021 performance
YOY CHANGE
Trend
Global Reporting Initiative
Sustainable Development Goals
United Nations Global Compact
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board
WEF5
ESG Pay link6
BCE Metric : Employee wellbeing
New target: 90% of people leaders to complete mandatory base training on Mental Health14
not applicable
92%
not applicable
Achieved
403-6, 404
3Good health and well-being4Quality education
not applicable
not applicable
BCE Metric : Team member engagement
Reach and maintain an overall team member engagement score of 75%
PwC
76%15
+3% points; goal surpassed
Achieved
401-1
4 Quality education
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
3,6
TC-SI-330a.2
not applicable
Checked
Maintain engagement above Canadian norm
not applicable
Checked
Goal maintained
Stable
not applicable
4 Quality education
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
3,6
not applicable
not applicable
Checked
BCE Metric : Gender diversity on Board of Directors
30% by the end of 2021 17
PwC
36%
+11% 18
Achieved
405-1
4 Quality education
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
6
not applicable
Checked
Checked
New target: 35% gender diverse representation among directors19
PwC
36%
+11% 18
Achieved
405-1
4 Quality education
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
6
not applicable
Checked
Checked
Revised target: 35% gender diverse representation in executive positions (vice president level and above) by the end of 2023 21
PwC
33%
+1%
Improving
102-8
405-1
405-1
4Quality education5Gender equality8Decent work and economic growth
6
SV-ME-260a.1
TC-SI-330a.3
TC-SI-330a.3
Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) representation
25% BIPOC representation in Bell senior management (director level and above and including executive officers) by 2025
PwC
20%
not applicable
Improving
102-8
405-1
405-1
4 Quality education
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
6
SV-ME-260a.1
TC-SI-330a.3
TC-SI-330a.3
Checked
Checked
Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) representation
40% BIPOC representation in new graduate and intern hires
PwC
41%
not applicable
Achieved
102-8
405-1
405-1
4 Quality education
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
5 Gender equality
8 Decent work and economic growth
6
SV-ME-260a.1
TC-SI-330a.3
TC-SI-330a.3
Checked
Checked
BCE Metric : Time lost accident frequency rate22
Report annually
PwC
1.12
-0.03
Improving
2018:
403-9
403-9
3Good health and well-being8Decent work and economic growth
1,2
not applicable
BCE Metric : Community investment
Make a meaningful contribution to improving mental health in Canadian communities through 4 key action pillars: anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace leadership
PwC
21.7 million
-20 million23
Achieved
201-1
3Good health and well-being10Reduced inequalities
not applicable
not applicable
BCE Metric : 5G network coverage 24
Expand 5G network coverage to 70% of Canada’s population by the end of 2021, and more than 80% by the end of 2022
PwC
>70%
+44% of the population
Improving
not applicable
8Decent work and economic growth9Industry, innovation and infrastructure
9
TC-TL-550a.1,
TC-TL-550a.2
TC-TL-550a.2
BCE Metric : Network Reliability
New target: Maintain network reliability level above 99.99% 25
not applicable
99.9940%
not applicable
Achieved
not applicable
8Decent work and economic growth
not applicable
TC-TL-550a.1,
TC-TL-550a.2
TC-TL-550a.2
not applicable
BCE Metric : Customer Experience
New target: Reduce complaints accepted by the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS)
not applicable
-8%26
not applicable
Improving
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
BCE Metric : Enabling transition to a low carbon economy
New target: Increase carbon savings enabled by the use of Bell’s technology 27
not applicable
4.5 times
+ 2 times (was 2.5 in last study)
Achieved
not applicable
13Climate action
7,8,9
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
- Mental health base training is reflected as the Module 1 of mental health training, to learn more, see Mental health in the workplace information sheet
- This metric is calculated as the average score obtained in the annual Bell team member satisfaction survey. The team member engagement score is based on five specific questions and the percentage of employees who responded favourably (strongly agree or agree) to the questions out of the total number of employees who responded to the survey.
- In alignment with our continuous focus to promote and foster an inclusive environment, we have replaced references to women directors and executives with gender diverse directors, defined as women and directors that identify with a gender other than a man or woman
- Target of 30% non-executive directors by the end of 2021. Following BCE’s 2021 annual shareholder meeting on April 29, 2021, 38% of our non-executive directors and 36% of all directors are women, surpassing our target.
- At December 31, 2020, we were at 25% gender diverse on Board of Directors.
- Target of 35% gender diverse as directors. Following BCE’s 2021 annual shareholder meeting on April 29, 2021, 36% of all directors are gender diverse, surpassing our target and was maintained until December 31, 2021.
- In alignment with our continuous focus to promote and foster an inclusive environment, we have replaced references to women directors and executives with gender diverse directors, defined as women and directors that identify with a gender other than a man or woman
- We revised our target to meet at least 35% gender diverse representation in executive positions by 2023. Our target was to originally meet this ratio by end 2021, although we have remained stable this last year and are aiming to reach this target by 2023.
- Time Lost Accident Frequency Rate = number of time-lost accident cases ÷ number of worked hours × 200,000
- In 2020, we made significant COVID-19 related donations for a total of $41.7 million. Our target was achieved despite the decrease in contribution. Our 2021 contribution of 21.7 million is meaningful to improve mental health in Canada.
- Data valid as at December 31, 2021. The percent of the population covered depends on the plans of our partners, which are not yet fully known, and which could influence the result. Population data is based on the 2016 census conducted by Statistics Canada.
- Bell’s network reliability is referring to our high speed internet connection
- Complaints reported by the CCTS for 2020/2021 year-end being from August 1st 2020 to July 31st 2021.
- Performance is based on our carbon abatement ratio, which is defined as the number of times by which GHG emissions abated through the use of Bell technologies exceed GHG emitted by Bell’s operations.
ESG PILLAR
Governance
BCE Metric
Target
Verification
2021 performance
YOY CHANGE
Trend
Global Reporting Initiative
Sustainable Development Goals
United Nations Global Compact
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board
WEF5
ESG Pay link6
BCE Metric : ISO 14001 certification28
Maintain ISO 14001 certification
Bureau VeritasBur-eauVeri-tas
13th year in a row
Goal achieved
Achieved
102-56
6 Clean water and sanitation11Sustainable cities and communities15Life on land
7,8,9
not applicable
not applicable
BCE Metric : ISO 50001 certification29
New target: Maintain ISO 50001 certification
Bureau VeritasBur-eauVeri-tas
1st commu-nication company in North America
2nd year in a rowGoal achieved
Achieved
102-56
13Climate action
7,8,9
TC-TL-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
TC-SI-130a.1
not applicable
BCE Metric : Data privacy and information security
New target: unresolved well-founded privacy complaints from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
not applicable
0
No Change
Stable
418-1
not applicable
not applicable
TC-TL-220a.3
not applicable
Checked
Revised target: 100% of selected team members completed Bell’s Be Cyber Savvy information security training program by the end of 202230
not applicable
Onboarding rate: 100% Training completion rate: 70%
not applicable
improving
404
4- Quality education
not applicable
TC-TL-230a.2
TC-SI-230a.2
TC-SI-230a.2
not applicable
Checked
New target: Improve year-over-year phishing simulation report rate
not applicable
New Target
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
TC-TL-230a.2
TC-SI-230a.2
TC-SI-230a.2
not applicable
Checked
New target: Align to ISO 27001 standard by the end of 2023
not applicable
50%
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
TC-TL-230a.2
TC-SI-230a.2
TC-SI-230a.2
not applicable
Checked
BCE Metric : Sustainable financing
New target: Issue a sustainability bond allocating proceeds to eligible investments supporting social and environmental efforts
not applicable
$500M
not applicable
Achieved
not applicable
8Decent work and economic growth
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
not applicable
- Our ISO 14001 certification covers Bell Canada’s oversight of the environmental management system associated with the development of policies and procedures for the delivery of landline, wireless, TV and Internet services, broadband and connectivity services, data hosting, cloud computing, radio broadcasting and digital media services, along with related administrative functions.
- Our ISO 50001 certification covers Bell Canada’s energy management program associated with the activities of real estate management services, fleet services, radio broadcasting and digital media services, landline, wireless, TV and Internet services, connectivity, broadband services, data hosting and cloud computing, in addition to related general administrative functions. We were the first communications company to be certified in North America.
- In February 2021, we launched our Be Cyber Savvy information security training program. This training program includes onboarding to our specialized Cyber Savvy platform, performing phishing simulations and taking four courses, which team members have a year to complete once they are on boarded. We have on boarded 100% of selected team members in 2021, and plan for team members to fully complete the training cycle by end of 2022. We have adjusted the training completion target date from 2021 to 2022 to allow for on boarded members to complete the full training. On December 31, 2021, 70% of selected members have completed the full training program. See PwC assurance statement for more information.