Environmental Update 2012

While running a national organisation unavoidably has a significant environmental footprint, Council and staff continue to actively explore options to reduce that footprint wherever possible.

Recent initiatives include Council's decision to move to a largely electronic voting format for the recent dues referendum. Although a goodly number of respondents still used their mail-in ballot out of habit, we anticipate no barriers to completing the switch to a fully electronic (phone and internet) balloting system in time for the upcoming CTA ratification vote and Council elections.

We also made the decision to avoid the significant environment impact of the travel required to hold a series of in-person referendum meetings across the country. Instead, we focussed on answering questions online and by phone, and through a series of web conferences scheduled to suit each timezone.

For travel that is unavoidable, we have begun purchasing carbon offsets on an annual basis. At the end of last year, a calculated equivalent in carbon offsets for our Council travel footprint were purchased from Less Emissions Inc. Less is currently the highest rated carbon offset vendor as reviewed by the David Suzuki Foundation and The Pembina Institute. Here is a link to their guide and grading report, if you want more information.