RBC is committed to proactive and prudent management of the
environmental aspects of our business. The RBC
Environmental Blueprint describes the policies, programs,
and guidelines planned or underway to support this commitment.
We believe that fulfilling our environmental goals will lead
to short- and long-term benefits for clients, shareholders,
employees and the communities in which we live and conduct
business.
2010 Performance Highlights
A wave of support: RBC calls
for Blue Water Project Grant applications
RBC Blue Water Project
commits $1 million to help rebuild Haiti infrastructure
2009 Performance Highlights
RBC and other industry experts
launch CleanTech North
RBC signs Copenhagen Communiqué
joining business leaders around the world calling for action
on climate change
RBC’s participation in the 2010
Olympic Torch Relay, Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games will be carbon neutral
RBC
named to Canadian Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index 2009
Spotlight
on Real Estate: Top Four Trends in Green Buildings
RBC's Blue Water
Project donates $4.1 million to 31 organizations around the
world
RBC to support offshore wind
generation projects in the United Kingdom
RBC sponsors Cleantech Growth
& Go-to-Market Report
RBC
to support Imagine H20 Innovation Challenge
RBC is the first bank to participate
in Alberta carbon offset market
RBC
named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers
| Priorities |
2008 Performance highlights |
| Reduce the intensity
of our environmental footprint |
Converted all office
paper purchased in Canada, the U.S. and the British Isles
to paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council,
the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
or to 100% recycled content
Opened 36 new green-powered branches in Canada, giving
us a total of 76 Canadian branches powered by 5,042 MWh
of certified “green” emission-free power, and
reducing our carbon footprint by 2,095 tonnes
Expanded our energy data coverage to 65% of our global
floor area compared to 35% coverage in 2007. This is the
first year we reported energy data for major leased premises
in Canada, the United States and British Isles, including
energy reporting for our key data and processing centres
|
| Promote environmentally responsible business
activities |
Performed detailed environmental credit
risk assessments on 650 transactions in Canada and the
United States
Applied the Equator Principles to five large projects
Trained Capital Markets and Risk Management staff on climate
change and carbon markets |
| Offer environmental
products and services |
Launched our greenhouse
gas (GHG) emission trading desk with capabilities to transact
on exchanges in Canada, the United States and the European
Union
Launched the RBC Energy Saver™ mortgage in Canada
which offers clients a $300 rebate on a home energy audit
Expanded our electronic statement program, switching more
than 1.3 million accounts from paper to electronic statements
|
Learn more about RBC
and the Environment
Vital Statistics
| |
2008 |
2007 |
2006 |
| Office paper
use/FTE |
.059 |
.060 |
.054 |
Energy use per m2 -
branches (MWh/m2)
|
.308 |
.286 |
.270 |
Energy use
per m2 -
major leased premises (MWh/m2)
|
.515 |
- |
- |
CO2e emissions from energy
use***
(tonnes/m2)
|
.092 |
.053 |
.050 |
CO2e emissions
from employee
travel (tonnes/FTE)
|
.355 |
.382 |
.359 |
Transactions assessed
under Equator Principles
|
5 |
6 |
4 |
Issues and trends
RBC is mindful of environmental issues and emerging trends
and, where possible, incorporates measures to address these
challenges in policies and programs. Some of the trends we
are observing include:
- While all companies must take responsibility for the
environmental impact of their direct operations and purchasing
activities, financial institutions are also expected to
assess the environmental impact of the activities of the
clients to whom we provide credit.
- Financial institutions are increasingly expected to provide
services that allow clients to reduce their impact on the
environment and adapt to unavoidable environmental impacts,
such as climate change and water scarcity.
- Financial institutions are increasingly expected to develop
and adhere to lending and procurement policies that promote
sustainable development.
- There is a growing demand for quality and quantity in
environmental and social reporting. The proliferation of
sustainability ratings, indices and NGO information requests
can divert resources away from designing, implementing and
managing environmental programs.
- There has been a growing level of NGO opposition to providing
financing to carbon intensive sectors, especially for oil
sands development and coal-fired power generation.
- There is growing consumer suspicion of exaggerated or
false claims regarding a company's environmental performance
or the environmental virtues of a product or service, known
as "greenwash."
