2021 Annual Impact Report
Our annual report began including the RJCHC as well as scope 3 – purchased water. We also made adjustments to the 2021 and prior year data to include scope 2 – purchased district heating and cooling. We re-engaged our staff in a materiality survey, updating our 2017 survey results and adding some qualitative questions.
We completed 3 initiatives to lower our electricity usage by replacing 276 (high-intensity discharge) lights with LEDs, installed VFDs (variable frequency drive) on AHU (air handling Units) to allow for ramping down of fans during low occupancy periods, and re-lamped 2000 fluorescent fixtures with LED lamps, for a total emissions savings of just over 450 tCO2e.
We are currently in the process of replacing our 13 obsolete generators with cleaner and more fuel-efficient units that meet the latest emission standards. Slated for completion in 2022, this project will help us to reduce natural gas consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. By 2023, we plan to run these generator sets for only 1,000 hours per year. The estimated CO2 reduction at the three sites is 30,000 tonnes annually, considering lower run time. This represents an approximate 50% reduction in CO2 emissions, getting us halfway to net-zero emissions within 4 years’ time.
Additionally, we are hoping to further expand some of our recycling programs!