Awards and Accomplishments

Striving to do things better

Every year, we work hard to reduce our environmental footprint; here are a few of our 2011–2012 achievements.

Print Optimization Project (POP)

CBC/Radio-Canada's Print Optimization Program (POP) has begun rolling out across the Corporation, following the success of the Ottawa pilot project. The results to date are even better than expected. Here are some highlights:

  • The total number of printing devices was reduced from 270 to 88.
  • A total of 35 different models of devices in use (including expensive leased devices) were standardized to six certified models, allowing CBC/Radio-Canada to invest in fewer devices. The replacement models are more efficient, less expensive and easier to support. They are also connected to the network and monitored by the vendors, to ensure immediate response when required.
  • The new, energy-efficient printing devices deliver the same print capability with reduced environmental impact. Among other features, they offer secured printing and can print on both sides of the page.
  • Fax machines were removed and replaced with Call-Pilot software, which resides directly on the workstation. Faxes can now be received or sent without paper and without analogue lines, which are expensive to maintain.
  • Nearly 250 aging and obsolete printing devices were recycled by GEEP (Global Electric Electronic Processing) a certified electronic waste recycling company. Our participation in environmentally responsible recycling helps contribute to protecting our environment.

Greening our fleet

Quebec City's hybrid vehicle
- Quebec City, Quebec

One of the most important things CBC/Radio-Canada has been doing to reduce our environmental footprint is to reduce the age, size and number of our vehicles. In some cases, hybrid vehicles can also provide an affordable green alternative. Although hybrids cost more up front, given the right conditions their fuel savings can compensate for the higher sticker price. According to a recent study of the CBC/Radio-Canada fleet, the break-even point for hybrids was 20,000 kilometres of driving per year, primarily in the city.

Charlottetown was the first location to purchase a hybrid vehicle, a Honda Civic. Quebec City recently followed suit with a Ford Escape. In its first month (August 2011), the hybrid vehicle in Quebec clocked more than 5,000 kilometres and gas savings were equivalent to $3,000 per year. Throughout 2011–2012, CBC/Radio-Canada tested two more hybrids in Toronto. CBC/Radio-Canada’s main focus will be on purchasing smaller more fuel-efficient vehicles, replacing older ones, promoting eco-driving and, wherever possible, decreasing fleet numbers.

LED transition project

CBC/Radio-Canada is on the leading edge when it comes to integrating LED lighting into studio and production environments. The current phase of the CBC/Radio-Canada $1 million LED transition project is complete, with studio conversions in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City and Yellowknife now finished. Plus, a number of LED conversions and upgrades have occurred outside of this project—among others, Saguenay, Trois-Rivières, the Vancouver news studio, and the Ce Soir studio and Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.

This latest CBC/Radio-Canada green project focused on studios that air the most content, use the most energy and would realize the greatest savings by converting to LED. The result is that our studios offer more creativity in their lighting options, use less energy than their tungsten-based counterparts, and reduce the environmental footprint of our productions and our organization overall.

We are receiving additional cost savings through rebate incentives on the purchase price of new LED technology from Hydro-Quebec and BOMA (Ontario), based on usage and reduction of energy consumption. The Corporation will only invest in LED production fixtures going forward. As tungsten equipment is replaced by LED fixtures, it is being redeployed elsewhere in the organization where repairs or upgrades are required (or recycled in an environmentally responsible way), until gradually tungsten fixtures are phased out of our studios.

BOMA Certification

In 2011–2012, two of our locations – Charlottetown and Fredericton – were added to our list of buildings with BOMA BESt certification. We also increased the percentage of total surface area certified BOMA BESt to a new high of 91.4 per cent. We now estimate that slightly more than 95 per cent of our employees work in BOMA BESt–certified buildings.

BOMA BESt is the Canadian industry standard for commercial building sustainability certification, which is based on the internationally recognized and accepted Green Globes™ environmental assessment platform.

Search highlight tool