Guelph Hydro Clears a Path to Sustainability!
Not only did Guelph Ontario, top MSN Money’s Next Most Livable Cities list this year, it’s also paving the way for sustainable cities to properly secure their energy futures as well. In a time when so many organizations are blowing alot of hot air about their sustainability practices, Guelph Hydro is actually taking a clear, visible and (most importantly) measurable public stance on how it expects to achieve such goals. By releasing its 2010 Sustainability Report, Guelph Hydro Inc. not only becomes one of the first electrical utilities in Ontario to publish a such a report, but also becomes one of only a few utilities in the entire world to actually measure its performance according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). This thrusts Guelph Hydro into a valued leadership position as Ontario’s municipalities map out their own paths towards sustainable futures.
So what’s in this for you?
Since this particular report outlines Guelph Hydro’s efforts to balance its environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic success to benefit ALL stakeholders, there are all sorts of opportunities here to discover unique challenges, beneficial lessons, and innovative solutions for other businesses and municipalities. This report can also foster greater public understanding and stimulate future considerations of the enormous impact that can be made at the community and municipal level in terms of assuring sustainable energy practices.
So feel free to post your concerns and questions below, and share your resulting thoughts, because the people behind this report are eager to see where all this can go!
READ MORE: For story-ideas and full SocialMedia Resources
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USABLE QUOTES
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IMAGES
ABOUTINFO and CONTACTS
KEY FACTS & POINTS
- Guelph Hydro Inc. is one of the first utilities in Ontario to publish a Sustainability Report (SR) and is playing a key leadership role in advancing sustainable energy management at the municipal level.
- Guelph’s Sustainability Report demonstrates the methodology behind cooperatively developing sustainable energy solutions
- Guelph has defined VERY ambitious goals as it grows by 50%:
• Use 50% less energy per capita than comparable cities
• Cause 60% less GHG emissions per capita - Guelph Hydro Inc. is one of only a few utilities around the world to measure its sustainability performance against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
- GRI’s Reporting Framework is developed through a consensus-seeking, multi-stakeholder process. Participants are drawn from global business, civil society, labor, academic and professional institutions
- Guelph Hydro Inc. is creating value and facilitating economic growth in Guelph and Rockwood regions of Ontario
- Guelph Hydro Inc. is promoting customer and employee safety
- Encouraging and valuing the participation of customers and employees through internal dialogues, that lead to public benefits.
- Formulating and engaging in community outreach plans and programs to share knowledge and spread the greater benefits of understanding
STORY ANGLES
- Showcasing the development process for grass-roots and community-based energy projects that support Ontario’s Green Energy and Economy Act and Guelph’s Community Energy Initiative
- Guelph Hydro Inc. is protecting the environment and championing energy conservation methods which other utilities can support and emulate
- Promoting the challenges and rewards of integrating sustainable business practices into the day-to-day operations of the city and it’s partners
- Presenting the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) as a well-standardized framework for reporting an organization’s environmental, social and economic performance.
- Establishing progressive energy models that all of Ontario utilities and cities can also use to become better global citizens, while assuring a measurable sense of excellence in their local pursuits of sustainability.
- Explore the beneficial governing processes of the GRI’s Reporting Framework as it’s developed through a consensus-seeking, multi-stakeholder process. Participants are drawn from global business, civil society, labor, academic and professional institutions
- Guelph’s “Community Energy Initiative” has earned international attention for it’s pioneering approach to planning energy management at a municipal level. This was developed by a Consortium that included the City; Union Gas; Guelph Hydro; business and industry representatives; the University of Guelph; school boards; and Chamber of Commerce, with the assistance of international energy expert Peter Garforth
- Energy Management offers better defined specialty roles within both industrial as well as governmental settings. Guelph’s Community Energy Manager Rob Kerr could attest to the challenges and responsibilities of this role within their Environmental Services department.
Prompts and Questions
The following are questions intended to prompt further discussions and cultivate additional Public and/or Media interest. Please feel free to respond or repost via socialmedia mentions, or append your views and valued input directly into the ‘Comments’ section below.
- Are there alternative or competing reporting systems for sustainability which would service similar needs as the GRI? If so, why is the GRI a more ideal choice for Guelph Hydro’s reporting needs?
- What indications are there that the role of “Energy Manager” will begin to spread in various other industries, and what are the perceived challenges and benefits of formalised energy policies and procedures?
- Since Guelph city staff are working with Guelph Hydro and other partners and stakeholders to implement the directions in the initiative , will regular progress reports be made available to Council, partner agencies, the public and the media?
TWEETS & STATUSES
- Guelph Hydro publishes its first #Sustainability Report using high standards of the Global Reporting Initiative #GRI
- Guelph Hydro leads the way for Ontario’s utilities with its first #Sustainability Report http://wp.me/pIeK3-pv
- Guelph, Canada’s most livable city (MSN), attracts new green businesses through it’s Community Energy Initiative http://bit.ly/ob6uDR
QUOTES
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SOURCES & BACKGROUNDERS
Guelph Hydro Inc. 2010 Sustainability Report
http://bit.ly/oIIfHy (shortlink to report)
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
Ontario’s Green Energy and Economy Act
Guelph’s Community Energy Initiative
http://wp.me/pIeK3-pv
(shortlink to this release at EnviroNauts.com)
KEYWORDS
Guelph Hydro, Guelph Hydro Inc, Sustainability, Global Reporting Initiative, GRI, sustainable electrical utilities, sustainable electrical utility, 2010 Sustainability Report, Sustainability report, sustainable development, community energy, green energy, alternative energy, electricity, energy, power, energy conservation, environmental stewardship, Community Energy Initiative, Energy Management
IMAGES
ABOUT
Guelph Hydro Inc.
Owned by the City of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Guelph Hydro Inc. is the holding company for Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc., the local electricity distribution company serving Guelph and Rockwood, Ontario, Canada, and for Ecotricity Guelph Inc., an alternative energy company, also located in Guelph.
Guelph Hydro Inc. is helping to create a reliable, diversified and sustainable energy supply to ensure the long-term competitiveness and prosperity of the communities it serves. The company is actively developing sustainable energy projects as a key implementer of the City of Guelph’s internationally renowned Community Energy Initiative.
EnviroNauts
This site is an independent writing and research service that seeks to seed and spread positive and productive messages that can improve the collective state of our shared environments and existence. This service explores the traditional value of Public Relations methods to discover deeper implications and future significance, which is then applied to augmented SocialMedia initiatives for greater proliferative potential.
CONTACT
EnviroNauts:
JoFergus [at] ymail [dot] com
Guelph Hydro Inc.
Sustainability@guelphhydro.com
Sandy Manners
Director of Corporate Communications
Guelph Hydro Inc.
Tel: 519-837-4703 Cell: 226-218-0157
Email: smanners@guelphhydro.com
Website: www.guelphhydroinc.com
Global Reporting Initiative
Lucy Goodchild, Media Relations Manager
goodchild@globalreporting.org
http://www.globalreporting.org
Peter Garforth, of Garforth International LLC
Peter@GarforthInternational.com
peter@garforthint.com
City of Guelph
Rob Kerr
Community Energy Manager
Environmental Services
T: 519-822-1260 x 2079
E: rob.kerr@guelph.ca
Copyright © EnviroNauts.com
Produced with the assistance of M-Thirty in support of ABetterEnergyPlan.ca
At Guelph Hydro, we consider ourselves very lucky to be operating in a community that has the political will as well as the strong support of organizations like the Chamber and the University as well as residents and businesses to make changes for the better. Everyone truly is working in tandem to achieve the very ambitious goals set out in the City of Guelph Community Energy Initiative.
Thanks for including us on your blog.
Sandy Manners, Director of Corporate Communications, Guelph Hydro