Sustainability is one of our core values at Resolute, and our CEO himself, Richard Garneau, can often be heard discussing the importance of balancing the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic. Back in 2010, we made some important changes to our practical approach to sustainability. We set a number of ambitious targets in several different areas, and we began producing a GRI-compliant sustainability report to provide updates on those targets. But perhaps most importantly, we gathered a team of some of our best and brightest to tackle the responsibility of ensuring that we, as a company, respect our commitments.
That team is Resolute’s Sustainability Committee. Thanks to this group, we’ve improved our performance in areas ranging from health and safety to energy use to sustainable forest management – and we’re constantly looking for ways to do more.
The official mandate of Resolute’s Sustainability Committee is to:
- Recommend sustainability goals;
- Track and measure progress; and
- Ensure continuous improvement in the Company’s sustainability efforts and initiatives.
To carry out this mandate, the group holds regular in-person meetings throughout the year. “Meetings last about three hours, allowing everyone present to provide updates and present any issues or suggestions they may have,” says Pascale Lagacé, Vice President, Environment, and the Committee member responsible for Environment. “Of course, the bulk of the work happens between meetings – once the targets are set, countless hours are required to identify and implement improvement projects, compile the performance data and analyze our results.”
The Committee, led by the Vice President, Corporate Communications, Sustainability and Government Affairs, reports directly to Resolute’s Executive Team, and includes key experts from the following areas:
| Forestry | Research & Development |
| Environment | Procurement |
| Health & Safety | Human Resources |
| Logistics | Communications & Public Affairs |
| Finance & Investor Relations | Sustainability Reporting |
| Sales | Governance & Legal |
During the last meeting on June 12, the Committee conducted an in-depth review of our progress against our current commitments, and continued the running discussion on new targets for 2015 and beyond. Some time was also spent reviewing changes and emerging trends in the world of sustainability reporting, to ensure we plan accordingly and stay ahead of the curve when it comes to disclosing our performance. Since each of the Committee members comes from different backgrounds and faces different challenges from day to day, the meetings provide a forum for exchanging ideas, identifying synergies, and ensuring a consistent approach throughout the Company.
“As members of the Sustainability Committee, we have a responsibility to make sure we do what we say we’re going to do,” says Seth Kursman, Committee Chair. “It’s fascinating work, and it’s a great feeling to know that we’re creating real, positive and significant change.”
