CEA Releases Environmental Report

The Canadian Electricity Association and its member electric utilities have released the 2001 Environmental Commitment and Responsibility (ECR) Program Industry Annual Report. An integral component of the ProgramÂ’s commitment to accountability and transparency, the ECR Report provides a comprehensive picture of the Canadian electricity industryÂ’s environmental performance in 2001.

As a condition of CEA membership, the ECR Program is designed to provide member utilities with a means to manage and report environmental performance, reduce impacts and respond to changing regulatory and public expectations. The ECR Program Report complements CEA member utility environmental programs and provides a snapshot of environmental performance on a national, industry-wide scale.

Don Lowry, ECR Steering Committee Chair and CEO of EPCOR, maintains the electricity industry continues to make steady, incremental improvements based on responsible management, pragmatic regulation, partnering with the public and the pursuit of technological change. “Effective environmental stewardship continues to be an industry priority and a common issue of concern across the industry’s stakeholder groups. The ECR Report reinforces the industry’s commitment to the objectives of the Program, while highlighting individual utilities’ efforts to proactively set environmental goals that go beyond ECR.”

In response to growing public and industry concern, the theme of the 2001 ECR Report is on energy efficiency and its potential to reduce atmospheric emissions. A key strategy in moving towards a sustainable electricity future, the pursuit of end-use energy efficiency is explored as it poses opportunities and challenges to the electricity industry.

As the Program enters its fifth year, the industry is examining various strategies to evolve the ECR Program to ensure it remains a vital and relevant initiative. Throughout this process, the Program will continue to focus on its original intent to underscore the industryÂ’s commitment to addressing the environmental concerns of Canadians.