accountable

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accountable
2008 Sustainability Report
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About this Report
This is ATCO Group’s first biennial sustainability report. Our goal is to demonstrate our accountability to employees,
investors, customers, community members, suppliers and regulators.
We used the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G3 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines to help determine the
content. Under the GRI G3 Guidelines we achieved a C level of reporting.
With more than 7,700 people in nine principal operating subsidiaries with diverse activities worldwide, preparation
of this first report represents extensive effort by many of our employees. It was prepared with the best information
we were able to gather, although in some cases not all data is yet available.
We will build on and add to the data in coming years. We also expect to add to the stories that showcase
our commitment to communities, our people, environmental innovation, our health & safety standards, and
economic sustainability.
The accuracy of this first report for our readers has also been of significant concern. Senior management and
relevant staff have reviewed all information and believe it is an accurate representation of our performance.
We undertook a variety of internal and external assurance activities on information presented in this report,
including financial, environmental, health and safety performance, management system and compliance audits.
Third-party assurance did not take place.
Unless otherwise noted, the data covers performance for the year ended December 31, 2008, for ATCO Ltd.
The terms ATCO, ATCO Group and the Corporation refer to ATCO Group as a whole. Company names are used
to refer to subsidiaries, such as ATCO Gas, ATCO Power, or ATCO Pipelines. In July 2009, ATCO announced
the reorganization of its operating subsidiaries into three closely aligned business groups: Utilities, Energy and
Structures & Logistics. In this report, we refer to ATCO Structures & Logistics, which was formed from combining
ATCO Structures, ATCO Frontec and ATCO Noise Management.
Financial data is in Canadian dollars and environmental data is in metric units. Unless noted, data does not cover
contractors or temporary employees.
www
This icon indicates additional information on a specific subject is available through our
website www.atco.com.
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inside
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president’s message
21
employees
25
4
community
environment
17
health & safety
29
performance
Corporate Structure............................................................................................................................................... 3
President’s Message.............................................................................................................................................. 4
Management Approach......................................................................................................................................... 6
Environment.......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Health & Safety.................................................................................................................................................... 17
Employees........................................................................................................................................................... 21
Community.......................................................................................................................................................... 25
Performance........................................................................................................................................................ 29
GRI Content Index............................................................................................................................................... 32
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Sustainability Through the Years
Year
Story
1970s
ATCO Gas established a program to encourage use of natural gas as a cleaner fuel option for industrial
applications and vehicles.
1988
ATCO sponsored major projects for the XV Olympic Winter Games including the dramatic flare on top of the
Calgary Tower and the Canmore Athletes’ village.
1991
Founding partner of Alberta EcoTrust Foundation with continued strong partnership today.
1993
ATCO Power commissioned first Canadian cogeneration plant in Taylor, British Columbia.
1995
ATCO Pipelines began reporting under the Canadian Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Challenge Registry through the
Canadian Standards Association.
2001
ATCO EnergySense founded. Delivers to customers education and outreach programs on energy efficiency.
2003
ATCO Power commissioned its first run-of-river hydro project at Oldman River, Alberta.
2004
ATCO Electric earned the Edison Electric Institute’s International Award for their completion of the Dover-Whitefish
transmission line. ATCO Electric is the first Canadian company in the 77 year history of the award to win it.
2005
ATCO Gas partnered with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) to develop a commercial scale fuel cell.
2006
EPIC (Employees Participating in Communities) launched company wide.
2007
ATCO Gas partnered to create a leading North American community solar heating system in Okotoks, Alberta.
2009
ATCO Power and ATCO Pipelines recognized for their outstanding safety records for the fifth and sixth
consecutive years, respectively.
ATCO’s Worldwide Presence
We have provided products and services in over 100 countries around the world.
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Corporate Structure
ATCO Group is comprised of two publicly traded companies – ATCO Ltd.
(ATCO) and Canadian Utilities Limited (CU). ATCO Group is an Alberta based,
international group of companies with more than 7,700 employees and assets
of approximately $9.8 billion. We deliver service excellence and innovative
business solutions worldwide with leading companies engaged in Utilities
(pipelines, natural gas and electricity transmission and distribution), Energy
(power generation, natural gas gathering, processing, storage and natural
gas liquid extraction) and Structures & Logistics (manufacturing, logistics
and noise abatement) and Technologies (business systems solutions).
UTILITIES
ENERGY
STRUCTURES & LOGISTICS
ATCO Electric owns and maintains
safe, reliable transmission and
distribution systems that deliver
electric energy to customers in
Alberta and Canada’s North,
including Northland Utilities
Enterprises and Yukon Electrical
Company Limited.
ATCO Power builds, owns and
operates technologically advanced
and environmentally progressive power
generation plants in Canada, the United
Kingdom and Australia. ASHCOR
Technologies, a division of ATCO Power,
markets fly ash produced by ATCO
Power’s coal-fired generating plants as a
cement product.
ATCO Structures & Logistics offers
complete infrastructure solutions
to customers worldwide, including
workforce housing, innovative modular
facilities, construction, site support
services, logistics support, operations
management, catering and noise
reduction technologies.
TECHNOLOGIES
ATCO Gas is an Alberta based,
natural gas distribution company,
serving more than one million
customers in nearly 300 Alberta
communities.
ATCO Pipelines owns and operates
more than 8,400 km of pipelines,
providing natural gas transmission
services to producers, industrial
customers and gas distribution
companies throughout Alberta.
ATCO Midstream provides natural
gas gathering, processing, storage
and natural gas liquids solutions to
customers in the Canadian natural
gas industry.
ATCO Energy Solutions is focused on
building, owning and operating nonregulated electric assets, industrial
pipelines and hydrocarbon storage
facilities. ATCO Water, a division of
ATCO Energy Solutions, provides
municipal and industrial water and
wastewater solutions.
ATCO I-Tek provides large-scale
billing, customer care and information
technology solutions to clients all over
the world.
ATCO Travel is a full-service travel
agency specializing in corporate travel
management, vacation and
group travel.
Effective July 2009.
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president’s message
I am pleased to
introduce ATCO
Group’s first
sustainability report,
which provides readers
with a snapshot of
our commitments,
challenges and
achievements in
four key areas:
environment, safety,
employees and
community. Our nine
operating businesses
have operations that
reach across the globe
and employ more
than 7,700 people in a
variety of industries.
ATCO has experienced considerable growth and significant
change since our founding more than 60 years ago. The
core principles of our company, however, have remained
unchanged since the 1940s and are described in our
commitment to ”Excellence”, which I commend to you on
page 22 of this report.
ATCO Group is made up of a wide and diverse array of
businesses that touch the lives of many people around the
world. We have always taken our responsibilities very seriously,
whether it is to the communities we have the privilege to serve,
our employees’ safety, or the global environment within which
we participate.
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“ATCO Group is made up of a wide and diverse array of businesses that touch the
lives of many people around the world. We have always taken our responsibilities
very seriously, whether it is to the communities we have the privilege to serve, our
employees’ safety, or the global environment within which we participate.”
The theme of this, our first comprehensive sustainability report,
is ‘accountable’. We take great pride in being accountable to
the owners of our shares, our customers, our employees, our
business partners and the environment.
Stewardship of the environment and our strong commitment
to health and safety are fundamental tenets of our business.
Our ability to perform on these measures is continuously
assessed and judged by governments, regulators, employees,
customers and partners. It is our accountability that earns
us our social license to operate and creates trust within our
working relationships wherever we are in the world.
I personally, along with the nearly 8,000 employees of ATCO,
have a growing concern regarding the challenging tensions
between growth, development and the environment. However,
we are finding that our companies’ desire to address a more
sustainable way to conduct business is creating many new
opportunities within our organization.
Most of our greenhouse gas emissions come from our coalfired generating plants which have provided consistent, reliable,
low cost power to Albertans for more than 20 years. More
than 15 years ago, we responded to the challenge of finding
cleaner ways to produce electricity by investing in alternative
energy solutions with the construction of our first gas-fired,
cogeneration power plant at Taylor, British Columbia. Since
that time, ATCO Power has become Alberta’s largest operator
of environmentally responsible cogeneration plants, delivering
much needed electricity for economic growth, while avoiding
significant greenhouse gas emissions.
ATCO has captured new business through the creation
of a number of products and services that provide unique
environmental solutions to the marketplace. This includes
recycling of by-products from the generation process, providing
specialized wastewater treatments, new noise abatement
solutions and geothermal projects, to name a few.
There are still many challenges to face and we are addressing
them head on. We are actively involved in policy discussions to
ensure that emerging regulations create a level playing field for
new, non-emitting generation projects, while still recognizing
the long-term nature of former investment decisions.
ATCO Group’s success is dependant on our ability to operate in
a responsible and sustainable manner today and in the future.
We have thousands of men and women in our companies
whose dedication and hard work is helping us to develop
innovative ways to improve how we do business in the future.
I am so proud of their efforts!
Nancy C. Southern
President & Chief Executive Officer
ATCO Group
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management approach
Corporate Governance
Our Boards view effective corporate governance as an
essential element for the ongoing sustainability and growth of
ATCO and its operations. Our procedures and processes are
reviewed continually to ensure the corporations are governed
effectively and to meet best practices.
The ATCO Ltd. and Canadian Utilities Limited Boards each
have separate Risk Review, Audit, and Corporate Governance
Committees. The Chairman of each Board is not independent,
and there are no members of management on the Boards
other than the President & Chief Executive Officer. To facilitate
the independent functioning of the Boards, independent
Lead Directors have been appointed. The committees are the
primary stewards of our sustainability practices.
The Risk Review Committee addresses issues that could
materially affect our ability to achieve strategic or operational
objectives. Its purpose is to ensure that there are adequate
processes, policies, procedures and means to manage
and mitigate identified risks, while ensuring that adequate
systems are in place to monitor and comply with all
applicable environmental legislation and to conform to
industry standards.
The Corporate Governance – Nomination, Compensation and
Succession Committee reviews the mandates of the Board
and its committees on an annual basis and is responsible for
making recommendations on the President & Chief Executive
Officer’s objectives, executive compensation and the link to
corporate performance measures. The performance measures
include: Health and Safety of Employees and Contractors;
Environmental Stewardship; Succession Management and
the Attraction, Development and Retention of Employees, and
the development of Long Term Sustainable Growth Strategies.
The Committee also assesses the effectiveness of the Board,
reviews the size and composition of the Board and considers
persons as nominees for directors.
The Audit Committee has oversight of the Corporation’s
financial reporting. Its principal function is the review and
recommendation to the Board of Directors of the annual
financial statements. The Committee also recommends the
appointment of the Corporation’s external auditor to the Board
and is responsible for the compensation and oversight of the
external auditor. Directors of the Corporation are appointed
as Designated Audit Directors (DAD’s) of each of ATCO
Group’s business segments. Each DAD meets quarterly with
the senior management of their assigned principal operating
subsidiaries and internal audit to review financial statements
and operating results.
On the websites (www.atco.com and www.canadian-utilities.com)
under “Investor Relations” you can find further information on
the governance structure in the Management Proxy Circular as
well as further company contact information for shareowners
and interested parties. www
Public Policy Involvement
The operating companies of ATCO communicate with policy
makers at provincial and federal levels to better understand
policy changes and provide input wherever possible.
ATCO participates in public policy development on subjects
such as greenhouse gases, air emissions, water resources
and market structures. We seek to engage in discussions with
government representatives to help them further understand
challenges and opportunities facing our various businesses.
When interacting with governments we encourage principles
of fair, efficient, open and competitive markets. We work
toward long-term solutions, which are critical due to the fact
that many of our facilities have an economic life of more than
20 years.
In general, we believe that a market-based approach to
legislation results in the most cost-efficient and innovative
approach to compliance. The government should set the
targets, but let the market determine solutions.
To ensure fair competition, regulations should create a level
playing field and send the same message to all industries and
interested parties. We believe fair regulations also recognize
investment decisions made in the past and incorporate flexible
features, such as allowing appropriate time to respond.
Through participation in various industry groups, ATCO is
an active contributor to the development of frameworks
and government regulations. For example, we are actively
engaged in discussions with various governments regarding
air emissions, and are also contributing to the development
of Alberta’s Land Use Framework, especially the Lower
Athabasca Regional Plan.
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environment
We believe that reducing our impact on the environment is integral to the pursuit of
operational excellence. We approach the avoidance or mitigation of our environmental
impact with the same discipline, strategies, accountability and transparency that is the
foundation of our company’s long-term success.
Our Commitment
• We strive to minimize our environmental impacts throughout our global operations.
• We include efficiency and environmental considerations in the planning and
implementation of all our projects.
• We are developing a leadership position in the area of alternative energy technologies,
including: cogeneration, hydro, geothermal and solar energy.
• We monitor and assess our performance, and will provide related information.
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In 2003, ATCO Power commissioned a hydroelectric generating plant at the Oldman River Dam near Pincher Creek, Alberta.
As members of the
Canadian Electricity
Association (CEA),
ATCO Electric and
ATCO Power adhere to
the CEA’s Sustainable
Electricity program.
Air
Climate change is a global issue and we recognize that ATCO has a role to play
in the development of cost effective, environmentally responsible solutions. Future
solutions require innovative thinking along with a long-term perspective, as the
economic life of these investments can be more than 40 years.
Our emissions management strategy balances environmental benefits and the need
for cost-effective customer solutions and includes the following actions:
•
Invest in the development of new reduced-emission plants (e.g. cogeneration
or combined-cycle plants) or emission-free power plants (e.g. Oldman River
hydroelectric plant in southwest Alberta).
•
Encourage change at the consumer level through ATCO EnergySense.
•
Find new ways to increase the efficiency of our operations, which leads to
economic and environmental benefits.
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Cogeneration and Hydroelectric Generation
We started investing in alternative energy solutions more than 15 years ago, with the construction of our gas-fired, cogeneration
plant at Taylor, British Columbia.
As Alberta’s largest operator of cogeneration plants, ATCO has led in the construction of environmentally responsible
cogeneration power plants, delivering much needed new electricity for economic growth, while avoiding significant greenhouse
gas emissions.
Cogeneration technology has been identified by Alberta Environment and Environment Canada as eligible for special greenhouse
gas treatment and emissions credits. It delivers between 60-75 percent reductions in CO2 emissions when compared with
generation from coal-fired power stations.
In 2003, ATCO Power commissioned a hydroelectric generating plant at the Oldman River Dam near Pincher Creek, Alberta.
This facility produces an average of about 114 gigawatt hours of emission-free power per year. Power supplied by the Oldman
River project meets the energy needs of up to 25,000 households. Joint ownership of the facility was created when the Piikani
Nation of Brockett, Alberta exercised their option to purchase a 25 percent ownership interest in 2007.
ATCO has partnered with TransCanada Corporation to assess the possibility of developing a run-of-river hydroelectric generating
facility on the Slave River near Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. The project is in the early review stage to determine whether
development could occur in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner. We have been working with the
local communities on the feasibility study.
ATCO Power Greenhouse Gas Emissions since 1990
A significant portion of our emissions are a result of burning fossil fuels in our ATCO Power generation facilities. ATCO Power
has voluntarily reduced its emissions intensity – a measure of efficiency – by more than 40 percent since 1990 by installing
15 environmentally progressive natural gas-fired generation facilities.
Our facilities include two coal plants which have provided consistent, reliable low-cost power to Albertans for more than
20 years. We have taken significant steps toward reducing the emissions intensity at these plants, including several multi-million
dollar upgrades to the steam turbines. Additional efficiency improvements at these facilities are difficult to achieve. ATCO has an
opportunity to make the most significant positive impact on GHG emissions through alternative energy sources.
ATCO Power Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Emissions Intensity
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
0.00
2000
0
1999
0.25
1998
3
1997
0.50
1996
6
1995
0.75
1994
9
1993
1.00
1992
12
1991
1.25
1990
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While ATCO Power’s generating capacity has doubled between 1990 and 2008,
its absolute emissions increased by 55 percent.
Emissions Intensity
(t CO2e/MWh)
Total Emissions
(megatonnes CO2e)
Total Emissions
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Geothermal and Solar Energy
Our first pilot project for geothermal energy raised the bar for sustainable building standards. The ATCO Gas Operations Centre
at Viking, Alberta opened in 2009 using geothermal heating technology that draws heat energy from the earth to assist in the
heating of the facility. The building has been designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 15 tonnes annually,
compared to a conventionally built facility.
Drake Landing community opened in 2007 in Okotoks, Alberta as the site of North America’s first large-scale solar thermal energy
storage and distribution system. ATCO Gas provided project management during the construction and will continue to contribute
by operating and maintaining the system over the four-year commissioning period. The end result is a solar powered community
which receives 90 percent of its space heating requirement from energy collected through solar panels and is responsible for a
four tonne reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) annually from each of the 52 homes for a total of 208 tonnes/year.
ATCO Gas also partnered with Avalon Master Builder and Ener-West Geo-Energy Services to install, own, operate and maintain
a geothermal/solar system in up to 40 new homes in Calgary’s McKenzie Towne subdivision. The system provides space
heating and cooling as well as heat for a portion fo the domestic hot water requirements.
ATCO Structures &
Logistics’ manufacturing
plant in Chile uses solar
panels to heat water for
the kitchen and showers
for 200 workers. The
facility now purchases
29 percent less energy
and avoids greenhouse
gas emissions.
Increasing Efficiency Throughout Our Operations
Energy efficiency realizes both environmental and economic benefits. Operational efficiency is integral to our drive for operational
excellence at ATCO. There are examples of efficiency initiatives in every part of our company.
At ATCO Power, during a two-week scheduled outage in 2007, our Osborne cogeneration station in Adelaide, Australia
conducted a $1 million (AUD) technology upgrade that increased electricity output by 4.8 percent and improved the heat rate (a
measure of generator efficiency) by one percent. The end result is that we produced the same amount of electricity, reduced our
natural gas consumption by about one percent, and achieved a 6,000 tonne reduction of CO2 emissions (equivalent to taking
1,200 cars off the road).
At ATCO Midstream, we officially opened a new pipeline in Manitoba in 2008 that captures solution gas, which would otherwise
be flared, reducing GHG emissions in the area by about 18,500 tonnes annually.
ATCO Electric introduced the first hybrid utility truck in Alberta in 2009, a bucket truck that operates on electricity and diesel to
significantly reduce environmental impact during power line work.
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In 2009, ATCO Electric introduced Alberta’s first hybrid utility truck, which has about 70% lower emissions than comparable trucks.
ATCO Gas has been an integral player in the natural gas vehicle (NGV) industry in Canada since the 1970s through its own
NGV program and by supporting Alberta businesses in their NGV needs. Through the use of natural gas in our fleet vehicles,
we experience fuel cost and maintenance savings and a reduction in CO2 emissions. Each NGV is estimated to reduce GHG
emissions by about 20 percent compared to a standard gas-powered vehicle. Currently, almost one third of the ATCO Gas fleet
operates with natural gas and we plan to maintain this ratio as we change over our fleet.
At ATCO Pipelines, our efficiency initiatives focus on a number of areas, but the most significant impact comes from preventing
the venting of methane gas. Methane gas has a global warming potential 21 times greater than CO2. By combusting the
methane gas the only gas released is CO2, greatly reducing the global warming impact of the releases.
Encouraging Change at the Consumer Level
One of our flagship programs, ATCO EnergySense, provides Albertans with energy
efficiency advice and improvement services for their homes and businesses.
Established by ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric, ATCO EnergySense’s team of
professionals helps residential and commercial consumers become more energy
efficient and contribute to minimizing environmental impacts.
Since 2001, EnergySense has responded to more than 135,000 energy management
requests and has completed more than 44,000 residential energy assessments.
This has contributed to a reduction of over 41,000 tonnes of CO2e annually.
Since its inception in 2001, ATCO
EnergySense has responded to over 135,000
energy management requests and completed
more than 44,000 residential and commercial
energy assessments.
ATCO EnergySense is expanding its education and outreach service to include
a school program which incorporates an interactive 39-foot “Energy Education
Mobile”. This unique resource will serve to engage students and the general public
on topics related to the wise use of energy and Alberta’s energy resources. The
new Energy Education Mobile will be powered by biodiesel and use solar and wind
power to generate electricity. It will begin its travels in early 2010 to communities
throughout Alberta. www
These quantifiable examples are not an exhaustive list of our efforts, but a snapshot
of some unique programs we have implemented. Combined they represent more than
65,000 tonnes of GHG emissions avoided in 2008. This is equivalent to taking more than
13,000 cars off the road each year.
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ASHCOR Technologies, an ATCO Power division,
markets fly ash, which is the non-combustible
portion of coal from ATCO Power’s two coal-fired
plants. By capturing and reusing this waste
by-product, we have prevented approximately one
million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from
being released into the atmosphere.
This is equivalent to taking approximately
200,000 vehicles off the road for a full year.
Performance
Managing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
ATCO has experience with greenhouse gas regulations and emerging carbon markets in the jurisdictions where we have
operations. This includes Alberta with the Alberta Specified Gas Emitters Regulation, and in the United Kingdom via the European
Union Emissions Trading Scheme. Future regulation that could affect ATCO companies includes the proposed Canadian federal
regulation and the proposed Australian program. We believe it is important to be an active participant in policy development.
The Alberta Regulation requires a 12 percent reduction in emissions intensity from a 2003-2005 baseline. There are three
options to achieve compliance: reducing facility emission intensity; producing or purchasing registered offsets; and/or purchasing
Government of Alberta Emissions Management Fund credits. ATCO fully complies with all regulations through a combination of
all three options.
ATCO Power is able to recover most of the cost of compliance under current regulations because the costs for our larger facilities
are mostly recovered through existing Power Purchase Agreements, where the wholesale power purchasers are responsible for the
majority of these costs. In addition, a number of our cogeneration facilities are eligible for GHG credits due to their efficiency.
Carbon Disclosure
Project (CDP)
ATCO has voluntarily
reported its carbon
emissions to the CDP for
the past two years. CDP is
an independent,
not-for-profit organization
that holds the largest
database of corporate
climate change information
in the world.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Emission Sources
12,000
Emissions
(thousand tonnes CO2e)
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
2006 2007 2008
Fuel Combustion - Coal 67%
Fuel Combustion Natural Gas 30%
Fugitive Emissions 2%
Flaring and Venting <1%
Vehicle Fleet <1%
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As an owner of a run-of-river hydro project, ATCO Power has created verified offsets within the Alberta system.
We are well positioned to address emerging regulations by building on existing expertise and through our ongoing strategy of
developing environmentally friendly projects and exploring market-based solutions.
Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Our greenhouse gas emissions are predominantly a result of burning fossil fuels in our ATCO Power generation facilities, and to
a lesser degree, releases from ATCO Gas and ATCO Pipelines.
The Greenhouse Gas Emissions graph includes historical data from ATCO Gas, ATCO Pipelines and ATCO Power only. We
estimate that the remaining ATCO companies contribute less than two percent of ATCO’s total GHG emissions. We plan on
further improving GHG emissions tracking and covering all ATCO companies’ emissions in our next report.
In the short term, we expect emissions to continue to increase due to the growth of our power generation fleet. However,
despite the rise in absolute emissions, we forsee that our emissions intensity (i.e. GHG emissions per megawatt hour) will
continue a declining trend as we add new low emitting and non-emitting power sources.
Air Pollutants
As with greenhouse gases, the majority of our air pollutant emissions are due to ATCO Power’s coal-fired generation facilities.
The exceptions are volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide, which are emitted by ATCO Gas, ATCO Midstream and
ATCO Pipelines. ATCO’s air emissions are determined through direct measurement, engineering estimates and calculations.
Canadian federal regulations require several ATCO companies to report emissions under the National Pollutant Release Inventory
(NPRI). Those figures are included in the table below.
AIR POLLUTANT (UNIT)
2008
EMISSIONS
MAJOR
CONTRIBUTORS NOTES
Sulphur dioxide (tonnes/year)
43,556
ATCO Power
As the coal mines that supply our
facilities age, the sulphur content in the
coal is expected to increase.
Nitrogen oxides (tonnes/year)
18,752
ATCO Power
Produced as a by-product during
combustion at our natural-gas fired
power plants.
Particulate matter (PM2.5)(tonnes/year)
501
ATCO Power
Released when fossil fuels are
combusted in our power plants.
Carbon monoxide (tonnes/year)
969
ATCO Gas,
ATCO Midstream,
ATCO Pipelines
Produced through combustion of fuels
at compressor stations and other
natural gas handling facilities.
Volatile organic compounds
(tonnes/year)
77
ATCO Pipelines
Emissions occur when fuels and
solvents vaporize into the atmosphere.
Mercury (kilograms/year)
112
ATCO Power
Alberta government regulations require
70 percent reductions from coal-fired
facilities by 2011.
Ozone depleting substances
(kilograms/year)
77
ATCO Power
Emissions are due to accidental
releases.
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The cooling pond for ATCO Power’s Sheerness Generating Plant is a source of recreation and irrigation for local residents.
Water Consumption
99%
1%
Total water diverted =
1,270 million cubic metres
Returned
Consumed
Water
ATCO understands that water is a precious resource. About 99 percent of all the
water we use is returned to surface water sources. The most extensive use of water
occurs at our two Alberta coal-fired power plants. Before releasing used water to the
environment, extensive testing is done to ensure it meets all regulatory requirements
for temperature and pollutant levels. At our Sheerness plant, water from the
cooling pond is also used for irrigation by the farming community and recreation by
local residents.
We have implemented significant water conservation projects at both our power
plants in Australia in response to heavy demands on the local water supplies due
to drought conditions. Our Bulwer Island cogeneration plant saves approximately
1,800 million litres of potable (drinking) water annually (about 700 Olympic-sized
swimming pools) by using recycled wastewater from the City of Brisbane’s reverse
osmosis plant. Our Osborne cogeneration plant implemented a water conservation
project that saves approximately 8.5 million litres of potable water every year.
Our water use figures are estimated and cover process use only. Data from our
non-industrial companies is not included.
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Water Treatment Services
ATCO has two businesses that provide water and wastewater services. ATCO Water, a division of ATCO Energy Solutions,
was launched in September 2008 and focuses on designing, building and operating leading-edge water and wastewater
infrastructure and facilities for both industry and municipalities. CU Water delivers water to municipalities and businesses in
east central Alberta, while owning and operating the water distribution system in three small towns and hamlets.
Providing Water for NATO Troops
ATCO Structures & Logistics provides potable and non-potable (washing) water from local water wells for approximately 20,000
NATO troops at the Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. The water is purified in two reverse osmosis water treatment plants and
one ultra-filtration plant. We maintain and manage five local water wells as well as the water storage and distribution system
through trucks and an underground pipeline.
In July 2007, ATCO
Structures & Logistics
was awarded
contracts to provide
support services at
the Kandahar Airfield
in Afghanistan for
approximately 20,000
troops serving NATO’s
International Security
Assistance Force.
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Land
Part of our responsibility is to steward the land resources we use, and ATCO
Electric’s remediation program provides an example of these activities. Initiated in
2000, this program assesses and will clean up all of the company’s operating and
decommissioned isolated generating plant sites over several years.
By the end of 2008, 105 sites were assessed and 74 sites were remediated with
the last site to be cleaned up in the spring of 2010. Most sites were remediated by
excavating the contaminated soil, hauling it to approved landfills and backfilling with
clean soil. At remote locations, alternate technologies are being used to recondition
the soil on-site.
Protecting Biodiversity – From Planning to Implementation
Identification of species-at-risk habitat is integral to planning and obtaining approval
for any of our facilities. We work closely with regulators to ensure any concerns with
habitat disruption are addressed. Bird-related issues on transmission lines are of
special concern for us, and in 2007, ATCO Electric developed an Avian Protection
Plan (APP) to address these issues.
ATCO Electric employees erect a
man-made raptor’s nest near electric
facilities in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
The goal of the APP is to reduce bird deaths, facility outages and equipment
damage associated with bird collisions, electrocutions, nesting and perching. The
APP includes a new reporting system to track bird deaths and outages at our
operations. This information helps us develop strategies for nest management and
measures to reduce mortality on existing poles and communication towers, as
well as recommendations for incorporating raptor (e.g. hawks) protection into new
structure designs, including new line routing considerations. The plan uses a staged
approach for implementation across all areas of ATCO Electric operations.
ATCO recognized
a growing need for
noise abatement in
industrial facilities
and created ATCO
Noise Management
in 1992. Now a part
of ATCO Structures
& Logistics, ATCO
Noise Management
specializes in industrial
noise measurement
(pictured here),
control and acoustical
consulting services
for clients all over
the world.
17
health & safety
Our Commitment
Providing a safe workplace for our employees is an integral part of ATCO’s goal to achieve
operational excellence. We believe it is our responsibility to provide the safest possible
work environment for our employees and to strive with them for an incident-free operating
environment. As a responsible provider of energy and other services to the public, we also
believe we must play a key role in ensuring and promoting public safety at the grassroots
level through a variety of hands-on programs.
Safety is a priority for ATCO. We strive continuously to improve our safety programs with
the objective of achieving best practice and performance throughout our company. In the
coming year, one area of focus is improving our consolidated safety reporting system.
18
Safety Excellence
ATCO Power, ATCO Pipelines, ATCO Midstream and ATCO Noise Management (now ATCO Structures and Logistics) were
recipients of the 2008 Best Safety Performer Award provided by the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Occupational Health
and Safety Council for their “superior” health and safety records.
This is the sixth consecutive year that ATCO Pipelines has been recognized by the province for its safety practices and the fifth
consecutive year for ATCO Power. Only 36 of the roughly 160,000 eligible Alberta employers achieved this significant five-year
milestone in 2008.
Moving the Focus to Leading Indicators
ATCO continues to look for new ways to reinforce a strong safety environment in its operations by challenging how we think about
safety. One way we are improving is by increasing our attention on the safe work processes and the worker accountabilities that
contribute to safety, rather than just focusing on addressing safety incidents after they occur. In other words, we are looking for
leading, rather than lagging indicators. We believe that being proactive, rather than reactive, to safety issues will contribute to
achieving our goals of operational excellence.
Leading indicators may vary depending on the operating environment, so different ATCO companies have spent time defining
indicators appropriate for their industry.
For example, ATCO Electric has a goal of creating a Zero Injury environment and is implementing changes to identified
leading indicators. To achieve this goal, there is more emphasis on employees’ accountability for safe actions throughout
the work place and processes to observe and improve safety behaviours. Other indicators include safety orientations, safety
observations, detailed incident investigations and sharing findings, job planning, training, inspections, safety meetings and
contract management.
As part of this program, our leadership teams are actively involved in demonstrating, recognizing and coaching employees
on expectations.
ATCO is already seeing positive results from the implementation of programs such as these. For example, ATCO Electric’s injury
frequency rate has dropped by 50 percent since 2007, and the severity of injuries is at an all-time low. As an added benefit,
ATCO Electric’s most recent safety perception survey indicated that two thirds of employees are also more safety conscious at
home due to these initiatives.
Safety Promotion in the Community
In addition to making safety an internal priority, our safety promotion activities in the community are far-reaching and targeted to
a number of key audiences: industrial and agricultural industry workers, school children and home owners.
For Workers:
ATCO Electric provides the “Seven Steps for Electrical Safety” program to workers, which includes information and
demonstrations about the hazards of contacting energized high-voltage lines. ATCO Electric also participates in the “Where’s
the Line” safety awareness program aimed at the agricultural industry. This program is part of the Joint Utility Safety Team, a
partnership between Alberta’s electric utilities and the Government of Alberta.
For Youth:
The superheroes of ATCO Energy Theatre’s SuperPower show deliver an important safety message to children across Alberta.
ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric sponsor the tour, which reached more than 20,000 young students in 2008. Featuring superheroes
including Power Woman, Carmen Monoxide, P-Yeww and Rocket Socket, the characters in cartoon-like fashion explain the
need to be cautious when dealing with electricity and natural gas.
ATCO Electric also teamed up with Alberta teachers to design a school resource program for delivery in Alberta classrooms. The
award-winning program is designed to teach kids in grades four through six about how electricity is generated and delivered
in Alberta, how to be safe around electricity and how they can help conserve electricity. The program features a “Louie the
Lightning Bug” safety video and safety presentation by ATCO Electric employees.
19
For Home Owners:
ATCO Gas distributes natural gas through a network of more than 37,000 kilometres
of underground pipes and service lines. In 2008, natural gas lines were ruptured
or severed 876 times during excavation activities by homeowners and contractors
across the province. These incidents are largely preventable and that is why ATCO
takes its prevention messages very seriously.
ATCO Gas delivers targeted safety education to contractors and others on
the importance of locating and properly hand exposing gas lines. An integrated
communications campaign features the well-known “Call Before You Dig” reminder
in online, television and newspaper public service announcements. The campaign is
a critical step in raising awareness of the dangers and ultimately reducing this threat
to customers and the communities that ATCO Gas serves.
ATCO Gas locates natural gas lines.
ATCO Gas also provides safety and efficiency inspections of all natural gas appliances
(e.g. furnaces, stoves and barbeques) to customers upon request.
The Safety Committee at ATCO Power’s Sheerness Generating Station near Hanna,
Alberta represents the achievements of its 122 employees, and external contractors.
In 2009 our employees and contractors reached approximately 3.1 million hours—
or nine years—without a lost-time injury.
20
These ATCO Gas employees are volunteer firefighters for the community where they live and work.
Partnerships with First Responders
Injury Rates
Cases per
200,000 hours worked
4.0
3.5
3.0
ATCO believes in investing in projects, programs and campaigns that help
save lives. Our longstanding and strong relationship with emergency services
personnel Alberta-wide exemplifies how ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric value their
commitment to first responders.
In the past five years, ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric have invested more than
$500,000 in special initiatives and partnerships with fire and emergency services
across the province. This includes training for emergency responders working
around natural gas and electricity, as well as ensuring they have the proper tools
and resources to safely respond to emergencies.
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
Performance
0.5
0.0
Lost-time Recordable
ATCO
Alberta Average
Injury Rates
Several of our companies (ATCO I-Tek, ATCO Midstream, ATCO Noise
Management, ATCO Pipelines and ATCO Travel) did not incur a single lost–time
injury during 2008. The majority of our injuries occur within the company with
the greatest amount of manual labour, ATCO Structures & Logistics. ATCO
compares favourably with the general lost-time injury rate for the province of
Alberta. However, our recordable injury rate of 3.5 is higher than the Alberta rate.
We have used these general benchmarks because ATCO companies work in a
variety of industries, including factory, field and office settings—a single industry
benchmark would not be appropriate.
21
employees
Our Commitment
ATCO offers diverse and exceptional opportunities for its employees. We are an Albertabased company with more than 60 years of true entrepreneurial spirit – a company that has
grown to have operations around the world.
Our team of approximately 7,700 people in nine operating companies shares a commitment
to operational excellence, healthy and safe work environments and making a positive
contribution to the communities where we work and live.
The diversity of opportunity provided by ATCO’s nine companies allows employees to maximize
their career potential across our varied operations. ATCO employees also have a competitive
pension and benefits program including a well subscribed share purchase program. 22
The culture of ATCO is best summarized by our Excellence Statement developed by ATCO Group’s co-founder and Chairman,
Ronald D. Southern.
“Going far beyond the call of duty. Doing more than others expect. This is what
excellence is all about. It comes from striving, maintaining the highest standards,
looking after the smallest detail and going the extra mile. Excellence means
caring. It means making a special effort to do more.”
- Ronald D. Southern, Chairman of the Board
ATCO’s Policies and Code of Ethics
Every ATCO employee has a responsibility for protecting and maintaining our reputation. Our policies are developed and
reviewed regularly to ensure they reflect sound, lawful and ethical business practices throughout our company. Individual ATCO
companies often institute their own policies to further articulate their commitments to responsible operations within their sphere
of business. For example, in 2008 ATCO Power developed a Sustainability Policy in conjunction with its Sustainability Report.
Our Code of Ethics sets out the conduct required of all Directors, Officers, employees and contract personnel of ATCO and its
subsidiaries. Each individual reviews and acknowledges their commitment to the Code on a yearly basis.
The Code communicates ATCO’s commitments to:
•
protection of the environment and providing a safe and healthful workplace; and
•
providing a workplace that is free of harassment and discrimination with equal employment opportunities based on
merit and ability.
Our Code of Ethics
sets out the conduct
required of all Directors,
Officers, employees
and contract personnel
of ATCO and its
subsidiaries and each
individual reviews and
acknowledges their
commitment to the
Code on a yearly basis.
23
Bringing Consistency Across our Companies
ATCO’s subsidiaries have evolved over the years to have different interpretations
of human resource policies and practices. During the past two years, we have
standardized these policies and practices to ensure they represent the best
industry standards, while maintaining a consistent ATCO approach to our human
resource practices.
This policy update set the stage for us to begin standardizing our human resource,
payroll and time tracking systems. Our new human resources system, called
HRXcellence, will provide the essential foundation for human resource programs and
initiatives to enable us to attract, retain and develop employees with the skills we need
to stay competitive.
People from across the ATCO companies are implementing this program to ensure
that it meets the unique needs and complexities of each company. The benefits
and changes this new system brings will eventually touch every ATCO employee,
creating new possibilities for career development and inter-company movement.
The Code also provides important guidelines for employee behaviour on issues such as:
•
disclosure of information and confidentiality;
•
insider trading;
•
conflict of interest; and
•
political contributions.
These documents help to define our expectations and provide employees with information resources to guide their actions
to reflect fairness and integrity. The Code cannot capture every single integrity issue, so employees are also encouraged to
discuss individual circumstances with their supervisors to clarify expectations and work together to determine the proper course
of action.
Leadership Training Program
ATCO began developing a Leadership Program in 2008 to provide opportunities for employees in leadership roles or with
identified leadership potential to build and enhance their skills and experience through experiential learning in both leadership
and management practices. Our overall goal is to develop a performance driven pool of leadership talent stronger than our
competitors. The program includes a customized, three-day program for senior managers, a three-day leadership program for
front line leaders, as well as a three-week resident program for executives at the Ivey School of Business in London, Ontario. In
addition, specific courses on project management, communications and finance are offered throughout the year.
Career Mapping
Career Mapping is a program designed to help people select and progress their career path within ATCO. As employees progress
in the organization, they may choose to pursue a career as a people manager or as a technical/professional contributor. The
Career Mapping concept includes information about how position requirements evolve as an employee moves into more senior
roles. The Career Mapping program also encourages lateral career moves, while providing leaders with an overview of their
workforce capabilities to ensure their goals are achieved.
Communication
ATCO introduced its first company-wide intranet for its employees in the spring of 2009 to enhance communication for its diverse,
geographically dispersed employee audiences. ATCOInsite intranet supplements the information that employees receive through
their operating subsidiary’s intranet, providing more of an ATCO-wide perspective. We also recognize that our employees work
in many settings that do not allow regular access to a computer, so more traditional means of employee communication are
also employed. Leaders in each of our operating companies regularly host town hall meetings with employees to provide for
discussion and questions.
24
Performance
Workforce Profile
ATCO has grown substantially over the past five years, increasing its employee base by 29 percent. Approximately 14 percent
of our workforce is located outside of Canada, reflecting the international nature of our company. The workforce profile for ATCO
shows that more than 91 percent of ATCO’s employees have permanent full-time positions. Since 2006 a higher percentage of
ATCO’s employee positions have become permanent – providing more stability for employees.
Approximately 54 percent of our workforce (4,210 employees) are members of employee associations and unions and are
covered by a total of 28 collective agreements.
Diversity
We do not ask our employees to self-identify into specific diversity categories, nor do we set diversity quotas. However, we do
track the percentage of women in management and in our entire workforce.
Turnover
The voluntary turnover rate for 2008 (excluding retirements and involuntary terminations) was 12.8 percent. This relatively high
turnover rate must be interpreted along with the fact that ATCO has a diverse workforce participating in a variety of activities
from technical trades to staffing call centres, to providing professional services. In general, ATCO Structures & Logistics’
manufacturing operations exhibit higher turnover rates than our Utilities divisions, which is due to the project-focused nature of
their work. The voluntary turnover rate for 2008, without the manufacturing operations, is six percent.
ATCO has a large number of long-term employees who provide continuity and institutional knowledge. Thirty-one percent of our
workforce have more than 15 years of service and 23 percent have more than 20 years of service.
Workforce
Gender Diversity
Voluntary Turnover Rate
100
20
Women
in workforce
80
29%
40
Women in senior
management
20
14%
0
2006
2007
2008
Permanent
Temporary
Part time
15
%
%
60
10
5
Women on
Board of Directors
9%
0
2006 2007 2008
ATCO has a large number of long-term employees who provide continuity
and institutional knowledge. Thirty-one percent of our workforce have more than
15 years of service and 23 percent have more than 20 years of service.
25
community
Our Commitment
ATCO is committed to creating healthy, vibrant communities where we live and work. We
support hundreds of community endeavours through both financial contributions and the
volunteer efforts of our employees. We are committed to:
• Seeking to understand and meet the needs and interests of the communities
we serve.
• Facilitating open consultation with governing authorities, regulatory bodies,
landowners and community groups that may be affected by our project proposals
and operations.
• Building mutually beneficial commercial relationships with local suppliers
and contractors.
26
ATCO Electric’s Dover to Whitefish transmission line engaged local Aboriginal communities in the construction of this award-winning
transmission line.
Public Consultation
Through our operations in numerous communities, we have an impact on many people. Caring — being a good neighbour and
a responsible member of the broader community — is a core ATCO value.
ATCO is committed to extensive public consultation on any new project development. ATCO Electric’s Dover to Whitefish transmission
line project won an award for leadership and innovation by engaging with the Aboriginal community along the line route, and
demonstrating environmental commitment by protecting the land for the wildlife impacted.
We seek to engage organizations and individuals who are directly impacted by our operations, or who have a direct impact on
ATCO. In some cases, such as our customers, employees, suppliers and investors, the impact is largely economic. For others,
such as governments, communities, non-profit groups, and individual citizens, the impacts can be broader.
Community Investment
32%
7%
61%
Total: $5,035,217
Charitable Donations
Gift In Kind Contributions
Sponsorships
Community Investment
ATCO has been steadfast for nearly 60 years in its commitment to being a positive,
active presence in all the communities where we work and live. ATCO supports
hundreds of community endeavours through financial contributions and the volunteer
efforts of our employees.
ATCO’s Community Investment program makes annual donations, creates
partnerships and supports our people who contribute to their communities. In 2008,
ATCO’s Community Investment program total was more than $5,000,000.
One of the goals of our active sponsorship program is to provide our employees with
many opportunities to participate in community initiatives.
27
ATCO EPIC – Employees Participating In Communities
ATCO and its people, through the
company-wide ATCO EPIC (Employees
Participating In Communities) fundraising
program, pledged $2.7 million in 2009 to
more than 500 charities and community
groups across Canada.
ATCO EPIC is a grassroots, employeeled fundraising initiative where employees
donate to charities of their choice. ATCO
honours employees’ generosity by
matching the charitable donations made
to health and wellness organizations and
ensuring that 100 percent of the funds
go directly to benefiting organizations
by absorbing all administration costs.
In 2008, ATCO’s corporate match
exceeded $1.1 million.
ATCO EPIC Time to Give
Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity
Giving New Life to Computers
ATCO I-Tek donated more than 1,600
pieces of computer equipment in
2008 to the Alberta Computers for
Schools program. The initiative provides
refurbished computers to Canadian
schools, public libraries and non-profit
learning organizations at little or no cost.
Since 2000, ATCO I-Tek has donated
more than 9,250 pieces of equipment
including desktop computers, laptops,
monitors and printers.
Elementary school students put ATCO I-Tek’s
refurbished computer equipment to good use.
Volunteering is a shared value between
ATCO and its people, and in recognition
of this, we launched ATCO EPIC
Time to Give program as a companywide program in 2009. The program
recognizes our many employees who
embrace giving back to their communities
through a donation of their time. Through
the program, employees who volunteer
50 hours or more are eligible for a $150
corporate donation to a registered
charity of their choice. ATCO employees
volunteered nearly 15,000 hours in their
communities in 2008.
28
Aboriginal Relations
ATCO has been working with Aboriginal
communities for many years. Our belief is
that we have been able to maintain these
long-term partnerships through seeking
understanding and mutual respect, while also
realizing that there are always improvements
that can be made. Positive, long-term
Aboriginal partnerships are strategic to the
development, ongoing maintenance and
growth of ATCO’s businesses.
UQSUQ is a partnership between ATCO Structures & Logistics and the Nunavut
Petroleum Corporation to lease and operate a bulk fuel storage facility and pipeline
distribution system in Iqaluit, Nunavut.
ATCO’s Aboriginal Policy guides its business
groups to recognize the importance of
working cooperatively and effectively with
Aboriginal communities as it applies to their
specific business activities and interests.
Representatives from each of our companies
come together to form ATCO’s Aboriginal
Relations Team where best practices and
lessons learned are shared. The goal of this
cross-company group is to better understand
how to engage in meaningful dialogue with
Aboriginal communities for mutually beneficial
and rewarding partnerships.
Profile of Aboriginal Partnerships
ATCO Structures & Logistics has a history of successfully partnering with Aboriginal groups to deliver capacity-building and
long-term sustainability to communities in which we operate. Canada’s North Warning System and Alaska’s Radar System
provide examples of our long-standing partnerships.
Canada’s North Warning System (NWS) is operated and maintained by the Nasittuq joint venture between ATCO and the Pan
Arctic Inuit Logistics Corporation. Nasittuq’s goal is to provide exemplary technical and management services to Canadian and
U.S. government customers, while increasing opportunities for Inuit participation as trainees, employees, suppliers and owners.
Nasittuq contributes to financial self-sufficiency of Inuit individuals and communities. www
An integral component of ATCO Structures & Logistics’ 1987 landmark agreement with the Canadian government was the joint
venture’s commitment to provide contracts and employment opportunities for northerners. Contract extensions and renewals
reflect the ongoing technical stewardship and strong record in exceeding these socio-economic contract provisions.
ATCO partnered with the Fort McKay First Nation to design, build and sustain the 500-room, award-winning Creeburn Lake Lodge, located north
of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Creeburn opened in October 2008, and since that time, ATCO Structures & Logistics and the Fort McKay First Nation
have announced additional ventures to meet housing needs in the oil sands region.
performance
29
30
Performance Summary
ATCO is committed to measuring and reporting our sustainable development performance in a transparent manner.
Transparency holds us accountable to our shareowners, employees and customers, but it also triggers internal action.
This report is a management tool that will help us identify areas where we can make further investments of resources to improve
our performance.
INDICATOR
UNITS
2008
Environment
Air Emissions 1, 2
GHGs
thousand tonnes CO2e
11,866
Sulphur dioxide
tonnes
43,556
Nitrogen oxides
tonnes
18,752
Particulate matter (PM2.5)
tonnes
501
Carbon monoxide
tonnes
969
Volatile organic compounds
tonnes
77
Mercury
kilograms
112
Ozone depleting substances
kilograms
77
million m
14
Water Use
3
3
Fines and Penalties
Social
$
0
4
Employees
#
7,781
Voluntary Turnover Rate 5
%
12.8
Employees In Employee Unions or Associations
%
54
Health & Safety
6
Lost time injury rate
Cases/200,000 hours worked
0.77
Recordable injury rate
Cases/200,000 hours worked
3.50
Fatalities
#
0
Diversity
Women in workforce
%
29
Women in senior management
%
14
Women on Board of Directors
%
9
#
40
Customer Privacy Breaches
7
Economic
Economic Value Generated 8
$ million
3,315
$ million
1,522
$ million
466
246
Economic Value Distributed
Suppliers
Employees
Lenders
$ million
9
Shareholders
$ million
95
Governments 10
$ million
150
Communities 11
$ million
5
$ million
830
Economic Value Retained
31
Notes:
1 Emissions reporting is variable. Not all companies reported for all emissions types. However, we believe that the figures
cover the major sources of our emissions. The figures include emissions amounts that are required to be reported under
federal, provincial, regional or other regulations, or under facility permits.
2 Different industries have varying environmental performance reporting requirements. This report reflects those
approaches for our joint ventures (JV). For ATCO Power JV facilities, we are reporting on an asset ownership basis,
claiming a portion of the emissions equivalent to our percentage ownership. For ATCO Structures & Logistics (ATCO
Frontec) and ATCO Midstream JV facilities, we reported on an operator basis, claiming 100 percent of the emissions for
the facilities we operate.
3 Includes data from ATCO Frontec, ATCO Gas, ATCO Midstream, ATCO Pipelines, and ATCO Power. Does not include
water used for domestic purposes.
4 Except where otherwise noted, employee statistics do not include JV employees.
5 Does not include a percentage of our international employees where historical data was not available.
6 In some cases, JV employees were included in safety statistics.
7 All incidents were resolved successfully, and typically involved a call centre agent providing information to a caller who
was not listed as an additional responsible party. One of the complaints was received through the Alberta Privacy
Commissioner.
8 Economic value generated includes revenues, gains on asset dispositions, and interest income.
9 Payments to employees include the expensed cost of wages and benefits. Capitalized wages are included in
payments to suppliers.
10 Payments to governments include income and property taxes.
11 Distributions to communities include donations, in-kind contributions and sponsorships.
32
GRI Content Index
This report has been prepared using the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G3 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. We
self-declare this report as achieving Application Level C. For more information on the GRI please visit www.globalreporting.org.
CATEGORY
Stategy & Analysis
Organizational
Profile
Report Parameters
Governance,
Commitments
& Engagement
GRI
Indicator
1.1
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
2.10
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.10
3.11
3.12
3.13
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.12
4.14
4.15
Economic
Environmental
Social
EC1
EN8
EN16
EN18
EN19
EN20
EN28
LA1
LA2
LA4
LA7
LA13
SO5
PR8
Description
CEO statement
Company name
Primary brands, products, and/or services
Operational structure
Location of headquarters
Countries where ATCO operates
Nature of ownership and legal form
Nature of markets served
Scale of the company
Significant changes during reporting period
Awards received
Reporting period
Date of most recent previous report
Reporting cycle
Contact point for questions
Process for defining report content
Boundary of report
Limitations on report scope or boundary
Basis for reporting on non-wholly owned operations
Explanation of information restatements
Significant changes in measurement
List of GRI indicators addressed
Policy and current practice on external assurance of report
Governance structure, including major committees under
the Board
Independence of Board chair
Independent, non-executive directors on Board
Mechanisms for shareholder participation
Adoption of externally developed sustainability charters or
principles
Stakeholder groups engaged
Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with
whom to engage
Direct economic value generated and distributed
Total water withdrawal
Greenhouse gas emissions
Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Emissions of ozone depleting substances
NOx, SOx, and other significant emissions
Environmental non-compliance and fines
Breakdown of workforce
Employee turnover rate
Employees in employee unions or associations
Standard injury and lost day rates and fatalities
Diversity
Participation in public policy development
Customer privacy breaches
Page #
4-5
3
3
3
3
2
3
3
2, 30
Front inside cover
33
Front inside cover
Not applicable
Front inside cover
Back outside cover
Front inside cover
Front inside cover
Front inside cover, 31
31
Not applicable
Not applicable
32
Front inside cover
6
6
6
6
8
6, 23, 26, 28
26
30
14, 30
9,12,30
8-11
13,30
13,30
30
24
24,30
24,30
20,30
24,30
6
30
33
Recognition
One measure of our performance is the external recognition we receive for our initiatives and operational excellence. The following
is a sample of the significant external recognition we have received and gives us a benchmark for our further improvement in
these activities.
RECOGNITION
AWARDED TO
Best Safety Performer
ATCO Midstream
ATCO Structures
& Logistics (ATCO
Noise Management)
ATCO Power
ATCO Pipelines
Alberta Workplace
Safety & Health
RECOGNIZED BY
FOR
Exceptional performance in
workplace health and safety
Top Projects
ATCO Frontec
Alberta Construction Magazine
Creeburn Lake Lodge
Project of the Year
(Honourable Mention)
ATCO Structures
& Logistics (ATCO
Noise Management)
Power Engineering Magazine
Best Gas-Fired Project (XCEL
Energy High Bridge Combined
Cycle Project)
Gold Status
ATCO Pipelines
Canadian Standards
Association Greenhouse
Gas Registry
ATCO Pipelines has achieved
Gold Level Status seven times
since 2001
Gold Medal
ATCO Power
The Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents
Occupational health and safety at
Barking facility
Rewarding Partnerships
ATCO Structures
& Logistics
(ATCO Frontec)
Alberta Chamber of Resources/
Alberta Aboriginal Relations
Innovation and best practices in
Aboriginal programs
Highest Customer
Satisfaction in North
America
ATCO I-Tek
Service Quality
Measurement Inc.
Customer service three years
in a row
Award of Distinction,
First Place in the
Temporary Building
Category
ATCO Structures
& Logistics (ATCO
Structures)
Modular Building Institute (MBI)
Santiago, Chile project.
Awarded based on architectural
excellence, technical innovation,
and energy efficiency
Forward-Looking Information
This report contains forward-looking information pertaining to contractual obligations, planned capital expenditures, the impact
of changes in government regulation, non-regulated generating capacity subject to long-term contracts, impact of commodity
prices and market developments. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information.
The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance
can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly
relied upon.
34
1400, 909 – 11th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta Canada T2R 1N6
Telephone: (403) 292-7500
Fax: (403) 292-7623
www.atco.com
www.canadian-utilities.com