Ontario Construction News staff writer
PCL Construction has released its 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, highlighting achievements in environmental stewardship and updating a multiyear sustainability road map.
The report provides an update on the company’s multiyear sustainability road map, which commits to reducing construction-related carbon emissions, building infrastructure to power communities with clean energy and leveraging renewable materials when possible.
“As we move forward on our sustainability journey, our ongoing commitment to our core values and guiding principles allows us to operate and build sustainably while delivering unsurpassed value,” says Dave Filipchuk, PCL’s president and CEO. “Our commitment to corporate social responsibility is driven by our three pillars of environmental stewardship, people and communities, and governance.”
Progress noted includes:
- 248 LEED-certified projects with a value of more than $18 billion
- Water and wastewater facilities that provide more than 20 billion gallons of treated water per day
- More than $3 billion worth of renewable energy projects
- More than $500 million worth of biofuel and biogas projects
- More than 3.2 gigawatts of solar projects, enough to power more than 2 million homes
PCL showcases projects including the Ken Soble Tower in Hamilton. Built in 1967, the 18-story, 146 unit affordable seniors’ housing complex is the first retrofit of its kind in North America and the largest residential retrofit in the world to achieve certification under Passive House’s internationally recognized EnerPHit program for buildings that meet ultra-low energy standards.
It was revitalized into an affordable living space, the tower prioritizes occupant comfort, affordability and climate resilience.
“Through the materials we use and the infrastructure we build, PCL Construction is building a more sustainable world from the ground up,” says Scott Beckman, director of sustainability, PCL Construction. “Environmental stewardship means looking at how our decisions at all steps in the construction process will impact the community in the future and ensuring our projects leave a positive legacy for generations to come.”