What is environmental suitability?
Environmental sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
(Brundtland Commission of the United Nations on March 20, 1987)
Global warming and climate changes clearly shows that how we live today will dramatically affect what the world will look like tomorrow. This means we have to reconsider how and what we consume, how we move and our travel habits, and many other aspects of our lives. That’s why Atlantic Lottery is taking significant steps to lessen our impact on the environment, and to redesign elements of our operations. This undertaking is a vital component of our overall commitment to social responsibility.
But making this commitment isn’t just about contributing to a more sustainable future. Equally, our commitment to the environment yields social and economic benefits. Reimaging how we do business and reducing our consumption of everything from energy to paper is good for both the environment and our business.
Atlantic Lottery’s policy and framework
Atlantic Lottery believes in sustainability by meeting the needs of the present without compromising future generations to meet their own needs. Protecting our environment is one of many ways that we are making Atlantic Canada a better place and helping ensure our planet’s resources are available for generations to come.
In 2007, Atlantic Lottery adopted its environmental policy which focuses on five key focus areas that we are initiating change to reduce. Our five key focus areas are:
- Paper
- Energy
- Carbon emissions
- Waste
- Water
In 2009/10, we took our environmental commitment to a new level. We started the year by completing an independent environmental audit that provided us with a baseline for our paper, water and energy consumption. We also evaluated our carbon footprint and assessed the amount of waste we divert from landfills through wet/dry and recycling programs. This helped us to set targets that will ultimately help us improve our performance and minimize our impact on the environment.
Our employees play an important part in helping to build a greener Atlantic Lottery to ensure we are delivering our products and services with a reduced impact on the environment. Our employee-driven Bet on Green team led the charge by implementing a number of simple, yet highly effective, environmental initiatives. From implementing electronic pay stubs, introducing an eco-friendly travel contest and celebrating Earth Day, to a Power Down employee campaign and removing Styrofoam and plastics from our kitchen areas; our end result is that we’re enhancing our culture of green.
Atlantic Lottery’s future is all about action. Simply put – we’ll be implementing action items from the most recent environmental audit. And once again, we’ll continue to conduct a yearly environmental audit to measure our performance and to identify new opportunities.