CCA Publishes a Corporate Social Responsibility Guide for Canadian Construction Companies
OTTAWA, Wednesday October 31, 2017 – The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) announced today the publication of a new resource for its members: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Construction Sector: A Practical Guide to CSR. Tailored for the construction industry, the guide explains the importance of CSR and offers practical advice on how to prepare or enhance a CSR strategy. The guide was created through a collaborative process and is available as a free download to CCA members from CCA website’s Member Login section.
Tool to Help Members Articulate Environmental and Social Impact
Public owners and the public increasingly want to see Canadian construction companies articulate the environmental and social impacts of what they do and how these impacts are addressed. The convergence of issues ranging from triple-bottom line procurement (e.g. balancing commercial and sustainability considerations aka “people, planet, profit”) to carbon neutral regulations as well as zero waste 2030 initiatives is unprecedented.
“Our current strategic plan identified promotion of ethical business practices within the industry as an objective,” said Chris McNally, CCA chair. “In October 2015, CCA adopted a policy statement related to CSR encouraging companies to voluntarily undertake initiatives that enable them to operate in an economically, socially and environmentally-sustainable manner.”
“Although CSR is recognized as important in business, there is often uncertainty associated with how to implement it,” said Stephen Coote, chair of the CCA Business and Market Development Committee.
Practical Resource for Learning More and to Get Started
CSR includes voluntary initiatives or actions that a company chooses to undertake to improve its social and environmental performance in relation to stakeholders. It means going beyond the codes and standards that construction companies are required to adhere to by law. “We see CSR as a business strategy,” said Stephen. “Although many construction companies may be practicing some aspect of CSR, we hope that with this easy-to-use guide, small, medium and large construction firms will be more encouraged to continue to develop, enhance or implement a CSR strategy.”
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Kirsi O’Connor
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613-236-9455, ext. 417
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