TELUS recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Greenest Employers

TELUS highlights its global leading environmental performance in 2020 Sustainability Report

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, TELUS proudly announced that it has been recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Greenest Employers for its global leadership and commitment to building a better, more sustainable future. Canada’s Greenest Employers recognizes Canadian companies that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness within their organizations. Earlier this month, TELUS released its 2020 Sustainability Report outlining the company’s environmental, social, and governance strategy and priorities which includes the ambitious goal to achieve 100% net zero carbon neutrality across all of its operations by 2030.

“Our team’s commitment to sustainability is foundational to our leadership in social capitalism. In this regard, we are dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint and minimizing our impact on the planet our children will inherit, while also creating meaningful value for our fellow citizens,” said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO, TELUS. “Thanks to the unparalleled efforts of our team, we have set ambitious environmental and sustainability targets to help ensure the health and well-being of our communities as we look forward with cautious optimism to a post-pandemic world. I am incredibly grateful to our team for their passionate dedication to improving the social, economic, environmental and health outcomes in the communities where our team members live, work and serve on a global basis.”

In 2020, TELUS exceeded its climate change objectives, achieving a 17% reduction in energy consumption and a 37% decrease in GHG emissions over 2010 levels. As the global pandemic gripped the world last year, TELUS enabled more than 95% of team members to work from home or in a mobile capacity saving time, resources, and GHG emissions resulting from reduced travel and commuting. In addition, TELUS has successfully negotiated four Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) that will provide 100% of TELUS’ electricity needs in Alberta from renewable sources such as wind and solar.

Inspired by the TELUS team’s strong performance in 2020, TELUS has established new, transformative, climate-related targets in this year’s Sustainability Report including:

• Procure 100% of electricity requirements from renewable or low-emitting sources by 2025
• Achieve 100% net Carbon neutrality for our operations by 2030
• Commit to becoming a zero waste company
• Develop a vehicle fleet electrification strategy to reduce fuel-related GHG emissions
• Deploy green building standards across our real estate portfolio, focusing on team wellness
• Empower vertical business units TELUS Agriculture and TELUS Health to support a low carbon future through precision agriculture technology advancements that can vastly improve farmers’ yields and productivity levels while minimizing impact on land, and through TELUS Health Virtual Care services that enable our customers to connect virtually with their healthcare providers, thus helping to reduce their carbon footprint.

“Through our leadership in technology innovation, we are enabling the connectivity that supports Canadians in working and learning remotely, applying for critical government resources, receiving vital medical care, and staying connected to family and friends,” continued Mr. Entwistle. “Indeed, we are leveraging our world-leading technology and human compassion to help answer society’s most pressing social challenges in health, education, agriculture and the environment, while improving economic equality in our digital world for generations to come.”