Kamloops Branch Sustainability Plan 2012

Sustainability Plan Overview

Urban Systems is fortunate to have passionate people. For the Kamloops Branch, our passion is driven by: our corporate mandate Spirit in Service for Vibrant Communities; doing our part to help enhance the sustainability of our local, regional and global communities; and, making the right investments to reduce the environmental footprint of our Branchs operations. Sustainability for the Kamloops Branch is not just about giving back but enabling positive changes in the communities where we work, live and play. Being active leaders in our community is what allows us to create vibrant communities and grow our business. The 2012 Kamloops Branch Sustainability Plan represents a high-level strategy to help our Branch act upon our passion. It has been developed to enable each staff member and the Branch as a whole. Furthermore, it sets the foundation for the achievement of great successes over the course of 2012 and beyond.

Kamloops Branch Sustainability Baseline

The following metrics will be used to provide a baseline snapshot of our Branchs contributions to supporting the Vision and Long-Term Strategic Goals of the USL Sustainability Charter. Energy Use o Natural gas o Electricity Greenhouse Gas Emissions o Building o Business Travel Water Use Paper consumption Contributions Made to Community Based Programs (including the USL Foundation) o In-kind contributions o Financial contributions Investments made into supporting the Urban Systems Corporate Sustainability Charter

For the purposes of the 2012 Kamloops Branch Sustainability Plan, each indentified priority and action has been categorized into one of the following categories: Environmental Social/Community Financial

Ensuring Capacity and Momentum Continues

The success of this plan is dependent on the engagement of all staff in its implementation. Furthermore, this Plan and subsequent versions of it requires a core team of staff to ensure that actions within it are undertaken and reported on annually. Therefore to ensure this Plan is properly resourced and a level of accountability has established, a Kamloops Branch Sustainability Core team has been established. This team includes: John Kenney: Branch Sustainability Champion Rhonda Maskiewich: Corporate Sustainability Champion Jackie Mitchell: Branch Administrative Manager Rick Collins: Kamloops Branch Manager Matt Sloan: Sustainability Leader Dylan Houlihan: Sustainability Leader Terry-Jo: Accounting The Kamloops Sustainability Core Team will be accountable to the following key actions: Employee engagement: As the Corporate Sustainability Charter stresses the importance and value of employee engagement and capacity building, the Kamloops Sustainability Team will strive to have quarterly meetings which will be open to all staff. Complete annual plans, support actions and annual reporting: The Sustainability Team will be responsible for facilitating the development and implementation of each annual Branch Sustainability Plan. Furthermore, the Sustainability Team will be responsible for reporting on the Branchs progress and efforts to support the Goals and Actions outlined in the Plan. Priority Setting and Direction: Through quarterly meetings, the Core Team will be responsible for engaging all Branch staff in the development of each annual plan. Each quarterly meeting will be used to generate new ideas and actions the Branch can take to enhance our sustainability practices. However, it is expected that the Core Team will take all ideas generated and prioritize ideas and actions. It is therefore expected that the Core Team will set the overall direction and priorities of each annual plan. It is expected that the Core Team will meet on a monthly basis: Meetings will be scheduled during lunch hours. It is important to note that all branch staff are welcome to attend and participate in Core Team meetings.

Environmental
The following environmentally focused priorities and actions have been identified for the 2012 Plan. They have been selected for the 2012 Plan as they: Are relatively easy to implement; Require little to no financial investment; and Offer an easy win to demonstrate the Branchs commitment to the Charter.

WHY Have a Kamloops Branch Sustainability Plan?

Since the inception of Urban Systems, we have been active leaders in doing our part to support community vibrancy and sustainability. However, in 2011, Urban Systems recognized an opportunity to do more. With the release of the companys first Sustainability Charter, Urban Systems reconfirmed its continued commitment to being a corporate steward and sustainability leader. Building from the momentum established through the release of the Urban Systems Sustainability Charter, the Kamloops Sustainability Branch Plan defines our commitment to uphold the Sustainability Charter, to our branchs passion for sustainability and continued desire to contribute to our community. In this spirit, the Kamloops Branch Sustainability Plan will: Strive to engage all staff in the development and implementation of the 2012 Kamloops Sustainability Plan. Develop a governance framework that enables the proposed actions within the 2012 Kamloops Sustainability Plan to be implemented. Report on key sustainability performance metrics to ensure we celebrate our success and continually strive to enhance our sustainability efforts.

Reporting
With the establishment of the Kamloops Branch Sustainability Baseline, the reporting scope of the Kamloops Branch Sustainability Plan has been defined. Since this is the first year in which the Branch will be comprehensively reporting its sustainability performance, it is expected that the required systems and capacity will be established over the course of the next year, to support the timeliness and efficiency of future annual reporting requirements. Additionally, it is expected that Branch reporting will be consistent and aligned with the reporting scope and system of the Corporate Sustainability Charter. If required, the Branch will amend its current reporting scope to ensure alignment.

Social/Community
The Kamloops Branch has a long history of investing in the future and doing what we can to improve the quality of life in our communities and around the world. While many of the activities within this Plan have been ongoing for many years, we anticipate that this Plan will help re-affirm our commitment to the Urban Systems Foundation, contributing to local backyard and international projects.

Financial
The Kamloops Branch has a significant presence within the local economy. Furthermore, it is recognized that our purchasing practices directly influence the financial vibrancy of our local business, and present an opportunity to reduce our environmental footprint. With this in mind, the Kamloops Branch has determined that a committee shall be established to develop a framework to facilitate the greening of our procurement practices. It is expected that this framework will provide guidance to help the Branchs investments in supporting sustainable practices (e.g. capital purchases, facility upgrades such as fixtures/lighting, employee incentives, etc.).

The Journey Thus Far: Setting the 2012 Priorities and Actions
Over the past three months, the Kamloops Branch has been discussing, deliberating and even debating the priorities and directions of our Branchs efforts to promote sustainability. Through an informal and open process, a number of priorities and actions have been identified by staff for the 2012 Kamloops Branch Sustainability Plan. These priorities and actions represent our initial contribution to the Sustainability Charter, and are a stepping stone to future commitments that will be made by the Branch.

Long-term Action Ideas

Other actions that have been identified by the Kamloops Branch include: Solar power system; Enhancement to the roof top garden; A review of employee commuting programs (Note: review will be undertaken corporately and is considered out of scope of this plan).

Where Are We Today: Our Baseline and Future Reporting

A comprehensive sustainability baseline and profile is of great importance to measuring the success of our initiatives and efforts. The Kamloops Branch Sustainability Baseline will be developed by December 2011, to enable the Branch to identify and celebrate our successes and profile areas of improvement. Furthermore, the baseline will offer a clear reference point from which we can measure and monitor the benefits of this Plan.

SPIRIT IN SERVICE FOR VIBRANT COMMUNITIES