“British Columbia is globally recognized for implementing one of the most progressive carbon policies toward climate stability,” said MEC CEO David Labistour. “We all benefit — businesses, communities and ecosystems alike — from the province’s continued leadership on the carbon tax, and we encourage Premier Christy Clark and her cabinet colleagues to stay the course with effective pricing.”

The letter called British Columbia’s carbon tax “one of the best tools we have at our disposal to fight climate change.” That tax is set to rise to $30 per tonne this year, but the provincial government has not yet indicated what will happen after that point. The letter urged the province to commit to a schedule of further increases, in a way that is fair and enables all B.C. businesses and communities to be part of the solution.

“Meeting the climate challenge isn’t just the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense,” said Richard Kouwenhoven, the senior vice-president of customer service and business development at Hemlock, one of the largest commercial printers in the province. “We’re proud of B.C.’s leadership on carbon pollution, and like many other businesses we want to see it strengthened.”

“B.C.’s clean-tech industry is already generating $2.5 billion a year, and employing approximately 8,400 people,” said David Demers, CEO of Westport Innovations. “B.C.’s strong roots in innovation and clean technology help deliver a positive signal to the investment community and provide an ideal environment for low-carbon investment.”

“The International Energy Agency says we have fewer than five years to act to avoid irreversible global warming,” said Bing Thom, one of Canada’s most celebrated architects. “This is not the time to waver; this is the time to strengthen and build upon our existing climate policies.”

The open letter was coordinated by Tides Canada, The Pembina Institute, and the David Suzuki Foundation.

I agree with the David Suzuki Foundation that Canadians shouldn’t need a doctor’s note to find out what chemicals are inside their personal care products. The fact that most companies demanded such a note, when asked by 63 Canadians recently to declare what chemicals they use to make their shampoos, creams, cosmetics, and other products smell “nice”, is at least poor customer service.

“Not a single company [of the 42 contacted] provided us with a complete list of the chemicals they use to fragrance their products,” says Lisa Gue, health policy analyst at the David Suzuki Foundation.

The Foundation does know that some 3,000 chemicals are used as fragrance ingredients in cosmetics, including substances associated with health and environmental hazards. The fact that companies are unwilling to disclose their product’s ingredients suggests that the labeling provisions of Canada’s Cosmetics Regulation should be changed to make manufacturers disclose complete lists of fragrance ingredients and identify sensitizers.

Go, David Suzuki Foundation, Go!

“Quebec was the first province to ban the sale and use of pesticides – that policy was phased in between 2003 and 2006,” Lisa Gue, Environmental Health Policy Analyst for the Foundation, told me. “Since 2008 we’ve seen four other provinces introduce pesticide bans.” BC has yet to join them. The BC Ministry of the Environment has hosted a public consultation asking for input on a potential ban on pesticides, and the Opposition has on 3 occasions introduced legislation to ban pesticides. Around 36 municipalities in BC have pesticide bans in place. “Of course, some are stronger than others.” And “only the province can regulate the sale of these products”, so Lisa would tell BC to “get on with it!”

Pesticide bans work. In 2009, Statistics Canada’s annual households & the environment survey included pesticide use. “At that time, Quebec was the only province to have banned these pesticide products. After the ban came in, the self reported survey recorded that 4% of people were still using pesticides, whereas 25% of BC households [with no ban] with a lawn or garden reported using chemical pesticides. The ban does help make people switch to less toxic products.”

“Human health and the environment are intimately intertwined,” Lisa continued. Some pesticides are toxic due to their impact on groundwater, whereas others are suspected carcinogens. “But the reality is that once pesticides enter the environment, sooner or later we’re going to be exposed as well. […] We can’t separate ourselves from the environment – ultimately what we end up doing to the environment we end up doing to ourselves.”

One problem with pesticides is they are dumb. They kill both good and bad insects, so “a dependence on chemical pesticides can actually make your lawn more susceptible to weeds because you’re killing off the natural defenses,” Lisa explained.

There’s lots of good information available, so check out your city’s webpages and see what information they have about pesticides and “locally specific tips for chemical free gardens that match up to some of the pest problems that people in [your] area might experience,” Lisa concluded.

New York environmental and health organizations went to court a year ago to try to force the makers of hundreds of well-known household cleaners to reveal if there are any, and if so what, dangerous chemicals in their products.  But the case got dismissed in July.  So this turn around by the DEC is one to be celebrated.

If trade groups are correct in asserting that the products are safe, then companies will have nothing to worry about if they have to make their chemical makeup public.  And if any companies put toxins into their products, making it public will pressure them to replace the toxins with healthier ingredients.  And that will benefit everyone, including themselves.

As the panel was introduced, it was noted that the pathway to being green is often less clear than the desire to be sustainable.  Thus, it was fitting that the first speaker was Peter Robinson, CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation that helps teach people how to be sustainable.

Peter suggested that sustainability targets should include longer term solutions that apply to the whole system, that balance production and consumption, are transparent and include accountability.  Making operations efficient and reducing energy and waste helps a business save money.  The next step is reducing their product’s footprint, by making it and its packaging greener.  Level three involves greening your network – your customers, suppliers, producers, and not least your employees.  As in the palm oil article I posted recently, examine your supply chain.  How green is it and how could it be made more sustainable?

Maureen Cureton, Green Business Manager at Vancity (see www.vancity.com/greenbusiness), spoke next.  Vancity, she started, was the first North American-based financial institution that became carbon neutral.  They accomplished this through focusing on building energy savings, paper use, employee commuting and bus travel.  Items such as 100% post consumer paper cost more, she acknowledged, but reductions in consumption helps offset costs.  Vancity’s environmental commitments generate employee and member (customer) loyalty as well as enhanced brand value which far outweighs any residual cost increase.

TJ Galda, Chair of the Electronic Arts Green Team, was next.  He opened by saying sustainability gives a business a good triple bottom line – including the business, the environment, and the corporate cultural attitude.  They’re thorough at EA (as it’s called) – the paper towels get composted.  TJ made an excellent case about the benefits a business receives when employees are happy, and increasingly employees want to go home at night and tell their children that Mom or Dad works at a planet friendly company.

David Moran, Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Coca-Cola Canada, rounded out the panel. Coca-Cola Canada is a huge company, and it takes time to change a company that size.  But they’re making a good effort.  They’re examining ways to reduce their sugar footprint, and to become carbon free.  A beverage container now contains a significant amount of sustainable material.  And managers present their efforts to their Board of Directors annually, who importantly support the green shift.

The event was wrapped up with a Q&A session, during which the speakers responded to questions with knowledge and a genuine interest in helping businesses become sustainable.

Overall, it was a great event and hopefully this article will help businesses everywhere and of any size examine their own footprint and make it sustainable.