Yellowknife
NT (February 3, 2000)
The
Northwest Territories Power Corporation has won the highest environmental
honour available in the Champion Reporting System of the Voluntary Challenge
& Registry (VCR, Inc.).
The Power Corporation
has attained a 1999 Gold Level Champion Reporter award for its superior
approach to documenting and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. VCR Inc.
is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization in Ottawa designed to recognize
the achievements of participants in reporting and limiting their greenhouse
gas emissions. Membership in VCR reflects the Power Corporation's commitment
to finding innovative ways to approach climate change.
Professor of Engineering
and VCR President Robert Flemmington says that by winning the Gold,
the Power Corporation has not just surpassed silver and bronze winners
in "excellence in reporting emissions, but has gone one step farther
and actually decreased its greenhouse gas emissions to below 1990 levels."
The Power Corporation
achieved Gold Champion status by initiating several actions aimed at
environmental responsibility. Among them:
- development
of hydro projects to reduce use of fossil fuel
- new systems to
"recycle" residual heat
- improvement of
diesel plant efficiency
- replacement old
Mercury Vapour streetlights
- conversion of
Inuvik plant from diesel to natural gas
- installation
and monitoring of Wind Energy Conversion systems
The Gold award in
VCR's Champion Reporting System reflects the Power Corporation's accountability
and environmental commitment. Mr. Flemmington says that the "Northwest
Territories Power Corporation earned the honour by surpassing [VCR's]
most rigorous reporting standards."
Becoming a Gold
Champion Level Reporter puts the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
in good company. Other winners include: Manitoba Hydro, EPCOR, and Imperial
Oil. There are almost a thousand organizations registered with VCR Inc.,
and of them only 41 are Gold Champion winners.
The Power Corporation
is one of just a few northern organizations to join VCR. "Hopefully
the Power Corporation's leadership in documenting and following a strategic
plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will serve to encourage other
northern companies to follow our lead," says Leon Courneya, President
and CEO of the Power Corporation. He adds, "VCR is a nation-wide
organization. It's nice to have it recognized that we provide a good
environmental example nationally, as well as in the North."
Mr. Flemmington
claims that the voluntary approach as taken by the Power Corporation
"captures the imagination of Canadians" and encourages industry
to set reasonable goals, avoiding possible negative social impacts on
communities. As a Gold Level Champion, the Power Corporation recognizes
that its commitment to the communities across the north must include
both excellence in service and environmental responsibility.
Both Mr. Flemmington
and Mr. Courneya agree that companies like the Power Corporation have
much to offer as well as much to gain from membership in VCR. "We
are in the unique situation of offering our experiences in greenhouse
gas reduction as a model that other companies might follow," says
Mr. Courneya.
The Northwest Territories
Power Corporation's latest award reflects the challenges of serving
67, 000 people across the across 3.2 million square kilometres - challenges
that have turned it into an industry leader as well as a Gold Level
Champion.
The Power Corporation's
complete submission to VCR, Inc. can be viewed at www.vcr-mvr.ca/ClientDetail.cfm?No=2002.
From here,
click on "Action Plan".
