For the tenth year in a row, Pacific Blue Cross has received Radicle’s Climate Smart Certification. The certification recognizes organizations that have reduced their carbon footprint and met reduction objectives for greenhouse gas emissions.

Pacific Blue Cross was first certified in 2012 after reducing our emissions by 10% over the course of that year. Since then, we’ve managed to cut our emissions by a total of 57% from our 2012 baseline – the equivalent of 207 fewer passenger vehicles being driven for a year.

In 2021, Pacific Blue Cross focused on cutting emissions across five main categories and achieved the following results compared to our 2012 baseline year:

• Heat (-9%)
• Electricity (-62%)
• Waste (-86%)
• Paper consumption (-66%)
• Transportation (-96%)

 Reduction initiatives included replacing the lighting in our parking garage with LED bulbs, implementing new waste diversion practices, and reducing heating needs in our building by weather stripping and replacing our roof. Transportation emissions were significantly reduced due to most of our staff working from home because of the pandemic.

David Durango​, Manager, Building Facilities at Pacific Blue Cross leads many of our reduction initiatives at the Pacific Blue Cross head office. “We are absolutely thrilled to receive the Climate Smart Certification again this year,” says Durango. “This milestone is a testament to all the hard work we have done over the past ten years to reduce our emissions as we work towards a low-carbon future for all.”

In addition to the Climate Smart Certification, Pacific Blue Cross has been named as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the past two years and our head office meets the BOMA BEST sustainable building certification.

We are proud of our environmental accomplishments to date and are looking forward to finding new ways to reduce our carbon footprint moving forward.