Business leadership is essential if Canada is going to meet its legislated net-zero goals by 2050. The Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) association has launched Canada’s Net-zero Leaderboard, which provides information on climate change commitments made by Canadian companies.
By providing a one-stop-shop for information on climate targets, the leaderboard is designed to inspire companies to join the race to net zero. It will also kickstart an important conversation about closing the gap between ambition and action, and about standardizing language for climate targets.
Ted Ferguson, Managing Director, CBSR
“Canadian business leadership on reducing emissions will help us transform our economy and ensure Canada remains competitive on the global stage,” said Ted Ferguson, managing director of CBSR, and chief sustainability officer for the group of organizations that includes CBSR, The Delphi Group, GLOBE Series, and Leading Change Canada.
“Setting a target is a critical step on the road to net zero, and setting up a one-stop-shop for information will showcase and accelerate Canadian leadership. We’re looking forward to working with companies from across Canada to close the gap between ambition and action.”
Canada’s Net-zero Leaderboard will be publicly accessible and allow people to search across a number of criteria, including:
- Industry
- Targets and timeframes
- Emission scopes included in the target, i.e., Scope 1, 2 and/or 3
- Interim targets
- Whether the goal is aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative
- Whether the company intends to use offsets to meet its target
CBSR and Delphi experts will regularly update Canada’s Net-zero Leaderboard so that it is as comprehensive as possible. As scrutiny around what constitutes a robust net-zero target continues to increase, CBSR will also look to expand the scope of information that is being tracked.
Canada’s Net-zero Leaderboard is part of a suite of tools, events and services that CBSR and affiliate organizations are providing to increase ambition on the road to net zero by 2050. These include GLOBE’s Destination Net Zero-themed event series, culminating in GLOBE Forum in Vancouver in February 2022; two CBSR working groups, one focused on developing targets and the other on achieving them; Delphi’s advisory services on developing, executing and communicating rigorous net-zero strategies; and Leading Change Canada’s curated conversations between young sustainability leaders and executives.
“As the world’s first major carbon-neutral food company, we believe we can go further, faster together,” said Tim Faveri, vice president of sustainability and shared value for Maple Leaf Foods. “Maple Leaf Foods is delighted to support Canada’s Net-zero Leaderboard as it is a central platform for advancing important conversations about Canadian corporate climate ambition and action.”