Concert is proud of our sustainability accomplishments to date, but climate change is real and getting worse, with buildings a prime contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and urban alienation and loneliness increasing in cities. These serious issues require a new way of thinking, and so we have undertaken a comprehensive company-wide effort to reimagine our approach to sustainability. In some cases, this means putting into context things that have been done since Concert’s beginning and following through on the founding principles that served us for the last 30 years, and in other areas where we are forging a bold new path. The end result - a new Sustainability Framework.
“The purpose of Concert’s new Sustainability Framework is to establish a long-term vision and set of principles for Concert’s Environmental Social Governance across all five lines of our business,” says Dave Ramslie, Concert’s Senior Vice President, Sustainability. “The Framework recommends strategies we can take to reduce our carbon footprint and address social and economic issues, and most importantly, sets out ways we can measure our performance going forward.”
Concert has always adhered to the three pillars of sustainable development and property management: environmental, social and economic. These sustainability principles play a vital role in all lines of our business in an effort to build strong, vibrant communities for the long-term and will be captured in the new Sustainability Framework. We have identified clear actions to achieve each component of sustainability:
- Economic Sustainability: Make good investments, champion good design and planning, create engaging programming and rigorously track performance.
- Social Sustainability: Provide affordable, accessible units, design and program for more social animation, and support inclusionary training on truth and reconciliation with First Nations people.
- Environmental Sustainability: Achieve an 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050 (aligned with Paris Climate accord); waste reduction in both construction and operations; water conservation and stormwater management; building materials; active transportation.
“Our business is changing, and the future is increasingly uncertain, but what will remain the same for us is our commitment to integrity, service, and quality and an unwavering pursuit to positively impact Canadian communities,” says Brian McCauley, Concert President and CEO. “I am excited to introduce this Framework, the next chapter in our sustainability journey at Concert.”