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Employees Identify Aon Hewitt’s "Green 30" Organizations Based on Eco Friendly Programs and Practices
Workplace Perceptions of Employers’ Environmental Initiatives May Impact Employee Attraction and Retention
NYSE: AON

TORONTO, April 26, 2012 — The list of Canada’s "Green 30"—organizations whose employees are most positive about their record on environmental stewardship—was released today by Aon Hewitt, the global leader in human capital consulting and outsourcing solutions. The list (attached) was compiled from employee feedback using Aon Hewitt's Employee Green Index, which focuses on employers' environmental strategies and activities, and their efforts to consider long-term social, environmental and economic impacts when making decisions.

As part of the 2012 Best Employers in Canada and Best Small & Medium Employers in Canada studies, Aon Hewitt surveyed over 112,000 employees at more than 261 organizations regarding their employers’ commitment to environmental stewardship. Amongst the Green 30, 82 per cent of employees have a positive perception of their employers’ eco-friendly efforts, contrasted against the 30 organizations with the least positive reviews, only 49 per cent were favourable.

"Employees see the difference when their employer focuses on making environmentally-conscious policies and practices a part of their business – and these practices may also have the effect of drawing certain employees to join—or stay with—the organization," says Neil Crawford, Aon Hewitt’s leader of the Best Employer in Canada study. "There's a significant difference in the engagement scores between the Green 30 and firms that were lowest on the Employee Green Index. Seeing this impact highlights how positive it is for organizations to be proactive in implementing environmental policies."

The Green 30 are more likely to implement practices and programs to support and reinforce their commitment to environmental stewardship, as the following table demonstrates:

Eco-Friendly Practice

The Green 30

30 Lowest Ranked

Using environmentally preferred office equipment or supplies

96%

71%

Events to facilitate participation in Earth Day or Earth Hour

79%

45%

Program(s) to reduce Green House Gas emissions from business operations

79%

22%

Programs to reduce fuel use / emissions of  vehicle fleet

61%

22%

Subsidize costs of storage / showers for employees who cycle to work

64%

36%

Pay for / subsidize carbon offsets related to business travel

21%

11%

Subsidize travel by public transit to work, or provide parking discounts for employees who drive alternative fuel vehicles to work

29%

18%

 

"Aon Hewitt’s ability to collect data from leaders and employees on the connections between employee engagement and CSR has been insightful, and it has allowed participating organizations to refine their approach, improve communications and best leverage their efforts," states Crawford. "It's important to appreciate that not every organization takes—or needs to take—the same approach to environmental practices. The thing these employers have in common is their demonstrated commitment to reducing the impact of their business on the environment. It's this passion—and action—that has the most value in the eyes of their employees."

The Green 30 list appears in the May 7 issue of Maclean’s magazine, available on newsstands today, the week of Earth Day.

Organizations that participate in the Best Small & Medium Employers in Canada (50 – 399 employees) or the Best Employers in Canada (400 or more employees) studies are automatically eligible for The Green 30 list. The deadline to register for each studyand therefore be considered for the 2013 Green 30 listis May 31, 2012. For more information and to register online, please visit www.hewitt.com/bestemployerscanada, or contact Colin Platt, Associate Partner at Aon Hewitt at 416-227-5817 or email colin.platt@aonhewitt.com.

About Aon Hewitt
Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human capital consulting and outsourcing solutions. The company partners with organizations to solve their most complex benefits, talent and related financial challenges, and improve business performance. Aon Hewitt designs, implements, communicates and administers a wide range of human capital, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation and talent management strategies. With more than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries, Aon Hewitt makes the world a better place to work for clients and their employees. For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is the leading global provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing. Through its more than 59,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to deliver distinctive client value via innovative and effective risk management and workforce productivity solutions. Aon's industry-leading global resources and technical expertise are delivered locally in over 120 countries. Named the world's best broker by Euromoney magazine's 2008, 2009 and 2010 Insurance Survey, Aon also ranked highest on Business Insurance's listing of the world's insurance brokers based on commercial retail, wholesale, reinsurance and personal lines brokerage revenues in 2008 and 2009. A.M. Best deemed Aon the number one insurance broker based on revenues in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and Aon was voted best insurance intermediary 2007-2010, best reinsurance intermediary 2006-2010, best captives manager 2009-2010, and best employee benefits consulting firm 2007-2009 by the readers of Business Insurance. Visit http://www.aon.com for more information on Aon and http://www.aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon's global partnership and shirt sponsorship with Manchester United.

Media Contacts: 
Tom Oldfield, 416.263.7860, tom.oldfield@aonhewitt.com

 

The list of The Green 30 of 2012 appears below in alphabetical order.

Organization

Headquarters

Accor/Novotel Canada

Toronto  ON

BC Biomedical Laboratories Ltd.

Surrey  BC

Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls

Markham  ON

Celestica

Toronto  ON

Cisco Canada

Toronto  ON

Co-operators Life Insurance Company

Regina  SK

Cruickshank Construction Limited

Kingston  ON

Delta Hotels and Resorts

Toronto  ON

EllisDon Corporation

London  ON

GEF Seniors Housing

Edmonton  AB

IHG

Mississauga  ON

Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc.

Montreal  QC

LoyaltyOne Inc.

Toronto  ON

LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics

Vancouver  BC

Marriott Hotels of Canada ltd.

Mississauga  ON

Mountain Equipment Co-op

Vancouver  BC

National Leasing

Winnipeg  MB

Nexen Inc.

Calgary  AB

North Shore Credit Union

North Vancouver  BC

Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan

Waterloo  ON

PCL Constructors Inc.

Edmonton  AB

Port Metro Vancouver

Vancouver  BC

Softchoice Corporation

Vancouver  BC

Stikeman Elliott LLP

N/A

TD Bank Group

Toronto  ON

The Co-operators

Guelph  ON

The Sovereign General Insurance Company

Calgary  AB

Vancity Credit Union

Vancouver BC

Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre

Vancouver BC

Wakefield Canada Inc.

Toronto  ON

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