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As a leading telecommunications company with more than 3,600 buildings, 5,400 vehicles and 34,000 team members, TELUS recognizes that our operations have an impact on the environment. Therefore, we take a proactive approach to managing our environmental footprint. We have developed and maintain a robust environmental management system, we provide training for team members and we partner with the TELUS business units to achieve environmental targets.
We also oversee or perform environmental assessments and/or class screening of projects before they are implemented to identify potential risks and possible mitigation measures. We have policies and training in place to reduce the environmental impact on water, soil, vegetation and habitat associated with service installation and maintenance.
environmental management system
Since the 1990s, TELUS has modelled its environmental management system (EMS) after the ISO 14001 standard but it has never been certified. A gap analysis performed in 2006 by a third-party consultant identified significant gaps between our EMS and the standard.
To effectively address this issue, TELUS has developed a three-year plan to close the identified gaps. Our goal is to be in position to certify to ISO 14001:2004 by 2010. In 2007, we closed 47 per cent of gaps, exceeding our full-year target of 40 per cent gap closure. We also identified more than 200 unique environmental aspects of our business that might have a potential impact on the environment.
A fully functioning EMS will provide a greater level of control and more assurance that we are managing environmental risks and opportunities to the best extent possible. In 2008, our target is to complete 80 per cent (cumulative) of the gap closure plan.
We did not fully assess TELUS International in 2007. In 2008, our target is to more fully include TELUS International within our EMS enhancement efforts.
Through our aspects and impacts process, we have determined that the areas currently of most importance are: assessing our climate change impact and developing a mitigation strategy, increasing energy efficiency, waste reduction measures, environmental compliance and eliminating spills and releases, completing environmental site assessments and reducing overall internal consumption of resources.
