Two years after undertaking a diversity review, Corus Entertainment has released its first-ever Sustainability Report, which outlines the company’s approach to implement Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives.
Centred on the three pillars: People, Planet and Responsibility, it outlines both progress made to-date as well as a series of foundational goals.
The report also publicly discloses the company’s workplace diversity, including that 48% of all employees identify as women and 21% as a visible minority. At the executive level that translates to 33% and 11%, respectively, with the Corus board of directors now comprised of 42% women and 17% racially diverse individuals.
Over the past fiscal year, Corus has implemented a formal ESG oversight and governance structure and appointed Sheila Ritson-Bennett as its first Head of Environment and Sustainability, Governance to oversee ESG goals and strategy. It’s also established a steering committee to guide the development and implementation of ESG goals, including advanced diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the organization and company-wide DEI-focused training.
A number of the company’s initiatives speak directly to the findings of its 2020 diversity review, including a lack of intercultural awareness by some managers, in addition to too few accountability measures to ensure diversity and inclusion goals were being met. A culture of “micro-aggressions” and a feeling of lack of inclusion from employees who identified as BIPOC, LGBTQ, or had a disability, were also cited as issues, in addition to little trust in internal harassment complaint procedures.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) within Corus now number seven, including new groups focused on accessibility, women and Indigenous staff. Corus has also stablished an Ethics and Conduct Office dedicated to responding to concerns raised by employees, including anonymous reports. As well, the Executive Leadership Team and a board committee have undergone ESG education sessions with a key performance indicator linked to people and culture objectives now part of the company’s performance management and assessment approach for leaders.
The sustainability report also suggests Corus is attempting a more concerted approach to the mental, emotional, physical and financial well-being of employees, implementing a more formal planning and oversight structure last year. Specifically, the company notes it is continuing to reflect on lessons learned from COVID-19 to promote healthier work environments.
“More broadly, we have been striving to reimagine the future of work at Corus, paying attention to the ways in which flexibility and personalized work arrangements have enhanced many employees’ lives,” the report states.
Looking forward, among Corus’ environmental sustainability goals are establishing a carbon emissions measurement approach and looking at opportunities for a decarbonization plan; developing sustainable-production guidelines based on industry best practices; in addition to promoting sustainability in supply chain management.
“Corus, like all businesses, is part of a global movement to tackle important environmental, social and governance challenges,” said Doug Murphy, President and CEO, Corus Entertainment, in a release. “Our forward-focused approach to sustainability, guided by our People, Planet and Responsibility goals, will help us find new ways to build value and resiliency for our company over the longer term.”
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