TC Energy is renowned for providing access to energy — from heating our homes to cooking our meals and propelling the planes, trains and automobiles that get us around.
Yet, the energy provider also has a track record for something that might surprise the millions of people relying daily on its infrastructure stretching across North America — sustainability.
“Sustainability is not new to us, rather a continuous evolution,” says Hejdi Carlsen, vice-president of sustainability at TC Energy. “Quite simply, sustainability is about meeting the needs of society today without compromising the needs of future generations.”
Today the company employs more than 7,500 people across North America, including 3,500 in Calgary.
Its network is most known for transporting and storing natural gas and oil, but its portfolio also includes renewable, lower carbon energy sources.
“The future of energy is exciting as our industry continues to evolve and diversify,” Carlsen adds. “TC Energy is embracing the opportunity and relying on our track record of innovation to continue to have impact. I have every confidence we have the bright minds and driven individuals determined to continue to find new and better ways to deliver energy.”
Sustainability, however, is much more.
It’s also about people and communities.
“We work with the communities where we operate to make a positive, sustainable impact,” she explains. “One of the areas I am most proud of is the work we’re doing around mental health.”
In 2020, TC Energy published 10 long-term sustainability commitments and set several voluntary targets to help benchmark its efforts. That included setting initial targets to ensure an inclusive and diverse workforce and supporting the mental and physical well-being of its employees and the communities it serves.
“For me, and when I look at my colleagues across the company, a lot of us are parents and we appreciate and understand the great responsibility we have in providing an important resource — energy — and ensuring that what we hand to the next generation is sustainable,” Carlsen says.
On Oct. 26, TC Energy released its 2021 Report on Sustainability, expanding on the foundational work to include targets for all 10 commitments as the company continues to evolve on its sustainability journey, including commitments to Indigenous communities published earlier this year in the company’s Reconciliation Action Plan.
This story was provided by TC Energy for commercial purposes.
Hejdi Carlsen is the vice-president of sustainability at TC Energy. Photo by Wil Andruschak © Postmedia Network Inc.