WWF-Canada and RSA team up to advance employee action on sustainability

TORONTO, March 15, 2016 /CNW/ - WWF-Canada and RSA Canada kicked off a new five-year partnership today to inspire and engage employees in workplaces across Canada to take environmental action.

With this partnership, RSA becomes the new presenting sponsor of Living Planet @ Work, WWF-Canada's environmental employee engagement program. In doing so, RSA demonstrates and promotes the benefits of integrating employee engagement and corporate responsibility initiatives.

Through this partnership, WWF-Canada will support RSA, Canada's third-largest general insurer, to develop a robust national green team program in order to engage employees coast to coast to take action on sustainability.

This is part of RSA Canada's corporate responsibility commitments to reduce the carbon emissions from their internal operations by 12 per cent per employee by 2018 (2015 baseline) as well as support customers with tools and solutions to better respond to changing environmental risks and opportunities.

Quote from Rowan Saunders, President and CEO of RSA Canada
"Our employees are our biggest asset and engaging them on sustainability – an issue that they care deeply about – is directly linked to our success. Combined with WWF's inspiration and guidance, we can bring together our people to create a more sustainable future."

Quote from David Miller, President and CEO of WWF-Canada
"Canadians have a growing desire to lighten the human load on our planet. They're taking action, seeking solutions and building a future where nature and the economy thrive together. WWF-Canada's partnership with RSA Canada harnesses that drive to help Canadians in workplaces across the country nurture a deeper connection with nature."

Why integrating a company's employee engagement and corporate responsibility initiatives matters:

• High employee engagement can lead to 19 per cent profit increase, 20 per cent improved performance and 87 per cent turnover reduction (Corporate Leadership Council)
• Lack of employee engagement is the top issue currently facing 87 per cent of HR and business leaders (Deloitte, 2015) and less than one-third of workers felt engaged in their jobs in 2014, according to the U.S. study. The majority (51 per cent) were "not engaged", and 17.5 per cent were "actively disengaged."
• Millennials, the least engaged generation (Gallup, 2014) and the generation that will form half of the global workforce by 2020 and 75 per cent by 2025, want their work to have a purpose, to contribute something to the world and they want to be proud of their employer (PwC, 2011)

WWF and RSA Partnership History
For more than five years, WWF and RSA have partnered on research and employee engagement initiatives that have strengthened our organizations. As a leading renewable energy and marine insurer, RSA has supported WWF's efforts to better understand the impacts of our changing climate and environment and to help RSA employees, customers and brokers mitigate and adapt to those risks. A report commissioned by RSA to understand the insurance risks of Arctic shipping is informing industries. RSA's recognition of the important role that employees play in creating positive change is helping to advance workplace sustainability. By working with WWF, RSA is expanding its influence and gaining valuable insights for its future.

About Living Planet @ Work:
Living Planet @ Work was launched in 2011 to inspire, empower and engage environmentally minded employees to lead footprint reduction initiatives, sustainability awareness campaigns at work and build support for WWF's conservation efforts across Canada. Today, more than 1,200 champions from more than 900 companies use the program and are taking action for the good of business and the planet.

About WWF-Canada
WWF-Canada is part of WWF (World Wildlife Fund), one of the world's largest and most respected conservation organizations. WWF-Canada has close to 50 years of experience implementing science-based knowledge and research into on-the-ground projects. WWF creates solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive. Visit wwf.ca for more information.

About RSA Canada
RSA Canada is one of the oldest insurance companies in the country with roots dating back to 1833. The RSA Canada group of companies includes Roins Financial Services Limited, Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada, Quebec Assurance Company, Johnson Inc., Unifund Assurance Company, Western Assurance Company, Ascentus Insurance Ltd., Canadian Northern Shield Insurance Company and RSA Travel Insurance Inc. (collectively, "RSA Canada") and is part of RSA Insurance Group Plc.

SOURCE WWF-Canada

Philippe Devos, director of communications and media, WWF-Canada, [email protected], 416-453-0092; Brodie Bott, media relations manager, RSA Canada, [email protected]; Diane Bégin, account director, APEX Public Relations, [email protected], 416 924-4442