Page 30 - Suncor Report on Sustainability 2014 - English

28 Suncor: report on sustainability 2014

Social performance continued

Since SPWB began, the project team has and the Suncor Energy Foundation (SEF).
observed a number of key shifts, including “Our investments have the potential to be

a renewed focus on collaboration and truly transformative.”
collective action.

– We are targeting investment in institutions Aboriginal relations
like the Southern Alberta Institute of Many of our operations are located on or near

Technology and Sarnia, Ont.’s Lambton the traditional lands of Aboriginal Peoples. We
College that are helping graduate the
know our operations have an impact on the

next generation of skilled workers our environment and the communities where we
industry requires. We are also longtime operate, and we work with our Aboriginal

supporters of Women Building Futures,
stakeholders to understand and mitigate those
an Edmonton-based program that prepares impacts. We are also committed to inding

unemployed and underemployed women ways to ensure Aboriginal businesses and
for new careers by taking them through
communities share in the economic and social

an intense pre-trades program.
beneits of resource development.
– We are collaborating with independent

organizations to encourage an inclusive
In 2013, we spent more than $431 million
national conversation about energy choices with Aboriginal businesses. But we recognize

and challenges. This includes our support supporting Aboriginal businesses is about much
for Student Energy, a global not-for-proit more than our ‘direct spend.’ That’s why, in

that is helping to create the next generation 2013, we continued to implement an Aboriginal
of leaders committed to transitioning
Economic Collaboration strategy based on four

the world to a sustainable energy future.
strategic pillars:
– After devastating loods struck Southern
– proactive Aboriginal business development

Alberta in June 2013, we responded
– respectful relationships and capability
quickly to support community strength
development

and resilience. By year’s end, our total – community-driven economic development
contribution to lood relief efforts (including – meaningful partnership and collaboration.

cash donations, volunteer hours and in-kind

services and equipment) totalled $4.2 million. We were proud to partner with the
That included a signiicant amount of giving Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business

and volunteering by our employees, which in 2013 to launch a national directory that
made this particular community investment links industry, government and other

all the more poignant.
organizations with businesses that are
certiied as 51 per cent or more owned

“Our goal is to work collaboratively to make and controlled by Aboriginal persons.
a difference on some of the big issues that

impact both society and Suncor,” says Lori Along with the SEF, we are also making support
Gammell, project manager, social innovation
of educational opportunities for Aboriginal