Canadian Broadcasters Launch Sustainability Initiative

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(Image credit: Wiki)

A group of Canadian broadcasters, including CBC and Bell Media, has united to form Canadian Broadcasters for Sustainability to promote environmentally sustainable change. The group's formation was announced at the Banff World Media Festival over the weekend.

This is the first time such a broad and diverse group of Canadian public and private broadcasters from different linguistic and regional markets have come together for a common cause. The group includes: 

  • Accessible Media Inc.
  • Asian Television Network
  • Bell Media
  • Blue Ant Media
  • CBC/Radio-Canada
  • Channel Zero
  • CHEK Media
  • Corus Entertainment
  • Hollywood Suite
  • Knowledge Network
  • New Tang Dynasty (Canada)
  • Nunavut Independent Television Network
  • OUTtv
  • Pelmorex Corp.
  • Remstar Media Rogers Sports & Media
  • Super Channel
  • Télé-Québec
  • TFO
  • TV5
  • TVO
  • Wildbrain

Canadian broadcasters play a significant role in the creation, support and delivery of content to people living in Canada, and with that role comes the obligation to embed environmentally sustainable thinking in their commissioned productions. Working together, the group will share their learnings, reduce duplication and increase collective impact and the speed of environmentally sustainable change.

Canadian Broadcasters for Sustainability is committed to meeting at least quarterly to leverage each other's sustainability progress and collectively advance five goals: 

  • collaborate on sustainability initiatives to avoid duplication and ensure resources and learnings have more impact;
  • increase the scope and impact of sustainability actions; 
  • improve efforts to produce content* sustainably including how carbon impact is measured and addressed; 
  • reach more audiences with content* that inspires people to make more sustainable choices and is informed by science; 
  • understand and consult with marginalized communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change. 

*Excluding news and current affairs.

“Our industry has a responsibility to take meaningful action on climate change. After the launch of our first environmental strategy in 2021 and the recent announcement of our participation in Canada’s Net-Zero Challenge, CBC/Radio-Canada is proud to redouble our efforts by joining with other broadcasters to make Canadian media production greener and more sustainable,” said Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada.

“This initiative, combined with our ongoing commitment to make our operations carbon neutral by 2025 and to reduce absolute GHG emissions by 2030, demonstrates our determination to pursue change within our industry, said Karine Moses, Senior Vice President, Content Development & News and Vice Chair, Québec, Bell Media. "Bell Media is proud to participate in this essential initiative, with the support of our broadcasting colleagues, to change things for the better and build a more sustainable and prosperous future.”