Our Climate Change Strategy
At CAPES Engineering we are committed to working with our clients and approval agencies to find the most environmentally responsible solutions to technical issues. Working within the land development and civil engineering industry it is often challenging to reconcile the requirements of the industry with the realities of climate change. We understand the need for all parts of the economic workforce to adapt and change to new ways of doing things which do not do further harm, or if possible help improve, the environment.
We believe that our role in supporting new development is to find creative solutions to stormwater management and flooding issues, and to ensure that increasingly unpredictable rainfall events do not cause damage to the environment. We try and promote preservation of existing tree cover and green spaces or allow for increased green areas by finding the most efficient ways to design new sites. We try to mimic the processes of the natural environment in our design, where possible, to lessen the impact of the development. We believe our approach to design is thoughtful and creative, while being efficient and responsible to both the client and the environment.
An additional element of our corporate strategy to help combat climate change, is to have progressive work policies that encourage staff to work from home offices and e-commute, rather than drive to centralized office locations. This policy allows the drastic reduction in the number of kilometers driven by staff yearly, thus reducing the individual carbon footprint of staff. We have also gone internally paperless, only printing out documents when absolutely necessary and making digital submissions rather than hard-copy submissions when possible.
We have also committed to a tree planting program to offset the carbon footprint of our staff and their immediate family. Staff first determined the total average annual carbon footprint of their family household and then we determined the equivalent number of trees required to offset that footprint. The company partnered with the “50 Million Tree Program” through Forests Ontario in 2019 and arranged to have the equivalent of 5 years worth of offset trees panted on the 40 ha parcel of land at the company main office. This equated to 1230 new trees which were planted in the Spring of 2020 within the Niagara Escarpment area. We believe that this strategy is a first step in an ongoing commitment to help reduce the harmful effects of climate change. We also know that, in addition to helping sequester carbon, trees help immensely with stormwater runoff, anchor soil and reduce erosion, help to temper increasing air temperatures, provide wildlife habitat and help create beautiful landscapes. As we approach the end of the initial 5 year period and/or grow as a company we will reassess what the best strategy is to help in reducing the impacts of climate change and pursue the most effective contributions we can make.
We believe that our combined strategy of providing responsible, creative engineering solutions, with the overall goal of limiting environmental impact of our design and our carbon offsetting strategy for staff is a good start to try and help combat climate change. As a company we will continue to search for ways to help do our part in this growing movement to preserve and improve the health of our environment.
