DESIGN AND RESTORE NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS THOUGH INNOVATION
Peggy's Blog
CSR in an Age of COVID
07/20/21
Today, employees are taking notice of which companies are providing a safe working environment and are contributing to a greener globe. As company after company releases 2020 CSR (corporate sustainability reports), many employees are taking notice of how businesses progressed on sustainability goals in one of the most challenging years in recent history.
Consider the example of The CSL Group, which is an owner and operator of self-unloading ships. With headquarters in Montreal, CSL delivers millions of tons of cargo annually for customers in construction, steel, energy, and agri-food sectors. The company has long had its sights set on sustainability and the wellbeing of its people.
Now in its eighth year, the CSL Corporate Sustainability Report covers CSL’s contribution toward its targets of zero harm to people, planet, and property and its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Performance results are disclosed in a new ESG (environmental, social, and governance) scorecard against the SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) Marine Transportation Industry Standard.
In a year that was challenging for most, this company kept its sights set on sustainability. For instance, biodiesel blends were tested on the main engines of two ships leading to a successful test of fuel containing 100% bio content.
But, perhaps, more important is its focus on its employees during a time when safety and efficiency were paramount. Last year, regional CSL COVID-19 committees were created to support seafarers and ensure safe and efficient vessel operations throughout the pandemic. The results were impressive. The company saw a dramatic improvement in safety performance, with a decrease of 31% in the lost-time injury frequency rate and 37% in the total recordable case frequency rate. This all comes on top of being named one of Montreal’s top employers in 2020.
The company also continued its focus on innovation during one of the tumultuous years in history. CSL partnered with Windsor Salt to build a new state-of-the-art 26,000 DWT self-unloading ship, as well as delivered three vessels according to customer specifications and progressed on four newbuild and conversion projects. The company also completed its first retrofit of a ballast water treatment system completed on a Great Lakes self-unloading ship.
All this to say the company was focused on sustainability, its people, and its product. Can we continue to sustain this type of effort—for our people and our planet? Let’s hope so.
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