INTRODUCTION

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, delegates to the World Petroleum Congress.

I'm honoured and privileged to chair the Lunch of the Americas.

CORPORATE

  • Our Corporate sector benefits from its support/partnerships for local communities

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Direct financial contributions for community facilities like hockey arenas or swimming pools.

IN ALBERTA

  • Many companies allow senior employees to take paid time off to work on a charity's fundraising drive.

  • For example, EnCana Corp., the largest independent oil and gas company in Calgary, spends 1 per cent of their pre-tax profits on community programs.

  • Among many things it does, EnCana allows employees to select a charity they like, and have the amount they pledge taken off their pay - and then matched dollar for dollar by the company.

  • Altogether, EnCana spends $8 million per year on programs of corporate social responsibility.

  • For over 30 years, organizations have created partnerships with our native communities.

  • Aboriginal leaders have become convinced of the urgent need to create meaningful jobs for young aboriginals, and to begin creating wealth locally to reduce their dependence on governments.

  • A longstanding leader in this regard is the Syncrude oil sands consortium in northern Alberta.

  • Currently nearly 600 aboriginals work for the plant or its sub-contractors.

  • Every year, Syncrude spends tens of millions of dollars purchasing goods and services from aboriginal-owned companies.

  • Helping aboriginals to become true wealth-creators rather than recipients of hand-outs fosters dignity, self-sufficiency and self-respect.

  • Why does corporate social responsibility succeed in Alberta?

  • One reason is that our citizens - - ordinary people, employees and their families - - demand it.

  • We are a society governed by the rule of law, with respect for civil liberties and property rights.

  • A society where corporations regard their employees as precious assets to be nurtured and cultivated.

BLOCK 1 - - KEYNOTE SPEECHES 97

INTRODUCTION

TO DR RUTH CARDOSO, GUEST SPEAKER

  • Alberta is the volunteer capital of Canada.

  • People integrate their work with leisure, family and social involvement.

  • This engagement made our Olympic Winter Games such a success, and it enables so many charities and social organizations to function. (Over 12,000 volunteers.)

  • WPC was held in Calgary in 2000.

  • Another important element is honest and ethical government.

  • I'm very proud of Alberta's land-tenure system for natural resource development.

  • It's an open and fair system that plays no favourites among competing companies.

  • It has never been corrupted.

  • And that's important to today's issue, because the foundation for corporate social responsibility includes an atmosphere in which companies don't have to fear arbitrary taxes, expropriation, dem

This content is only available via PDF.
You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.