CNL announces carbon-neutral goal for Chalk River site by 2040
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) plans to achieve carbon neutral operations at its Chalk River Laboratories campus in Eastern Ontario by 2040.
The target is outlined in the organization’s newly released 2023 ESG Report, A CNL Sustainability Performance Update, an annual document that tracks the company’s progress towards sustainable operations.
The new carbon emission reduction plan was put in place to fulfill environmental objectives set out by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) in its environmental, social and governance strategy.
CNL is operating the Chalk River Laboratories on behalf of AECL, who owns the site under a government-owned, company-operated management model. Together, the organizations will work together over the next two decades to reduce emissions by approximately 90% to near zero, and then balance out any remaining emissions with strategic carbon offsets.
“At CNL, we understand that the actions we take today will have an impact on future generations, so we must make responsible decisions in the modernization and operation of the Chalk River Laboratories site,” said CNL President and CEO Joe McBrearty. “That starts with reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. CNL has already reduced our GHG emissions by approximately 30% relative to 2005 levels, and we are poised to achieve a 40% reduction by 2025.”
Among the organizational changes identified in CNL’s Carbon Neutral Strategy are:
- Updating engineering standards and climate resilience planning requirements for all new construction projects and retrofits,
- adopting energy performance improvements through the adoption of electric heating and conservation measures,
- decommissioning and removing outdated, inefficient buildings, and
- electrifying the vehicle fleet.
CNL has also developed a detailed forest management plan which ensures continued stewardship and renewal of the forests surrounding the site, while maximizing the forest’s natural ability to capture and store carbon from the atmosphere.
CNL is also exploring the potential to connect to a SMR proposed for construction at the Chalk River site, leveraging the clean energy from the reactor to further offset the carbon footprint of CNL’s operations.
CNL has also completed an ESG materiality assessment in 2023 that will guide improvement efforts across seven major focus areas, including waste management, climate resilience, ecosystem services, community relationships, employee engagement and well-being, effective leadership and responsible supply chain. This assessment was the product of a thorough stakeholder engagement exercise, which included a survey of over 700 stakeholders and in-depth interviews to gather feedback and refine the company’s ESG priorities.