Toronto, July 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RTOERO has received ISO certification for environmental sustainability, underscoring the organization’s broad commitment to stewardship.
Since 1968, RTOERO has been a voice for members broader education community in Canada – while they are working and in their retirement.
ISO – the International Organization for Standardization – introduced ISO 14001 to give organizations a framework to design and implement an environmental management system and continually improve their environmental performance.
“We are dedicated to environmental sustainability in our day-to-day operations. By meeting the strong ISO standards, we can ensure that we’re taking and monitoring the steps needed to minimize our footprint and to achieve ever bolder environmental goals,” says John Cappelletti, chair of the board at RTOERO.
Globally, more than 300,000 organizations are ISO 14001-certified. The voluntary measure looks at how an organization manages all of its environmental impacts, from emissions and water usage, to waste management and resource efficiencies.
The ISO 14001 process includes performing an environmental review and gap analysis, creating and implementing an EMS, and completing comprehensive interim and final audit. The process took RTOERO more than two years, before the organization became ISO-certified in April 2024. To maintain the certification, RTOERO will continue to participate in annual audits.
“RTOERO is proud to contribute to the solution by taking a proactive and systematic approach to our environmental management systems,” says Jim Grieve, CEO at RTOERO. “We encourage others to pursue ISO 14001 certification and join this campaign to raise sustainability efforts and results.”
Environmental stewardship is a focus area in RTOERO’s strategic plan. In the last two years, that has played out in actions like upgrading the office HVAC and electrical systems, replacing much print material with digital communications, enhancing the organization’s recycling system, and educating staff and members about environmental issues.
Beyond promoting sustainability in its operations, RTOERO has made environmental stewardship one of its core advocacy issues, pushing political leaders and policy-makers for conservation and more responsible use of resources.
“Climate change, air and water quality biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions are among the biggest challenges society faces. We all have a part to play in protecting our planet, whether as individuals, communities, countries or organizations,” says Grieve.
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RTOERO is a bilingual trusted voice on healthy, active living in the retirement journey for the broader education community. With 84,000+ members in 51 districts across Canada, we are the largest national provider of non-profit group health benefits for education retirees. We welcome members who work in or are retired from the early years, schools and school boards, post-secondary and any other capacity in education. We believe in a better future, together!
- ISO certification reinforces RTOERO’s strong commitment to environmental performance
- ISO certification reinforces RTOERO’s strong commitment to environmental performance