RBC releases updated Environmental Blueprint

Outlines ambitious new commitments that will drive environmental sustainability programming through to the end of 2018

TORONTO, June 23, 2014 /CNW/ - Climate change, water and sustainable communities - these are the top three environmental priorities to be addressed by RBC in the coming four years, as outlined in the new RBC Environmental Blueprint. Launched today, this new roadmap outlines how we will approach environmental sustainability globally from now until 2018. Every roadmap needs a destination, so this document not only sets out the corporate environmental policy, objectives and priorities; it includes aggressive targets and a new area of focus to work towards.

"Our Blueprint sets the direction for us to continue to do better: in the way we do business with clients, the way we procure goods and services, in how we operate our own premises, and in how we support environmental initiatives," said Gord Nixon, CEO of RBC. "These efforts make a real difference for our children, our communities and our planet. The ambitious targets we set in the Blueprint show how far we've come and how far we are willing to go."

What's new in the RBC Environmental Blueprint?

• Reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of office paper we use
• Commitment to reduce electronic waste going to landfill down to zero
• Pledge to double the amount of LEED certified space we occupy
• Addition of sustainable communities, which joins climate change and water, as one of our three priority environmental issues
• Expansion of our long-standing environmental and social credit risk management policies to cover all regions where we operate

Why RBC made leadership in environmental stewardship a priority
We believe our future, and the future of the next generation, depends on taking intentional steps to help our organization and others be environmentally responsible. Our history of environmental stewardship and sustainability dates back to 1991, when we appointed our first environmental risk manager and introduced our first formal environmental policy. Our programs and policies have evolved significantly over the past two decades. In 2007, RBC published the first RBC Environmental Blueprint, which served as our multi-year plan for integrating environmental sustainability into RBC's business activities and operations, and building out employee engagement and community initiatives.

We will report on progress against the Blueprint commitments on an annual basis, with the first progress report scheduled for the spring 2015.

To find out more about RBC's Environmental Blueprint please visit: www.rbc.com/community-sustainability.

About RBC Community & Sustainability
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) is Canada's largest bank and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We employ approximately 79,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 42 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com. RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and environmental leaders and is listed on the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the DJSI North American Index, the Jantzi Social Index and the FTSE4Good Index. RBC is one of Canada's Greenest Employers, and one of Canada's 50 Most Socially Responsible Corporations.

RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships, community investments and employee volunteer activities. In 2013, we contributed more than $104 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $69 million and $35 million in sponsorships. Learn more at rbc.com/community-sustainability.

SOURCE: RBC