This is West Fraser’s third year reporting with the GRI Standards. GRI is a global standard for reporting on a range of economic, environmental and social impacts.
Click below to download the 2018 Sustainability Report Summary:
Data in this report spans calendar years 2016 - 2018. Please see our website www.westfraser.com to access reports related to this publication such as our Annual Report, Information Circular, Financial Statements and Governance documents. Please contact [email protected] for more information about topics covered in this report.
West Fraser 2018 GRI Content Navigation Table | |||||
102-1 | Name of the organization | West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. (“West Fraser”) | |||
102-2 | Activities, brands, products, and services | West Fraser is a North American, diversified wood products company which produces lumber (spruce, pine and fir — “SPF”) and southern yellow pine (“SYP”). The company also produces panels (plywood, MDF), engineered wood products (LVL), pulp & paper (NBSK and BCTMP), newsprint, wood chips, other residuals and energy. Our operations in western Canada manufacture all of the company’s products, except southern yellow pine lumber, while our mills in the southern United States produce SYP lumber and wood chips. | |||
102-3 | Location of headquarters | ||||
102-4 | Location of operations | ||||
102-5 | Ownership and legal form | West Fraser is a publicly traded company with shares listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol: “WFT”. West Fraser’s Certificate of Incorporation was filed with the Government of the Province of British Columbia April 29, 1954 and was most recently amended, restated and filed May 1, 2014. | |||
102-6 | Markets served | 2018 Annual Report: Markets | |||
102-7 | Scale of the organization | ||||
102-8 | Information on employees and other workers | 2018 Annual Report: Human Resources | |||
102-9 | Supply chain | 2018 Annual Report: Business Overview Contractors are subject to our Environmental Policy, Safety Policy and Fiber Sourcing requirements. When working on behalf of West Fraser, contractors, consultants, agents and anyone else are also required to comply with our Code of Conduct when acting on West Fraser’s or its subsidiaries’ behalf. | |||
102-10 | Significant changes to the organization and its supply chain | 2018 Annual Report: MD&A | |||
102-11 | Precautionary Principle or approach | Environmental Policy, Environment and Product Certifications
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102-12 | External initiatives | ||||
102-13 | Membership of associations | ||||
102-14
| Statement from senior decision-maker | 2018 Annual Report: Report to Shareholders | |||
102-15
| Key impacts, risks, and opportunities | 2018 Annual Report: External Factors Affecting West Fraser’s Business and MD&A | |||
102-16
| Values, principles, standards, and norms of behavior | ||||
102-17
| Mechanisms for advice and concerns about ethics | ||||
102-18
| Governance structure | 2018 Annual Report: Governance | |||
102-19
| Delegating authority | ||||
102-20
| Executive-level responsibility for economic, environmental, and social topics | West Fraser’s executive team has responsibility for one or more sustainability areas, including environmental responsibility at manufacturing sites, safety, employee development, forest management activities, governance, financial performance and stakeholder engagement. Our Board, particularly the Health, Safety & Environmental committee, together with our executive and our senior leadership teams, set the policy and practice of our environmental, social and governance activities within our business | |||
102-21 | Consulting stakeholders on economic, environmental, and social topics | Shareholders may communicate directly with our Board and Directors as outlined in the 2019 Information Circular: Shareholder Feedback and Concerns Community consultations where we manage forests are detailed in thie report in Local Communities and on our website Public Involvement page. | |||
102-22 | Composition of the highest governance body and its committees | 2019 Information Circular: Composition of the Board | |||
102-23 | Chair of the highest governance body | Chairman of the Board: Hank Ketcham | |||
102-24 | Nominating and selecting the highest governance body | 2019 Information Circular: Board Renewal and Governance & Nominating | |||
102-25 | Conflicts of interest | 2019 Information Circular: Serving on Other Boards | |||
102-26 | Role of highest governance body in setting purpose, values, and strategy | Corporate Governance Policy: Mandate of the Board of Directors 2019 Information Circular: Mandate of the Board | |||
102-27 | Collective knowledge of highest governance body | 2019 Information Circular: Orientation Program and Continuing Education | |||
102-28 | Evaluating the highest governance body’s performance | 2019 Information Circular: Expectations of Management page 30 and Performance Reviews | |||
102-29 | Identifying and managing economic, environmental, and social impacts | ||||
102-30 | Effectiveness of risk management processes | ||||
102-31 | Review of economic, environmental, and social topics | ||||
102-32 | Highest governance body’s role in sustainability reporting | The Board’s Health, Safety & Environmental committee is responsible for monitoring the Company’s environmental performance and environmental systems. Our executive management team reviews and approves our Sustainability Report. | |||
102-33 | Communicating critical concerns | Code of Conduct sections 15. Compliance & Reporting and section 16. Whistleblower Protection | |||
102-35 | Remuneration policies | 2019 Information Circular: Executive Compensation | |||
102-36 | Process for determining remuneration | 2019 Information Circular: Advisory Resolution on the Company’s Approach to Executive Compensation (Say On Pay) and Executive Compensation | |||
102-37 | Stakeholders’ involvement in remuneration | 2019 Information Circular: Advisory Resolution on the Company’s Approach to Executive Compensation (Say On Pay) | |||
Working effectively with our stakeholders is key to our success and embedded in our operating approach. Since the early days of our Company, a foundational goal of West Fraser has been to develop and maintain responsibility in the communities in which we work. | |||||
102-40 | List of stakeholder groups | ||||
102-41 | Collective bargaining agreements | In 2018, approximately 37% of our employees were covered by collective agreements. | |||
102-42 | Identifying and selecting stakeholders | ||||
102-43 | Approach to stakeholder engagement | Community consultations where we manage forests are detailed in thie report in Local Communities and on our website Public Involvement page. | |||
102-44 | Key topics and concerns raised | ||||
102-45 | Entities included in the consolidated financial statements | 2018 Annual Report: Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Basis of Consolidation | |||
102-46 | Defining report content and topic Boundaries | ||||
102-47 | List of material topics | ||||
Operations & Value Chain See the Operations & Value Chain page for more information. | |||||
102-48 | Restatements of information | None to report. | |||
102-49 | Changes in reporting | None to report. | |||
102-50 | Reporting period | Fiscal year: January – December | |||
102-51 | Date of most recent report | Auguast 2018 | |||
102-52 | Reporting cycle | Annual | |||
102-53 | Contact point for questions regarding the report | Please contact: [email protected] | |||
102-54 | Claims of reporting in accordance with the GRI Standards | This report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards: Core option | |||
102-55 | GRI content index | This page | |||
102-56 | External assurance | We have not sought external assurance for all discllosures in this report, but some data and information in this report has been subject to external auditing and verification. | |||
103 Management Approach See the Management Approach page for more information. | |||||
103-1 | Explanation of the material topics and its Boundary | ||||
201 - Economic Performance See the Economic Performance page for more information. | |||||
201-1 | Direct economic value generated and distributed | 2018 Annual Report: Annual Information Form and MD&A | |||
201-2 | Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change | 2019 Information Circular, and 2018 Annual Report: MD&A, “Risks and Uncertainties” | |||
201-3 | Defined benefit plan obligations and other retirement plans | 2018 Annual Report: Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | |||
201-4 | Financial assistance received from government | 2018 Annual Report: Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Government Assistance | |||
202 - Market Presence See the Discover West Fraser pages within the Careers section on our website to learn more about our approach to recruitment and employment opportunity. | |||||
202-1 | Ratios of standard entry level wage by gender compared to local minimum wage | ||||
202-2 | Proportion of senior management hired from the local community |
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203 - Indirect Economic Impacts See the Indirect Economic Impacts page for more information. | |||||
203-1 | Infrastructure investments and services supported | 2018 Annual Report: Report to Shareholders | |||
203-2 | Significant indirect economic impacts | ||||
204 - Procurement Practices Our facilities are primarily located in rural communities in the United States and Canada, where our business relies on many local contractors, partners and suppliers to provide goods and services to our mills, most materially, the log supply for our manufacturing operations. Conflicts of interest in procurement are covered under our Code of Conduct Section 6. Conflicts of Interest and Corporate Opportunity. | |||||
204-1 | Proportion of spending on local suppliers | ||||
205 - Anti-Corruption West Fraser obeys the anti-corruption laws in Canada and the United States, where we do business. See also our Code of Conduct Section 8. Offering or Accepting Gifts and Gratuities / Anti-Corruption | |||||
205-1 | Operations assessed for risks related to corruption | West Fraser obeys the anti-corruption laws in Canada and the United States, where we do business. We conduct Bill 198 internal auditing and risk assessments regularly throughout our operations. Any material risks are disclosed in our regulatory filings. | |||
205-2 | Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures | All Directors, members of management and substantially all salaried employees periodically confirm compliance with the Code of Conduct. Instances of non-compliance are expected to be reported to our Board. | |||
205-3 | Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken | None to report. We disclose all material litigations and legal proceedings in our regulatory filings. | |||
206 - Anti-Competitive Behavior Our Code of Conduct Section 10. Competition and Fair Dealing affirms West Fraser’s long-standing policy that its directors, officers and employees conform to the highest legal, ethical and moral standards in conducting the respective businesses of West Fraser and its subsidiaries including adhering to the laws and regulations in Canada and the United States concerning unlawful activity. All individuals subject to the Code have a responsibility to respect these laws and behave accordingly by complying with our guidelines for behaviour. We disclose all material litigation and legal proceedings in our regulatory filings. | |||||
206-1 | Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices | 2018 Annual Report: Softwood Lumber Dispute | |||
301 - Materials See the Fibre Utilization & Recovery page for more information. | |||||
301-1 | Materials used by weight or volume | The most significant material input to our company is wood fibre. Operating at the capacities described in our most recent annual report (2018):
More detail: Fibre Utilization & Recovery, also 2018 Annual Report: Fibre and Log Supply information | |||
301-2 | Recycled input materials used | ||||
301-3 | Reclaimed products and their packaging materials | We manufacture renewable, sustainable products that may be reused, recycled or consumed for energy generation. | |||
302 - Energy | |||||
302-1 | Energy consumption within the organization | ||||
302-2 | Energy consumption outside of the organization | We do not currently track this energy consumption. | |||
302-3 | Energy intensity | ||||
302-4 | Reduction of energy consumption | ||||
302-5 | Reduction of energy requirements of products and services | ||||
303 - Water Use | |||||
303-1 | Interactions with water as a shared resource | ||||
303-2 | Management of water discharge-related impacts | ||||
303-3 | Water withdrawl | ||||
| 303-4 | Water discharge | Water Use | |||
| 303-5 | Water consumption | Water Use | |||
304 – Biodiversity | |||||
304-1 | Operational sites owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas | ||||
304-2 | Significant impacts of activities, products, and services on biodiversity |
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304-3 | Habitats protected or restored | ||||
304-4 | IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations | ||||
305 - Emissions | |||||
305-1 | Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions | ||||
305-2 | Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions | ||||
305-3 | Other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions | We do not currently track other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions. | |||
305-4 | GHG emissions intensity | ||||
305-5 | Reduction of GHG emissions | ||||
305-6 | Emissions of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) | These are not material to our operations. | |||
305-7 | Nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulphur oxides (SOX), and other significant air emissions | ||||
306 - Effluents and Waste | |||||
306-1 | Water discharge by quality and destination | ||||
306-2 | Waste by type and disposal method |
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306-3 | Significant spills | No significant spills to report in 2018. All the jurisdictions where we operate have spill reporting legislation and our facilities comply with these regulations. | |||
306-4 | Transport of hazardous waste | We use authorized service providers to dispose of our hazardous waste. All of our facilities are required to appropriately manifest and track all hazardous waste in accordance with governing federal, state and provincial legislation before it is transported from our operating sites. | |||
306-5 | Water bodies affected by water discharges and/or runoff | Water Use | |||
307 - Environmental Compliance See the Environmental Performance page for more information. Also see our Environmental Policy and Certification Programs. | |||||
307-1 | Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations | ||||
308 - Supplier Environmental Assessment See the Environmental Performance page for more information | |||||
308-1 | New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria | ||||
401 - Employment | |||||
401-1 | New employee hires and employee turnover | ||||
401-2 | Benefits provided to full-time employees that are not provided to temporary or part-time employees | ||||
401-3 | Parental leave | ||||
402 - Labor/Management Relations | |||||
402-1 | Minimum notice periods regarding operational change | ||||
403 - Occupational Health and Safety See the Safety page for more information. Also see our Health and Safety Policy. | |||||
403-1 | Occupational health and safety management system | ||||
403-2 | Hazard identification, risk assessment, and incident investigation | ||||
403-3 | Occupational Health Services | ||||
404-4 | Worker participation, consultation, and communication on occupational health and safety | Safety | |||
404-5 | Worker training on occupational health and safety | Safety | |||
403-6 | Promotion of worker health | Safety | |||
403-8 | Workers covered by an occupational health and safety management system | The occupational health and safety statistics provided cover workers who are employees and contract workers who are not employees but whose work and/or workplace is controlled by West Fraser. See more in: Safety | |||
403-9 | Work-related injuries | ||||
403-10 | Work-related ill health | Safety | |||
404 - Training and Education It is core to our company values to promote from within to build our leadership team. The overwhelming majority of our management and senior leadership teams are drawn from employees who have developed their talents and grown their career within West Fraser. Read more about our approach to Training in the Careers section of our website. | |||||
404-1 | Average hours of training per year per employee | ||||
404-2 | Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs | ||||
404-3 | Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews | ||||
405 - Diversity and Equal Opportunity In keeping with our commitment to human rights, our aim is to afford all individuals who have the necessary qualifications an equal opportunity to compete for employment and advancement. We are committed to the philosophy and principle of equal employment opportunity for all present and prospective employees. Code of Conduct, section 5. Human Rights, Discrimination and Harassment. | |||||
405-1 | Diversity of governance bodies and employees | ||||
405-2 | Ratio of basic salary and remuneration of women to men | ||||
406 - Non-Discrimination See the Employee Development & Equal Opportunity pages for more information. Also see our Code of Conduct, section 5. Human Rights, Discrimination and Harassment. | |||||
406-1 | Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken | Discrimination complaints are investigated by local management. | |||
407 - Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining | |||||
407-1 | Operations and suppliers in which the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at risk | West Fraser operates manufacturing facilities and contracts work with suppliers and contractors that are both union and non-union. We respect the rights of workers to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining. West Fraser requires all suppliers and contractors to adhere to the human rights laws of the United States and Canada. | |||
408 - Child Labor | |||||
408-1 | Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of child labor | Not material to our operations, West Fraser requires all suppliers and contractors to adhere to the human rights laws of the United States and Canada. | |||
409 - Forced or Compulsory Labor | |||||
409-1 | Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor | Not material to our operations, West Fraser requires all suppliers and contractors to adhere to the human rights laws of the United States and Canada. | |||
410 - Security Practices | |||||
410-1 | Security personnel trained in human rights policies or procedure | Not material to our operations. | |||
411 - Rights of Indigenous Peoples | |||||
411-1 | Incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous peoples | We disclose all material litigations and legal proceedings in our regulatory filings. | |||
412 - Human Rights Assessment See the Human Rights Assessment page for more information. Also see Code of Conduct, section 5. Human Rights, Discrimination and Harassment. | |||||
412-1 | Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments |
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412-2 | Employee training on human rights policies or procedures | Our Code of Conduct, signed by our employees, outlines our commitment to human rights (defined by the laws of Canada and the United States). All of our foresters receive training to meet the requirements of the Company’s forest management and sourcing certifications, which include human rights provisions. | |||
412-3 | Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening | ||||
413 - Local Communities See the Local Communities page for more information. | |||||
413-1 | Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs | ||||
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415 - Public Policy See Public Policy section on our Business Ethics page for more information. | |||||
415-1 | Political contributions | ||||
416 - Customer Health and Safety | |||||
416-1 | Assessment of the health and safety impacts of product and service categories | Customer Health and Safety Certifications organized by product Cradle-to-grave life cycle analysis is available for our Canadian-produced products LVL, MDF, plywood and softwood lumber Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs): North American softwood lumber, softwood plywood and Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) | |||
416-2 | Incidents of non-compliance concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services | We are not aware of any health and safety incidents of noncompliance concerning our products. | |||
417 - Marketing and Labeling We manufacture sustainable, renewable and recyclable wood products that can be used in a wide variety of applications, often as a more environmental alternative to other construction and fossil-fuel based materials. We comply with, and regularly monitor, developments in the United States and Canada to ensure our product labeling meets and reflects regulatory requirements, where needed. | |||||
417-1 | Requirements for product and service information and labeling | Data safety and certification information on our website about the source, certifications and safe handling is available for all of our products, organized by product. | |||
417-2 | Incidents of non-compliance concerning product and service information and labeling | We are not aware of significant product labeling incidents of non-compliance concerning our products. | |||
418 - Customer Privacy We respect and uphold individual rights to privacy and the protection of personal information. West Fraser has two privacy officers identified as a point of contact to address privacy concerns. | |||||
418-1 | Substantiated complaints concerning breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data | No material privacy complaints were received in 2018 | |||