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Engagement

We strive to be a respected and trusted member of the communities in which we operate. At Encana, stakeholder engagement covers the full range of our efforts to identify, meet, listen and respond to, understand and involve our stakeholders in our operational activities and business decisions.

We work hard to earn the respect and trust of a diverse network of stakeholders and believe that working collaboratively with these groups sparks the innovation needed to identify risks and meet new challenges. Our long-term success depends on our ability to generate support for our business in the community and on how well our stakeholders understand our strategy, operations and how we contribute to communities where we operate. This shared understanding of stakeholder concerns and our unique development approach helps us navigate the complexities associated with energy development while keeping the goal of community support in mind.

Increasing stakeholder confidence through responsive transparency

Stakeholder engagement is about building trust through communication and collaboration. For example, we gathered information in part by conducting surveys in Alberta, British Columbia and Wyoming. The results of these surveys provide important benchmarks for our stakeholder engagement program and will help steer our communications and engagement priorities in the future.

We pride ourselves in being transparent and accountable to our shareholders. We regularly respond to surveys from investors and meet with them to gain input to improve our disclosure practices. We closely align our practices with internationally-recognized sustainability guidelines and indices, including the Global Reporting Initiative, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the Carbon Disclosure Project. Through voluntary disclosure, continuous improvement and accountability our investors can be confident that we are a sustainable long-term investment.

Taking a leadership role in building our energy future

In 2010, we were instrumental in securing passage of the Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act in the Colorado Legislature. This legislation is designed to ensure that aging and inefficient high-emitting coal-fired generation units along the Colorado Front Range are retired and that natural gas is considered as the primary replacement fuel. The Act was the result of many months of strategic stakeholder outreach that we led. Our efforts spurred negotiations with the governor’s office, key members of the environmental community and the incumbent utility, Xcel Energy Inc.

Xcel will convert 460 megawatts of power generation from coal to natural gas, representing a significant shift in its power generation portfolio towards this cleaner, abundant fuel. The Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act also serves as a model for other states seeking to reduce emissions through greater use of natural gas. The objective of this legislation was to reduce nitrogen oxides emissions by 70 to 80 percent and natural gas was the logical choice to accomplish this.

A Workforce Committed to their Communities

We recognize and celebrate the fact that our most valuable natural resource is our people. In a dynamic organization like Encana that operates over such a large area, it’s easy for employees to feel disconnected and become disengaged. But our Community Relations team took action to engage our people and, at the same time, capitalize on their ability to reinforce our relationships in the community.

In Linden, Alberta, we worked with our local employees to help the community build a new park using locally grown trees and shrubs. We provided 25 volunteers and landscaping equipment to help complete the job. Later, Encana hosted a family barbecue to celebrate the community’s achievement. Efforts like this have helped us reinforce our relationships with the communities where we live and operate. We’ve built a foundation of trust and collaboration to increase community support for our company.

A Race Against Hunger

In the summer of 2010, employees from our Calgary, Alberta office came together to raise food, funds and awareness for local food banks by participating in the Race Against Hunger program. With the spirit of the annual Calgary Stampede in full force, more than 1,100 Encana employees donated food and money during a Stampede barbecue lunch. In a demonstration of kindness and dedication to the community, our staff contributed more than four tonnes of food to support the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank.

This sort of effort wasn’t limited to Calgary. Our employees supported food banks in other communities where they work and live, such as Grande Cache and Wembley, Alberta. By partnering with volunteer fire departments and local food banks, our staff ran weekend food drives and built awareness for the important services local food banks provide.

Efforts like these demonstrate the commitment of our workforce to being involved in their communities. It’s this commitment that helps build lasting personal relationships and maintains strong communication between the public and our staff.

Courtesy Matters

A survey of our stakeholders gave voice to their concerns regarding the impacts of natural gas development near their communities. Noise, increased traffic, garbage, dust and gates that were left open began to erode community patience with the industry and Encana. This frustration jeopardized our support from communities and had the potential to impact our continued access to surface land. In an effort to minimize impacts on stakeholders, we responded by creating the Courtesy Matters® program, setting formal expectations for employees and contractors to act responsibly.

Over the years, Courtesy Matters has evolved and set a high standard for how we conduct business and engage with stakeholders. It provides a clear set of expectations for those representing Encana, resulting in on-the-ground actions that lead to positive, respectful behaviours.