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The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC’s) annual corporate report tracking the performance of the 2010 Winter Games sustainability commitments won a special commendation in a North American competition for corporate sustainability reports.

Produced by VANOC, the report documents the Organizing Committee’s efforts to manage the social, economic and environmental impacts and opportunities associated with convening an Olympic Games.

The Commendation for Innovative reporting by Ceres, an independent network of investors and public interest organizations, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), has been awarded for VANOC’s second annual Sustainability Report released in March 2008 and covering the reporting period August 1, 2006 to July 31, 2007.

“In this time of economic uncertainty, it is of utmost importance for companies to both understand and mitigate financial risks, including environmental and social impacts,” said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres. “The Ceres-ACCA reporting awards recognize those companies, which not only document their performance, both positive and negative, but also set clear targets for future progress.”

Ninety-nine accountability reports from corporations in Canada and the US were submitted to the 2008 Ceres-ACCA North American Sustainability Reporting Awards competition. The VANOC report was the first report by a project-based entity to be judged as one of the top 19 sustainability reports in North America. The awards are presented today in Toronto and on April 16 in San Francisco.

“It is an honour to have our report recognized by an independent panel of North American experts on corporate responsibility,” said Linda Coady, VANOC vice president, sustainability, who accepted the award today in Toronto. “As an organization, this report helps us engage both internally and externally with stakeholders affected by our activities, as well as gain a better understanding of how we can improve our performance.”

The report measures VANOC’s activities in six key areas related to 2010 sustainability commitments and objectives under its direct control: corporate ethics and accountability, environmental stewardship and impact reduction, social inclusion and responsibility, Aboriginal participation and collaboration, economic benefits and sport for sustainable living. It also discusses VANOC’s challenges and future plans.

VANOC will issue two more sustainability reports — one next year before the start of the 2010 Winter Games and another following the Games.

(Source: VANOC)