Dear Residents of Bermuda,
Each year Earth Day reminds us of the importance of environmental protection and sustainability, but it is also a call to action. A call to support the global movement by doing what we can to protect our small piece of the world. This year’s theme, “Planet vs. Plastics”, focusses on the reduction of plastic production globally by 60% before 2040 with the ultimate goal of creating a healthier, plastic-free future for us and the environment.
Kathleen Rogers, President of EarthDay.org explains: “The word environment means what surrounds you. Now plastics do more than surround us; we have become the product itself – it flows through our blood stream, adheres to our internal organs, and carries with it heavy metals known to cause cancer and disease. Now this once-thought amazing and useful product has become something else, and our health and that of all other living creatures hangs in the balance. The Planet vs. Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being upon our planet.”
We can support this year’s call to arms through educating each other on the damage created by plastics to the health of the Earth’s biodiversity; we can stop using single-use plastics in our daily lives and support our government’s efforts in creating legislation that bans single-use plastics island-wide. But beyond the theme-specific efforts, we can all take small steps to support the health of our island environment, such as reducing our paper consumption, participating in local clean-up initiatives, recycling and planting gardens/trees.
In 2021, we promised to join you, unifying our efforts, to ensure Bermuda’s journey towards sustainability is progressive, innovative, efficient and sound. Each year since, we’ve maintained that commitment, sharing our progress along the way, and on Earth Day 2024, we’re proud to share some of the progress we’ve made this past year:
Fundraising & Volunteering
Each year our team commits to raising funds and volunteering for local charities that support environmental and/or social sustainability for Bermuda. In 2023, our team is proud to share:
1. We raised much needed funds through donation days for local registered charities, such as the Bermuda Zoological Society, P.A.L.S., SPCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bermuda, Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, Women’s Resource Centre, Tomorrow’s Voices, Action on Alzheimer’s and Dementia, Friends of Hospice and more!
2. We donated our time to learn about the local environment and volunteer in local community environmental and social sustainability initiatives offered by the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo, Waterstart, Keep Bermuda Beautiful, Beyond Plastics, Tynes Bay Waste to Energy Facility and more!
3. We donated raffle prizes to support the initiatives of local community, educational and charitable organisations, such as The Berkeley Institute, Pembroke Rotary Club, J&G Scholarship, Relay 4 Life, Wind Reach, Bermuda Institute, Bermuda National Trust, Portuguese Cultural Association, St. George’s Cricket Club, Bermuda Scout Association, Duke of Edinburgh, The Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda and more!
4. We sponsored the community events and efforts of some of our local schools, associations and charities, such as Bermuda National Gallery, National Archery Association, Bermuda Equestrian Association, Bermuda Nurses Association, Bermuda Red Cross, Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts, Harrington Sound Primary, Bermuda Triangle Challenge and more!
5. We responded to donation requests from local charities and schools, such as Unity in the Community, Bermuda Olympic Association, Sandy’s Secondary Middle School, Habitat for Humanity, The Menuhin Foundation, Impact Mentoring Academy, Bermuda School of Music, The St. George’s Foundation, HOME, Salvation Army, AGE Concern, Family Centre, Focus Counselling and more!
6. We awarded approximately $215,000.00 in scholarship funds for Bermudian students who are looking to further their education.
7. We supported the growth of 15 Bermudian students during the summer through our summer internship programme.
Our team is firmly committed to supporting our community and ensuring that the leaders of tomorrow are equipped and ready to advance beyond the leaders of today.
Paperless Billing
Since February of 2009, we have been working to reduce paper usage through encouraging customers to transition to paperless billing, as paper production uses enormous amounts of energy and water and is a major cause of deforestation, carbon emissions and climate change. By opting to receive ebills, customers can help save trees, energy and water, and reduce carbon emissions for a more sustainable planet.
As of January 2024, we are happy to share that of about 36,084 metered customers, approximately 25,484 or roughly 70% receive ebills. This is great progress, but it means we still print approximately 10,600 bills every month.
Carbon Offsetting
Through our partnership with Climate Wise, we have continued to offset the carbon footprint of each one of our employees, thereby achieving carbon neutrality for our team. To date, we have been able to offset approximately 4,591.47 tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to the emissions created from driving a typical family car approximately 22,191,096 miles.
We endeavour to continually improve our operations and better serve the community within which we operate. While this journey is ongoing, the entire team at BELCO remains committed to a safe, secure and sustainable future for Bermuda.
Krista Barnes
Director Communications and Sustainability