NovaGold

Innovative Practice/Initiative: Gold2Green Sustainability Practice

Organisation Profile

NovaGold (NYSE-AMEX, TSX: NG) is a precious metals company engaged in the exploration and development of mineral properties in North America. About 75 employees work between head office and the four project sites, based in BC and Alaska. Our team members are our most valuable asset, and their health and safety is our greatest responsibility. NovaGold's core values of safety, sustainability, accountability, communication, empowerment, integrity, respect, and teamwork are exemplified in the day-to-day activities of each officer and employee. These values are the foundation of NovaGold's work environment, in which each employee is encouraged and empowered to reach his or her full potential.

The Organization's HR Initiative

NovaGold published its first sustainability report in 2010. While reporting our sustainability performance is new, NovaGold's commitment to sustainability is part of our core business structure. We established our environmental, sustainability, and health and safety policies in 2003 and have consistently demonstrated our commitment to sustainability initiatives and corporate social responsibility.

Sustainability was, historically, a very corporate/management-led strategy which included a commitment from NovaGold's Board of Directors, through the Environment, Health & Safety and Sustainability Committee. Recently we launched an internal, staff-focused program called Gold2Green to educate and encourage all NovaGold employees to take a personal interest in sustainability. 

The objectives of the program are to:

• Educate NovaGold employees about the relationship between human activities and environmental degradation

• Motivate new and innovative choices and ways of thinking to improve sustainability

• Engage employees to make a personal commitment

• Launch a grassroots movement encouraging better environmental, social and economic choices

Gold2Green was launched in December at head office with a kick-off party, which included locally sourced, organic appetizers among other sustainable products - not a plastic fork or paper plate in sight - and challenges, such as Recycling Trivia. 

To encourage green behaviours, we are combining activities that include special employee recognition and prize incentives, with a little friendly competition thrown in. Employees are encouraged to adopt sustainability practices such as:

• Making an environmentally friendly change at home

• Reducing their environmental footprint at work

• Donating to a charity

• Volunteering with a not-for-profit community group

• Changing their commute to reduce their environmental footprint

• Organizing a conservation activity within their department or at a project site

• Organizing a socially responsible or environmental activity

• Taking a leadership position with a not-for-profit community group

• Introducing a green practice into our corporate culture

In addition to the direct benefits of their actions, participants earn points that they can exchange for environmentally friendly rewards, such as products made from recycled materials or products/services that benefit the environment. Employees can earn between five and 50 points per activity, depending on their level of engagement. The rewards also rank in point value from 5 to 400 points.

To get things started, employees who pledged their commitment to turn Gold2Green (awareness is always the first step) received a lunch bag made from recycled material, a reusable stainless steel water bottle, a recycled notebook and a biodegradable pen … all branded with the Gold2Green logo.

The program is being rolled out to all of our sites in the same manner and regular updates, encouragements and challenges will be shared. We have initiated a Pledge of the Week program to provide ideas, and we had a Monitor Shut Down Challenge for a week in January.

Everyone is encouraged to share their successes as well as challenges, which will be communicated in our monthly internal newsletter as well as on our Employee Intranet (when it is launched in a few months).

We've constructed a Gold Tree as a visual reminder and as people pledge or earn rewards, their names and actions are captured on a green leaf (printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper) that is then clipped to the tree. Our goal is to have the tree heavily weighted with leaves before the end of the year!

Evidence of Impacts

While the program is still relatively new, participation and feedback are positive. More than one-third of our employees immediately pledged to work toward turning Gold2Green. Three of the employees who attended the launch party but didn't pledge on site chose to review the materials and gave serious thought to their involvement. They each then returned the following week to hang their own leaf on the tree. This simple action demonstrates how our employees value their roles and contributions.

 One employee sent an email that said: "By the way, I think this is an AWESOME initiative and it will incite others to do even more." Another said, "I'm proud to work for a company and with colleagues who understand the things that are so important and yet often over-looked."

 A little friendly competition and peer leadership is a far better way to encourage others than a mandate from management. One co-worker has her sights set on a solar panel charger for her electronic devices and almost weekly shares her progress on her initiatives. Already very sustainability-minded, she says she is discovering new ways to make improvements. 

As momentum builds we are anticipating some new department and corporate-wide initiatives. We've already removed disposable dinner ware from the kitchen and are embracing a zero-waste facility, which has numerous people pitching in to help others sort their waste, by either picking up something that is disposed of incorrectly or providing advice.

Additional Comments and/or Information

NovaGold boasts many valuable HR initiatives. Our employee-focused programs, which generally exceed what is typical for a company of our size, include:

• Annual Incentive & Stock Based Compensation

• Generous Maternity/Paternity Leave Policy

• Rewards & Recognition Program

• Training & Education Program

• Flexible Culture