The Royal Canadian Mint has ascended to sixth place in Corporate Knights’ Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada for 2024, rising from 25th place the previous year.
The Mint also placed first among metal products manufacturers and second in the Metals and Mining category, recognized for its management of energy consumption, carbon emissions, waste reduction, sustainable revenue, and diversity among executive management and Board positions.
Marie Lemay, president and CEO, stated, “We have made considerable progress toward our environmental, social, and governance commitment and action plan. Our goals help us make a positive difference in the communities where we operate, and we are proud that our efforts are being recognized.”
Lemay was singled out as one of the top female CEOs in Canada who is making a difference.
Corporate Knights Inc., a leading sustainable-economy media and research company who sponsors the Top 50 prgram, in a review stated: “But while there are still more CEOs named Michael than there are female CEOs in Canada, 12 per cent of Best 50 companies are led by women. Especially making their presence felt are Marie-Claude Léonard, a 20-year STM veteran who leads the top firm on the list; Tracy Robinson, appointed CEO of Canadian National Railway in 2022, who is the first Canadian woman to run a national railroad; Marie Lemay, who heads the most-improved organization, the Royal Canadian Mint; and Mairead Lavery, who runs Export Development Canada, the company with the lowest ratio of CEO pay to average worker pay.”
The Mint’s inaugural Impact Report, published in May, transparently accounts for its 2023 ESG performance, highlighting progress, achievements, and areas for improvement. The report also includes an update on the Mint’s Task-force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) obligations and a climate-related risk assessment.
As part of its goal to achieve carbon-neutral circulation coinage manufacturing by 2030, the Mint has developed a decarbonization roadmap, including geothermal technology for its Winnipeg facility. Additionally, the Mint has implemented a distributed ledger technology solution to track the provenance and custody of gold, enhancing trust in its bullion products. The Mint also focuses on recirculating existing coin inventories, with 88 per cent of coins placed into circulation being recirculated, requiring only 12 per cent new coin production.
The Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada ranking is based on 24 quantitative key performance indicators related to resource management, employee management, financial management, clean revenue, clean investment, and supplier performance.