Ottawa - June 12, 2009 - Today, Canada Post issued its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. The Report presents Canada Post's CSR objectives, strategies and performance for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008.

"We believe that CSR is good for business even in tough economic times," said Moya Greene, president and CEO of Canada Post. "This report and the action plans that drive it are integral to creating a sustainable future not only for Canada Post, but for all Canadians."

Despite the significant challenges faced by Canada Post in 2008, the report shows that progress was made across a wide range of activities and initiatives. The Parcels line of business delivered on its promise to roll out a new, fully recyclable line of courier envelopes, the Direct Marketing line of business launched a "green" website designed to improve the environmental practices of direct marketers and more than $1 million was raised for the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health.

In other areas, however, the news was not as positive. Letter mail volumes are declining and low profit margins are making it increasingly hard for Canada Post to fund the much-needed modernization of its infrastructure. Energy-efficiency initiatives are also being postponed because of the global economic downturn and its impact on funding availability for investment purposes. Absenteeism and accident rates remain high and Canada Post also continued to receive a very large number of grievances compared to other large Canadian unionized enterprises.

"In everything from the reduction of our carbon footprint to ensuring the health and safety of our employees to supporting communities, our ultimate goal is to create a sustainable Canada Post that provides value to its customers and all Canadians," said Robert Waite, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Social Responsibility. "We believe that CSR is crucial to managing our business, changing our culture and taking action in those areas in which we need to improve."

Some of Canada Post's key achievements highlighted in the 2008 CSR report include:

• Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, as announced in Maclean's magazine.
  
• Received the Gold Award for Excellence in Progressive Aboriginal Relations from the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business.
  
• Selected as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers, as announced in Maclean's magazine.
  
• Won the Algonquin College and Ottawa Community Loan Fund's inaugural Corporate Social Responsibility Award.
  
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4 per cent since 2002.
  
• Registered eight buildings for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED(TM)) certification.
  
• Introduced first carbon-neutral product.
  
• Increased the employee engagement score by three percentage points.
  
• Committed 1.6 per cent of pre tax profits for registered charities and not-for-profit organizations.
  
• Raised more than $2.5 million for United Way.
  
• Raised more than $1 million for the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health.

The 2008 Canada Post Corporate Responsibility Report is available online at canadapost.ca/csr.

Canada Post

Canada Post

Every business day, Canada Post plays a significant role in helping Canadians run their companies, ship goods around the world and communicate with one another through a variety of world-class innovative physical and electronic delivery solutions. A profitable company that’s a vital part of the Canadian economy, Canada Post is among the 50 largest Canadian businesses in terms of revenue and the 10 largest employers in Canada. Our approach to social responsibility is anchored in the belief that our long term economic health is directly linked to the health of our employees, our communities and our environment. We are committed to continuously improving the way we conduct our business by following leading environmental and ethical business practices.

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