Environmental Policy

Conservation avoids negative environmental impacts

We recognize that our energy system causes both positive and negative impacts on the environment and on those with whom we share public resources.

Conservation is a key means to avoid negative environmental impacts. Where negative impacts cannot be avoided, we will work to minimize and offset them and sustain resources over the long term.

Specifically, BC Hydro will:

• Meet environmental requirements defined by legislation, regulation, government directives, and other environmental standards that apply to BC Hydro.
• Perform beyond environmental requirements where it makes sound business sense.
• Make decisions about environmental risk and opportunity in accordance with our values in a structured and systematic way to balance competing objectives.
• Continually improve our environmental performance and our environmental management systems exercising due diligence.
• Work to reduce historic environmental impacts.
• Develop and foster an electrical energy conservation culture in B.C. that leads to customers choosing to make a dramatic and permanent reduction in electricity consumption.
• Seek products, services and new supplies of energy that take into account environmental responsibility.
• Work cooperatively with stakeholders and First Nations on resource use, management, and conservation to increase public benefits from affected resources.
• Publicly report on our environmental performance.

Work practices and protocol agreements

• Protocol Agreement: Maintenance Work In and Around Water [PDF, 2.2 MB]
• Approved Work Practices: Managing Riparian Vegetation [PDF, 1.7 MB]
• Approved Work Practices for Submarine Cable Maintenance [PDF, 2.6 MB]
• Approved Work Practices for Water Crossing Installation, Maintenance and Deactivation [PDF, 2.0 MB]
• Approved Work Practices for Boat Launch Construction and Maintenance in BC Hydro Managed Freshwater Systems [PDF, 418 KB]