What's the environmental skinny at Timmy's?

I was impressed while reading the 2012 Tim Hortons Sustainability and Responsibility Summary Report (http://sustainabilityreport.timhortons.com/pdf/2012_summary_report_30pages.pdf).  It isn't just the pretty layout: a lot of time and effort was devoted to generating a report of this magnitude.  The plans are both unexpected and welcome.

My original thinking was I’d find a few token lines about sustainability and CSR on the corporate site - some broad promises and wishful thinking with no follow-through or commitment.  Let’s nod and smile for the cameras, answer a few questions at the press conference and then it’s business as usual.  This is certainly not the case with Tim Hortons, and I applaud the organization. 

Tim Hortons’ sustainability and responsibility initiatives are housed under three pillars: individuals, communities, the planet.  Third party guidelines by the Global Reporting Initiative are used for the Sustainability and Responsibility Report.  Tim Hortons is also part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes.  As explained in the report, “The DJSI North America tracks the performance of the top 20% of the 600 largest companies from Canada and the United States in the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index that lead the field in terms of sustainability.”

Many wonderful things are happening at Tim Hortons: waste to landfill is diverted at some stores for recycling into take-out trays, a few newer stores have LEED certification, less sodium is used in food preparation, underprivileged kids are going to camp and small-scale coffee farmers are receiving help for their businesses.  Some of these things I was aware of and some I wasn't.  Even supply chain proposals are included for the humane treatment of animals, but some of the poor pigs will have to wait until 2022 for roomier housing.

Despite all these efforts, ignoring major environmental and community issues won’t make them disappear.  Although I'm a Tim Hortons customer and respect the iconic Canadian brand, there is room for a bolder environmental stance.  The elephant in the report was the lack of solutions addressing the drive-through idling problem.  Unfortunately, all the other worthy initiatives do not stop cars from idling, polluting and sometimes just getting in the way. Idling a 3-litre car for 10 minutes burns a quarter litre of gas as noted by Natural Resources Canada.  According to a 2012 Globe and Mail report, the residents of Markham, Ontario waste enough gas in drive-through line-ups annually to drive 85 cars around the world.  I’m not picking on Markham; this could easily be Oakville, Mississauga or Brampton – don’t even mention Toronto.

 

At the end of the day, Tim Hortons is a business and responsible to shareholders, franchisees and customers.   A 30-page report on all the positive things under way with no mention of drive-through related emissions is not fair to any stakeholder group.  Even a “we know this is a problem and we’re working on it” would indicate the key issue is on management’s radar.  All the professional graphics and charts cannot hide the elephant in the report.  I know Tim Hortons can do better.