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Pillar 4: Environmental stewardship and safety

Enbridge recognizes the strong Indigenous connection to culture and the traditional importance of the land, air, animals and water. We are committed to environmental protection, collaborative stewardship, and continued improvement of engagement on, and inclusion of traditional and cultural knowledge in our plans, projects and operations.

Our commitments

Focus	Commitment	Details	Target/Goal	Timeline
Indigenous inclusion and traditional knowledge	Review and revise Enbridge’s approach to Indigenous inclusion in the environmental review processes	Assess current approach and identify opportunities for increased Indigenous inclusion and strengthening Enbridge’s current mitigation strategies	Confirm and utilize a phased approach to revise Enbridge’s environmental review processes, as needed	2022-Ongoing
Indigenous inclusion and traditional knowledge	Regionally advance opportunities for Indigenous inclusion in environmental field work	Regionally identify and advance opportunities for Indigenous participation in environmental field work	Increase Indigenous involvement in fieldwork	2022-Ongoing
Emergency preparedness and pipeline safety	Continue to share emergency management materials and encourage increased Indigenous awareness in emergency response	Continue to share emergency management materials with Indigenous groups Continue to generate awareness and provide opportunities for participation in emergency response exercises	Continue to share relevant emergency management materials to generate awareness	2022-Ongoing
Emergency preparedness and pipeline safety	Continue to communicate with Indigenous groups regarding emergency and safety mechanisms and approaches	Continue to provide notifications to Indigenous groups to ensure they are aware and engaged in the event of releases from pipeline systems Develop a consistent process or protocol to share environmental and safety notices to Indigenous groups	Proactively communicate with Indigenous groups through release notifications	2022-Ongoing

Spotlight: Pontiac Township High School pollinator plot and Kickapoo Nation

An opportunity to advance sustainability commitments and facilitate connections that may endure for seven generations and beyond.

The Operation Endangered Species (OES) program was started in 2011 near Pontiac, Illinois, a brainchild of a group of Pontiac Township High School (PTHS) students with a biodiversity conservation initiative idea. The students approached their high school environmental science teacher with an idea to reintroduce endangered species on community pollination plots that would benefit surrounding agricultural land. The OES program at PTHS has raised US$150,000 over nine years to support the reintroduction of a species of reptile back to its native historic home range in Illinois.

Following a US$10,000 grant from Enbridge to establish a pavilion on a nearby company-owned 20-acre pollinator plot, students from the PTHS Environmental Earth class set out to develop the land into a pollinator plot, planting native prairie grasses and other vegetation to encourage development of the natural ecosystem. In 2021, Enbridge donated the pollinator plot to PTHS and the OES program to facilitate the continuation of this meaningful and impactful conservation and community work and as part of our commitment to sustainability.

Upon completion of the land transfer, the U.S. History students of Pontiac began researching the origins of the land. They wanted to integrate respect for Indigenous groups into their ultimate use of the plot. Through this research, the students learned the land being developed as a pollinator plot in Illinois is within the ancestral lands of the Kickapoo tribe, which was one of 25 tribes forcibly relocated to Kansas between 1825 and 1850.

“I’ve always believed that giving students opportunities and enabling them is the most impactful way to support them on their learning journey. The cultural learning and growth that occurred here was driven by the students, but Enbridge was a major part in helping facilitate that for them.”

—Paul, teacher at Pontiac Township High School

Through Enbridge’s relationships with all parties, we were able to facilitate an introduction between PTHS, the Kickapoo tribe and the Odawa tribe, which has blossomed into a mutually respectful and engaged relationship where teachings about care and respect for the earth and ecology now occur on a weekly basis. Furthermore, Kickapoo spiritual leaders and PTHS students continue to find ways to weave cultural teachings and education opportunities together and a deep and mutual respect has been formed.

In upholding our vision for our IRAP and our role in reconciliation, we are proud to be able to facilitate connections that promote and support further learning and pathways to reconciliation that may have positive and permeating impacts for generations to come.

Pillar 3: Inclusion and partnerships

Pillar 5: Sustainability, reporting and energy transition