First Earth Day set the course
Visitors to the Enbridge Informational Center in St. Ignace, MI this week will receive potted wave pansies, grown at St. Ignace in Bloom, in honor of Earth Day 2022 on Friday, April 22.
Green efforts in Michigan continue
April 20, 2022
It’s a simple, but an important gesture.
As people enter the Enbridge Informational Center on State Street in St. Ignace this week, visitors not only receive valuable information about the Great Lakes Tunnel Project, but they also can take home a plant, commemorating this year’s Earth Day.
The plants were purchased from St. Ignace in Bloom, a local Native American-owned florist and greenhouse.
“All week long while we are welcoming visitors to the informational center, we’re also handing out at least 40 potted plants,” said Emma Cook, Enbridge’s community engagement advisor. “It’s a small reminder that we all have a stake in making our world more sustainable for people today, and for generations to come. Earth Day, on April 22, is a time to take stock of how we’re doing and to focus on ways we can be responsible custodians of the environment.”
Historical view
The United States marked the first Earth Day 52 years ago, in 1970, leading to the creation of a primary regulatory agency and legislation that continue to influence today’s environmental landscape. By the end of that year, the country saw the formation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Clean Air Act—legislation that continues to shape environmental and safety practices today.
Invest in Our Planet™ theme for Earth Day 2022
Reflecting the theme for Earth Day 2022—invest in our planet—Enbridge continues to invest in advancing its sustainability goals to reduce emissions from all fully company-owned pipelines and operations in North America, including Line 5 in Michigan.
To date, Enbridge has invested $100 million to construct the Great Lakes Tunnel. A critical utility infrastructure modernization project, the Great Lakes Tunnel will encase in concrete a replacement section of Enbridge’s Line 5 below the lakebed in the Straits of Mackinac. The Tunnel will eliminate the chance of an anchor strike and virtually eliminate the chance of a release.
“Sustainability is integral to our ability to safely and reliably deliver the energy people need and want,” said Bob Lehto, Enbridge’s operations manager for the northern Michigan area. “How well we perform as a steward of our environment, a safe operator of essential energy infrastructure, a good neighbor and a diverse employer is inextricably linked to our success as a responsible company and active member of the community.”
Sustainability commitment
Announced in November 2020, Enbridge’s sustainability goals include:
- Achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050; with an interim target to reduce intensity of GHG emissions 35% by 2030.
- Increasing representation of diverse groups within the company’s workforce by 2025, including acceleration of existing goals of 40% women and 28% from racial and ethnic groups, along with new actions to enhance supplier diversity.
Learn more about Enbridge’s sustainability efforts here, and find additional information on Earth Day here.
