What makes Emera one of Atlantic Canada’s employers of choice? It could be the fact that it’s an energy leader with $32 billion of assets and more than 2.5 million customers in Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. 

But take a closer look and see that it boils down to key fundamentals that are driving their success: committed teams; a proven strategy; a demonstrated commitment to sustainability, and collaborative leadership that always puts safety first. Just ask Mike Roberts, Emera’s Chief Human Resources Officer.

“Our strong team drives everything we do,” he says. “Our employees are committed to diversity and inclusion, growth and development and to giving back to their communities. They support each other and are inspired by our focus on safely delivering cleaner, affordable, and reliable energy to our customers.” 

Delivering cleaner and renewable energy to customers has been a focus for Emera for more than 15 years and it remains central to the company’s strategy as it prepares for, and capitalizes on, the trends facing the energy industry – decarbonization, digitalization and decentralization. 

As a result, Emera has been a leader in the transition to cleaner energy while enhancing reliability and maintaining customer affordability. In fact, Nova Scotia Power, one of Emera’s electric utilities, has delivered the fastest transition to cleaner energy in Canada and has already achieved greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions that exceed the targets set by Canada in the COP 21 Paris Agreement – with no increases in non-fuel rates since 2014. The company has also invested in digitalization and decentralization technologies that will help make energy systems even more reliable while providing customers more information and greater choice and control.

Talent management is a significant focus for Emera. This includes understanding best practices, analyzing the labour market, and proactively sourcing candidates. “Our diverse teams make us stronger. And in a rapidly evolving industry, we’re always focused on developing and preparing our teams at all level of the business,” says Roberts. “As part of this, we work to identify opportunities for current and future leaders to continuously learn and develop. 

Everything Emera does is underpinned by its unwavering commitment to safety. Emera’s strong safety culture is rooted in leadership and reinforced by a personal commitment by every member of the team to ensure safety is always the first priority. Proactive reporting, personal plans, field observations and frequent communications are just some of the tools Emera uses to maintain this culture. Its Safety Management System (SMS), for example, is founded on Plan-Do-Check-Act principles and incorporates ISO 45001 aspects. 

Emera also believes in giving back to the communities it serves. In 2019, Emera invested over $13.4 million in communities, concentrating on areas of innovation, safety leadership, and youth opportunities with a focus on diversity and inclusion. The company is proud to also support communities through the charitable efforts of its team members by matching fundraising initiatives and providing charitable donations for hours volunteered in the community. Additionally, each year Emera employees hold a United Way workplace campaign — an effort that has provided the organization with its largest corporate donation in Atlantic Canada for the last 20 years. “Through our annual United Way campaign our employees are supporting charitable organizations throughout the region,” explains Roberts. “And these organizations provide much-needed assistance to the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Emera also supports social programs to assist with energy costs when customers are in need. This effort was increased to address the additional financial pressure many customers have been facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emera companies have been working with customers to help find solutions and have also provided over $4 million to organizations dedicated to providing critical aid.

“Our team is deeply committed to doing the right thing for our customers, our communities and each other,” says Roberts. “We have a dynamic culture supported by tools to help drive collaboration, innovation and our shared purpose of building a more sustainable future for the communities we serve.”