Overview

Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life have long histories and deep roots in our communities. Over many decades, individuals, families, businesses and organizations have been able to count on us to deliver on the promises we make. We strive to be a socially responsible company that takes a proactive approach to ensuring we make a positive impact in everything that we do.

Our Public Accountability Statement illustrates our approach to corporate social responsibility across Canada. For free copies of the most recent Public Accountability Statement, contact us.

In addition to meeting the ethical standards set out in our Code of Conduct, we are guided by a comprehensive governance framework.

Our commitment

We are committed to:

  • Building Stronger Communities Together
  • Engaging staff in the workplace and the community
  • Managing our environmental impact
  • Responsible investing
  • Building mentally healthier workplaces

Building Stronger Communities Together

Relationships are at the heart of our success in business and in supporting our communities. Through our national corporate citizenship program, Stronger Communities Together™, we work with community-based organizations to enable innovative solutions, long-term success and collaborations to meet the needs of communities.

Being a Caring Company sets us apart. As a member of Imagine Canada’s Caring Company program, we commit to principles of corporate citizenship and benchmarks for community investment.

We’ve been an Imagine Caring Company for more than 2 decades. Over that time, our charitable contributions to Canadian communities have exceeded $174 million.

Read more about how we are helping build stronger communities.

Engaging staff in the workplace and the community

Our employees are actively involved with local causes that matter to them, and we recognize their efforts.

To celebrate Great-West Life’s 125th anniversary, we’ve granted up to 125 donations of $1,000 each to registered charities that our employees volunteer with. So many employees across our organization volunteer in unique and special ways. Our 125th anniversary allows us to recognize their efforts, and promote the value of the charities and causes they’re personally committed to.

Managing our environmental impact

In 2015, we made a significant effort to improve our ability to track and share information on how we’re managing our environmental footprint. Managing our environmental footprint is the right thing to do for the well-being of our stakeholders, communities and long-term viability as a business. It’s a commitment built into our operational and business decisions. We consider all of our activities and look at opportunities for reductions, improvements, and efficiencies to limit our impact on the environment and to enhance the value of our products and services. Through these efforts, our Canadian operations earned a spot on the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) Canada 200 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI).

Responsible investing

Through our subsidiary GLC Asset Management Group Ltd. (GLC), we have provided strong and consistent professional investment management services for socially responsible investing mandates for more than 15 years.

In 2016, GLC became a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). The UNPRI was established by a global, collaborative network of investors to recognize the increasing relevance of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues within the investment analysis and decision-making process.

In addition, GLC’s socially responsible investing mandates give clients a meaningful way to help ensure their investments promote a higher level of environmental sustainability, social responsibility and corporate governance. Clients benefit from professional portfolio management services as well as screening and review processes for socially responsible investing.

Building mentally healthier workplaces

Through the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace, we work with like-minded organizations to help expand the awareness of healthy workplaces to include psychological health and safety. Recognizing the enormous cost of mental health issues on society, business and families, through the Centre we offer free tools and resources to any employer interested in enhancing psychological health and safety in the workplace. Our organization played a key role in helping to establish the National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.