Environmental, cultural and social stewardship are not just compatible with business success – they are essential to it.
At IEG, we strive to contribute our technical expertise and resources to help improve ecological, cultural, and social wellbeing through donations and volunteer efforts.
In 2022, IEG decided to shift away from the 1% for the Planet program to pursue a different method of giving. We wanted to do more to give back to Indigenous communities by supporting community-driven projects that may not otherwise be able to acquire external funding or afford to hire a consulting company. This aspiration led to the creation of IEG’s 2% for the People program. IEG donates 2% of our annual fee revenues to the 2% for the People program.
The primary goal of the 2% for the People program is to contribute to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous communities in Canada. This is achieved through both monetary contributions and in-kind contributions of IEG staff time and resources towards Indigenous community-driven projects, with a focus on communities in the areas we work.
The first project completed through the 2% for the People program was a 2022 tree planting campaign with the Clearwater River Dënë Nation in northern Saskatchewan. The program was so valued and well-received that IEG has returned annually to continue supporting the program, with additional funding provided by NexGen Energy.
Some of the other community initiatives supported through the 2% for the People program include:
We hope the 2% for the People program inspires other companies to consider how they can advance reconciliation in their work and in their giving.
IEG has created an annual Soil Science Scholarship totalling $2,000 for outstanding third or fourth year undergraduate students or graduate students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems studying or researching land rehabilitation in Soil Science. A number of IEG staff are alumni of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia, so we are glad to be able to give back in this way. Preference for scholarship recipients is given to Indigenous and female students. The scholarships are made on the recommendation of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and, in the case of a graduate student, in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The first IEG Soil Science Award was awarded for the 2020/2021 winter session.
Congratulations to Alyssa Robinson, for being the 2024 IEG Soil Science Scholarship recipient!
Alyssa Robinson is a 3rd year PhD student whose research focuses on the legacies of ancestrally management on the soils of forest gardens. She works collaboratively with the Ts’msyen Nation and the Gitxsan Nation to study how Indigenous stewardship practices have shaped soil processes and properties across generations. Her work highlights the role of cultural burning and forest gardening practices such as fish bone fertilization in creating nutrient-rich soils that take shape thanks to deep-time human–soil relationships. Her research aims to contribute to both the scientific understanding and to the revitalization of Indigenous land stewardship practices.
Congratulations to Sasha Pollet, for being the 2023 IEG Soil Science Scholarship recipient!
Sasha is a PhD Candidate in Soil Science and has done research in Belgium, France, Mexico and Canada. Through her research, Sasha wants to deepen the understanding of complex soil-root-plant interactions and the role of roots in acquiring nutrients and storing carbon in the soil. In doing so, she wants to develop an integrative research approach that can be scaled up to maintain crop production while reducing the need for fertilizers and increasing soil-plant resiliency to climate change.
Congratulations to Asha Wareham, for being one of the 2022 IEG Soil Science Scholarship recipients!
Asha Wareham is a B.Sc. student in Global Resource Systems with a specialization in sustainable agriculture and soil science. Asha’s research interests include managing soil nutrient dynamics and soil organic matter for improved climate adaptation and mitigation outcomes in regenerative agroecosystems, which she looks forward to pursuing in future graduate studies. As a seasoned farmworker in diversified cropping systems, Asha is passionate about considering agricultural management decisions with a research lens, advocating for farmer priorities within academia, and exploring the responsibilities and reconciliation needed to support indigenous sovereignty within provincial land and food systems.
Congratulations to Olivia Sheena, for being one of the 2022 IEG Soil Science Scholarship recipients!
Olivia is completing her undergrad at UBC studying Applied Biology with a specialization in sustainable agriculture and environment. Her love for soil has grown through taking classes with Maja Krzic and Sandra Brown, as well as through spending 2 summers with her hands in the soil working at Swift River Farm in Idaho. She is passionate about regenerative agriculture practices and their importance in improving soil quality to support sustainable crop production. Soil critters particularly fascinate her, so soil biology is her favourite area to learn about! In Oliva’s free time she enjoys camping, crafting, and playing with her dog.
Congratulations to Jordy Kersey, for being IEG’s second annual Soil Science Scholarship recipient!
Jordy Kersey (MSc) is currently a PhD candidate in soil science working with Dr. Sean Smukler, in the SAL lab. Her research is focused on the impact of regenerative agricultural practices on climate breakdown mitigation and adaptation in the lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia. Specifically, she is investigating how agricultural management practices influence soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil water regulation. Jordy is passionate about working towards a more sustainable future and finding meaningful ways to improve agricultural systems to combat climate crisis while continuing to feed our world. Beyond academics, Jordy is an avid cookie baker, traveler, and enjoys long hikes through the forests of the PNW.
Congratulations to Paula Resque Porto, for being IEG’s first annual Soil Science Scholarship recipient!
Paula Resque Porto is a M.Sc. Soil Science student in the Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes (SAL) lab at UBC, under the supervision of Dr. Sean Smukler. The goal of her research is to improve provincial and national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission estimates for blueberry agroecosystems in British Columbia (BC). Her project explores the relationship between soil water and soil GHG emissions by quantifying the effect of different artificial drainage strategies used in blueberry fields in Delta, BC – a project funded by the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agricultural GHG Program (AAFC AGGP).
Since 2011, we have undertaken annual assessments of IEG’s corporate carbon footprint. These assessments account for direct emissions from company-owned vehicles and the use of natural gas to heat our offices, indirect emissions from the purchase of electricity, as well as emissions because of business operations, including air travel and commuting. The assessments help us track our carbon footprint, identify areas of potential reduction, and provide metrics for IEG’s participation in carbon offsetting programs. IEG has offset hundreds of tonnes of CO2, and we are excited to continue to do our part to reduce our environmental impact through purchasing offsets and other activities.
The following summary provides highlights from IEG’s carbon offsetting initiatives:
2012–2016 – We offset between 44 and 67 tonnes of CO2 per year, based on annual carbon footprint assessments conducted by Cowichan Energy Alternatives. Offsets were purchased through the Cowichan Valley’s Community Carbon Marketplace (CCM). The CCM directs offsetting dollars back to the communities where they originate and monetizes locally generated carbon credits, building community resilience.
2017–2022 – We offset 80 tonnes of CO2 per year between 2017–2019, based on a carbon footprint analysis we conducted with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) in 2019. We purchased carbon offsets through BEF for international carbon offset projects, including REDD+ accredited forest conservation projects in Kenya and Brazil, and wind and solar energy projects in the United States. In 2020–2022, we offset our footprint through both carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates purchased through BEF. We offset 111 tonnes of CO2 and supported the generation of 185 megawatt hours of renewable electricity during this period.
2023–2024 – We offset 153 tonnes of CO2 to address IEG’s carbon footprint in 2023–2024. Our offsets were purchased through the Great Bear Initiative, the first Indigenous-owned carbon offset project in Canada.
2025 – We are currently in the process of purchasing offsets for our 2025 CO2 emissions. This page will be updated when those purchases are finalized.
As our number of employees continues to grow, IEG is committed to finding ways to minimize our carbon footprint. We are mindful of the impact of business travel on the planet and strive to operate our company with fewer carbon emissions.
From 2011–2022, IEG was registered as a corporate member of the “1% for the Planet” program. Members give 1% of revenues directly to any of the approved nonprofit environmental organizations in 1%’s network. During that time frame, IEG donated over $200,000 to the non-profits below. Since 2023, IEG has shifted its giving focus to the 2% for the People program.
