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Alberta emissions cap will cost billions
Alberta emissions cap will cost billions
The Alberta government’s 100-megatonne emissions cap on future oilsands development will leave hundreds of billions of dollars in the ground while doing little to reduce greenhouse gases, says a report by the Fraser Institute.
Meet the 200 cleanest carbon companies
Corporate Knights’ new list of the Carbon Clean 200 ranks the largest publicly listed companies by the carbon intensity of their coal, oil and gas reserves.
Canada’s greenhouse gas policies to fall short of target
Canada faces a gap of 200 megatonnes – or 38 per cent – between its greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030 and the level that would be reached through federal and provincial actions to slash emissions that have been announced so far, government sources say.
Why doesn’t sustainability messaging work better?
I’ve been a sustainability strategist at Adobe since 2013, and one challenge I constantly run up against is: how do we frame messaging around genuine sustainability initiatives within our own business in a way that encourages others to adopt the same practices at home and in their communities? When I discuss it with my sustainability peers, it is clear we all struggle with this challenge.
Fostering a committed, environmentally conscious workforce
Environmental management initiatives reach their goals and become successful more easily when employees are engaged and enthusiastic, General Motors has found. The automaker, which has 130 landfill-free sites and has reduced carbon and energy intensity by 11% each between 2010 and 2014, incorporates sustainability directly identifies key metrics, and sets out goals for each individual employee.
Consumers: What does sustainability really mean?
The context is different, but the same fundamental question is often overlooked in the realm of sustainability; consumers are also confused when they see and hear corporate sustainability communications that are generic and uncompelling, or misleading and incomplete.
New BOMA BEST program encourages sustainable workplaces
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada has introduced the BOMA BEST Sustainable Workplaces program as its latest environmental initiative. “Corporate tenants are very often concerned about being situated in green buildings, but part of the greenness of a building is within their control,” said BOMA Canada president and chief executive officer Benjamin Shinewald.
It’s time to develop a North American carbon price
Instruments for pricing carbon are beginning to proliferate. In recent years, South Korea implemented a trading system; France and Portugal implemented carbon taxes; China began seven subnational trading system pilots and announced a national trading system for implementation by 2020; and South Africa and Chile announced carbon taxes that will take effect in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Alberta set to enforce Canada’s toughest carbon tax
Move over, British Columbia: Canada’s oilpatch next door in Alberta is on track to have Canada’s most aggressive carbon pricing system by 2020. That’s the conclusion of a new study that compares the coverage of various carbon taxes and cap-and-trade schemes in four provinces that have all embraced market-based approaches to cutting emissions of greenhouse gases.
Answers to questions about Alberta’s carbon levy
Does a price on carbon reduce emissions? Yes. Experience from jurisdictions that have implemented carbon prices[1] show the policy does reduce emissions. B.C. saw per capita fuel use covered by its tax drop 16 per cent by 2014 relative to 2008[2].
N.B. urged to adopt carbon tax
An Ottawa academic believes New Brunswick should add a carbon tax to offset the cost of fossil fuel emissions and reinvest the revenue into green infrastructure.
Like the sun, the use of solar is rising
Installing solar panels on your roof is not just for tree-hugging environmentalists. The increasing ease of the process and the financial returns have made going solar practically mainstream. “By the end of 2020, the amount of installed solar capacity will be 300 per cent higher than today,” said Dan Whitten, vice-president of communications at the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Canadian solar power counts one million homes
From a rooftop on West Broadway in Vancouver, Rob Baxter stands between two rows of solar panels and tries to explain, as simply as he can, the scientific process that’s fuelling the small boom he says his solar energy systems company is enjoying. It was Albert Einstein who, in a paper published in 1905, first defined the photoelectric effect.
Ottawa to offer public solar-powered phone chargers
Always forgetting to charge your phone? Maybe it’s time to spend more time on Bank Street, where the local business improvement area is planning on adding two public phone and laptop chargers.“We’re pretty charged about it,” said Christine Leadman, executive director of the BIA.
Solar cabin builder continues innovating
An Ottawa entrepreneur who made global headlines for his off-the-grid home last year is getting ready to unveil his latest unconventional solution in sustainable energy. Algonquin College mechanical engineering student Joseph Dupuis was thrust into the spotlight last spring when the story of his solar-powered cabin made from shipping containers went viral.
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Government policy
Atmosphere hits CO2 levels that will never go back
Scientists who measure and forecast the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere said on Monday that we may have passed a key turning point. Humans walking the Earth today will probably never live to see carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere once again fall below a level of 400 parts per million (ppm), at least when measured at the iconic Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, where the longest global record of CO2 has been compiled.
How to manage carbon emissions and policy
Carbon pricing, in the form of a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system, is used by businesses and governments all over the world to cut greenhouse gas emissions and, according to proponents, grow the economy. Critics say the opposite is true, but more on that later.
Ontario to implement sweeping climate change plan
The Ontario government will spend more than $7-billion over four years on a sweeping climate change plan that will affect every aspect of life – from what people drive to how they heat their homes and workplaces – in a bid to slash the province’s carbon footprint.
Almost half of natural World Heritage sites under threat
Are economic growth and environmental conservation mutually exclusive? Not at all, says a new report on United Nations World Heritage sites commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). On the contrary, healthy environments often boost local economies, meaning that industrial expansion in natural heritage sites is a threat to those who live there, too.
Massachusetts eyes offshore wind farm boom
Lawmakers in Massachusetts are drafting a bill that would jump-start the offshore wind industry in the U.S., helping trigger a $10 billion building spree off the Atlantic coast. The energy bill is expected to require utilities to purchase power from offshore wind farms, according to Representative Thomas Golden, one of the Democrats who control the state legislature.
Canada, U.S. warn of eight chemicals in Great Lakes
Canada and the United States have identified eight substances in the water of the Great Lakes as chemicals of mutual concern under the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. These chemicals are potentially harmful to human health or the environment or both. Canada and the United States work together under the agreement to identify chemicals that are in the Great Lakes because of human activities and that cause mutual concerns.
Energy retrofits coming to Toronto social housing
The Province of Ontario has committed to spending $42.9 million on social housing retrofits in Toronto. The funding comes from the province’s $325-million Green Investment Fund, which is providing $82 million for such projects as part of its efforts to combat climate change, reads a media statement. The retrofits will include installing energy-efficient boilers, insulation and windows.
Abbotsford wants fewer cars, more parks
The City of Abbotsford has an ambitious plan to reduce car dependency and the sprawl typical of most North American suburbs and become a “delightful” place for walking. And according to former Vancouver city planner Brent Toderian, the city could become a model for many other Canadian cities facing the same rapid growth pressures.
Management failing Lansdowne’s people-first design?
The City of Ottawa is doing a poor job keeping Lansdowne Park the car-lite people place it’s supposed to be, says the man who oversaw its design. “There were a lot of us who worked very, very hard to convert Lansdowne from a parking lot into something,” says Toronto-based urban designer George Dark.
Financing sustainability
Adapt or die! – New message to Big Oil
At best, big oil companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron and BP face a period of gentle decline, but will ultimately survive. At worst, if they do not adapt and change direction, “what remains of their existence will be nasty, brutish and short.” That’s the core message of a research paper on the oil corporates by one of the UK’s leading energy experts, Paul Stevens.
IBC: Why no climate change strategy?
Climate change has moved from future threat to present danger. Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity. The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) recently estimated the financial cost of natural disasters driven in part by climate change will, over the next five years, be far greater than previously estimated.
When companies track their climate emissions
Ten years ago, as part of a sustainability initiative, Walmart decided to take a look at its greenhouse gas emissions. The retail giant not only tallied up the carbon footprint of its trucking fleet and supersize stores, it also set out to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the countless products offered on its shelves.
Financing the fight against climate change
Green Climate Fund helps level playing field
When the world’s poor countries demanded action during the failing United Nations–led climate negotiations in Copenhagen in 2009, the U.S. government responded with a promise: It would help raise US$100 billion a year by 2020 to assist efforts to cope with climate change in the global south. Out of that commitment has slowly grown a peculiar but potentially important institution known as the Green Climate Fund.
Hong Kong could be a black belt in green bonds
Hong Kong could cash in on a green finance frenzy. This is no eco-warrior fantasy: the United Nations reckons the world needs $90 trillion to fund sustainable development over the next 15 years. China estimates its environmental policy will cost two trillion yuan ($305 billion) a year. Many countries – including the People’s Republic – are likely to raise funds using green bonds, which earmark proceeds for sustainable projects.
Corporate renewable energy use moves to the next level
At CDP we are keen to help remove the barriers between companies and their low-carbon goals, which is why this year we are piloting a new component in our annual climate change questionnaire. Companies will now have the opportunity to share information about their renewable energy purchases and production.
New green bond for water infrastructure issued
In a world first, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has become the first entity to issue a green bond certified under the Water Climate Bonds Standard, a screening tool that specifies the criteria that must be met for bonds labelled as “green” or earmarked for funding water-related, low carbon initiatives.
Sustainability professionals
Should clean energy companies be held to a higher standard?
A couple years ago, when the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral, I, like most people, was challenged. Multiple times. Mainly, the challenges came from personal friends, but I also received an incoming challenge from Lyndon Rive of Solar City and immediately became engaged in a friendly three-way contest of ice bucket one-upsmanship with him and Ed Fenster of Sunrun.
Transparency drives sustainability
There are several motivations for companies to make sustainability a business priority. In some instances, it is a fundamental part of a company’s business model. In others, companies are driven by economic imperatives, or are reacting to adverse events that have already affected the firm negatively, such as allegations of child labour or toxic spills.
GRI launches GOLD community
GRI has launched a new membership and engagement program, the GRI GOLD Community, building on its collaborative, global multi-stakeholder network. The GRI GOLD Community consists of diverse companies and organizations united in the belief that greater transparency is a catalyst for change towards a more sustainable economy and world.
Green innovation hub slated for Kortright Centre
Already considered Canada’s largest environmental education facility, the Kortright Centre for Conservation in Kleinburg, Ont., is now on the cusp of also becoming the country’s first-ever BRE (Building Research Establishment) Innovation Park and an integral part of a global web of similar parks.
To reduce carbon footprint, we must improve energy efficiency
Luc Vallée is chief strategist at Laurentian Bank Securities. Jean Michaud is managing director and senior commodity strategist at CoreCommodity Management
There are risks to waiting for absolute and definitive answers on climate change. Equally counterproductive are calls to divest from fossil fuels immediately. Unfortunately, fossil fuels are still indispensable. Yet, we could significantly reduce harmful emissions without curbing global growth by increasing energy efficiency. However, this requires accepting certain hard facts about energy and adapting to the constraints.
Corporate boards chided over lack of women directors
The lack of women on corporate boards has become a source of tension among shareholders at the annual meetings this week of two big-name companies. The CEO of Dollarama (TSX:DOL) was confronted with the issue head-on Wednesday, when a shareholder urged him to increase the number of women on the retailer’s 10-member board of directors. The board has one woman, who joined the board in February 2015.
Qualifying for B Corp status demands high sustainable standards
When we started Goodfood, a meal delivery company, several years ago, we knew we wanted to give back to the community eventually. I say “eventually” because the demands of getting a new venture off the ground are extreme. Co-founder Neil Cuggy and I noticed footwear company Toms and eyeglass maker Warby Parker giving away products to those in need based on every sale.
Portal helps organizations factor in climate change
An Ottawa consultancy has unveiled a new online resource designed to help organizations factor the impact of climate change into decisions relating to, among other things, infrastructure. Risk Sciences International launched its Climate Change Hazards Information Portal (CCHIP) at a mid-month symposium on adapting to climate change.
New digital alliance tackles sustainability reporting challenges
The influential Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has launched a new program to help businesses improve their sustainability reporting by taking advantage of digital platforms. Launched at the 5th GRI Global Conference in Amsterdam, the Digital Reporting Alliance aims to address two key challenges in sustainability reporting: the lack of structured data and the lack of demand for digital reporting.
Clean technology
CO2 air capture could potentially slow global warming
For two decades, Klaus Lackner has pioneered efforts to combat climate change by pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Now, after years of watching the global community fail to bring greenhouse gas emissions under control, Lackner — director of the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions at Arizona State University — is delivering a blunt message.
Where to put carbon after it’s caught?
We know we have to take carbon out of the atmosphere, but after we’ve done that, then what? Sequestering it underground in suitable geological formations is the option most folks think of. But what if we could, instead, use it to make stuff? Biofuels maybe. Plastics. Building materials.
Shell creates green energy division
Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, has established a separate division, New Energies, to invest in renewable and low-carbon power. The new division brings together its existing hydrogen, biofuels and electrical activities but will also be used as a base for a new drive into wind power, according to a company announcement.
Enbridge joining French offshore wind project
Enbridge Inc. (ENB-T) says it will pay $282 million to participate in the development of three large-scale wind farms off the coast of France. The Calgary-based company will acquire 50 per cent ownership of Eolien Maritime France SAS, which is building a total of 1,428 megawatts of generating capacity.
Winnipeg Free Press – Bloomberg
Why batteries are the ‘holy grail’ for clean energy
The Hawaiian islands have no shortage of solar power. But none is quite so ambitious as a project in Kaua’i slated to go online in late 2016. What makes this particular installation unique: it will be able to supply solar power to the electric grid during the evening hours, long after the sun goes down.
Google’s Project Sunroof now available in 42 states
I’ve been staring at my roof a lot for the last few years, wondering whether or not it would make sense to invest in solar. After all, I live in a Southern state with plenty of sunshine. But I also live in an old Southern city with plenty of shade cast by majestic urban oak trees.
Electric charging network expanding to Ontario
Hydro-Québec will install 22 charging stations for electric vehicles in eastern Ontario, mainly along the corridor between Ottawa and the Quebec border, the company announced on Monday. This is the first foray outside Quebec for the utility’s Electric Circuit branch, which is building a network of charging stations for electric cars.
Ontario building electric charging stations
Ontario will spend $20 million to build nearly 500 electric vehicle charging stations across the province in 2017. Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca says the government will work with 27 private and public sector partners to create a network of charging stations at more than 250 different locations.
Quebec positions itself for hydrogen vehicles
Montrealers will be able to get a glimpse of the future of transportation next week during the Electric Vehicle Symposium, a major international conference on green transportation, something the Quebec government is pushing heavily. The electrification of transport is a key goal of the provincial government’s energy strategy, which was unveiled earlier this year and includes an ambitious plan to cut the use of fossil fuels by 40 per cent by 2030.
Winnipeg biz sets up electric-car charging stations
Paul Edmond, CEO of Edmond Financial Group, has installed a pair of electric-vehicle charging stations outside its Winnipeg offices, He said even though only a handful of Manitobans drive electric vehicles, he strongly believes the trend is irreversible. “People won’t drive electric vehicles if they can’t charge them anywhere, but it’s coming, and it’s coming fast,” he said.
Algae. The next sustainable building technology?
Biotechnologists are investigating biofuels as alternatives to fossil fuels. Corn, soybean and sugarcane produce a range of biofuels; however, they add to water scarcity, deforestation and large areas of land are used. An alternative is microalgae.
Ice as an efficient, clean cooling tool
One cool option that hasn’t received too much attention as an efficient and clean way to provide air conditioning is ice. Last week, CleanTechnica posted a story noting that the JCPenney has been using ice storage technology from CALMAC at its headquarters for 25 years, saving the retailer $100,000 last year at its Plano, TX, headquarters.
New Cree LED light fixtures powered over the ethernet
In a traditional office there are layers and layers of different wiring hierarchies; you will have your power wiring, in either 120 or 227 or even 600 volts. In the control room the lighting controls will be separate from the HVAC and the power will be in another electrical closet altogether.
Managing waste
Energy from wastewater and sewage generating interest
The idea of using wastewater and/or sewage to provide energy is heating up, both literally and figuratively. The basic idea is straight forward: Lots of the water that goes down the drain is hot. Every bit that is harvested and put to use is a bit that need not be generated.
Green buildings
WELL looks to be new green standard
The WELL designation for buildings, recently introduced in Canada and administered here by the Canada Green Building Council, which also oversees the environmental LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certification, is positioning itself as a new seal of approval for wellness improvements.
Network infrastructure could be new utility in smart buildings
As the Internet of Things becomes more prevalent, so too do smart buildings. Networked infrastructure in smart buildings provides greater efficiency and optimized environments for occupants. Interest in smart buildings around the world is rising, with one of the highest profile examples being the Duke Energy Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Cooling buildings presents an energy challenge
Some of the biggest names in HVAC technology are prioritizing innovation that balances the use of refrigerants with low global warming potential (GWP) and the demand for better energy efficiency. Ingersoll Rand, for one, has committed $500 million in research and development to surmounting this challenge between now and 2020. Honeywell plans to spend almost twice that amount to increase production of low-GWP refrigerants, insulation, aerosols and solvents.
Will apartment renters pay more for green?
It’s difficult to prove renters are willing to pay more to live in “sustainably developed” apartments — but circumstantial evidence keeps piling up. Renters now explicitly say they are willing to pay more to live in apartment buildings with sustainable design features, according to the latest survey from the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC).
Edmonton green development struggling to take off
The last airplane to take off from Edmonton’s City Centre airport departed on Nov. 30, 2013. Eventually, the pitch for turning the landmark into North America’s greenest community – 30,000 people living and working in a carbon-neutral neighbourhood – won over the public and opened a new chapter for the sprawling oil city to re-image itself as an environmental leader.
Ecocapsule completely off the energy grid
The little Ecocapsule could be the next big thing in affordable, eco-friendly living. Tiny, but powerful, the unit with just 88 square feet of living space can go anywhere in the world without a traditional power source. The sun, rain and wind are all this catchy little silver bullet needs.
City towers could become “vertical forests”
When Italian architect Stefano Boeri completed his Bosco Verticale tower in Milan in 2014, it captured the world’s attention: fantastical images circulated of the 27-storey “Vertical Forest,” its four facades studded with giant trays of lush, strapping trees. There’s something magical in this idea of nature invading the city.
Cement: A building block or roadblock to sustainability?
Eight months have passed since 195 countries adopted the Paris Agreement and set a new compass for business on climate. The sectors at the forefront of investors’ minds in the wake of the deal have tended to be obvious climate culprits such as oil and gas, extractives or transport, but another industry that will be dramatically affected by the agreement is cement.
‘Smart’ cement aims to extend buildings’ lifespans
Scientists at the University of Victoria led by civil engineering professor Rishi Gupta are working to cement their lead in making so-called smart concrete that heals and seals cracks, greatly reducing potential infrastructure disasters and extending lifespans of buildings and structures.
Can TWIN elevators make buildings more energy efficient?
Every morning you get to work and impatiently wait for the elevator to reach the lobby. We’ve all been there. ThyssenKrupp’s TWIN elevators hope to reduce your wait time along with your building’s footprint. With two cabs and one shaft, this new technology handles higher crowds with less space and energy.
Wildlife and business
Urban beekeeping takes off
A sure sign of spring at Toronto’s Shangri-La Hotel is the arrival of Alexandre McLean. But he’s not your average guest; and his luggage is definitely out of the ordinary. For a second season, McLean is installing the honeybees in the “B-Wall” at the Shangri-La’s third-floor Bosk terrace.
Biz Buzz
Former Home Depot head searches for a sustainable Canada
Annette Verschuren is best known for her 15-year stint as president of Home Depot Canada. But she’s a person of many parts including green. Her new company is NRStor, a Toronto energy storage start-up. And she helps head the Smart Prosperity initiative, a coalition determined to put Canada’s economy on a more productive and environmentally sustainable path.
CF Shops at Don Mills more pedestrian-friendly
Belying its location at the car-happy corner of Don Mills and Lawrence Avenue East, Cadillac Fairview’s Shops at Don Mills is one of Toronto’s more walkable retail plazas. In contrast to the strip malls and shopping centres that dominate much of the city’s retail outside the urban core, the outdoor mall is designed as a mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly environment.
Meet Microsoft’s new data center sustainability chief
Microsoft has big plans for cloud computing. It wants to build “the most hyperscale public cloud that operates around the world in more regions than anyone else,” which involves big investments in data centers — and has the potential to exponentially grow Microsoft’s carbon and water footprints.
Best Buy, Nordstrom to pursue renewables
New York’s comptroller says Best Buy (BBY-N) and Nordstrom (JWN-N) have agreed to increasingly use renewable energy in their operations and supply chains. Thomas DiNapoli is trustee of the New York pension fund that’s an investor in both retailers. He said he has withdrawn shareholder proposals to set measurable goals for increased use or production of renewable energy sources.
Zero-waste shop searches for permanent location
Brianne Miller’s customers rattle up to her store laden with cloth bags, washed out plastic bags and recycled glass jars and lids. Even compostable paper bags are discouraged in this store. The Zero Waste Market has been running as a monthly pop-up since November at Patagonia, an adventure outfitter in Kitsilano.
CEMEX to stay out of World Heritage sites
Building materials company CEMEX has committed to staying out of World Heritage sites and to building awareness of the need to protect them, following a collaboration with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. The commitment, confirmed in the firm’s 2015 Sustainable Development Report issued this week, is in line with the globally accepted principle that listed sites are off limits for the extractive industry.
UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre
Longo Brothers buy EnerNOC software
Canadian food retailer Longo Brothers Fruit Markets has purchased EnerNOC’s energy intelligence software. EnerNOC says that the technology will enable Long to budget more accurately, prioritize investments in energy projects and increase employee productivity. The chain consists of 31 stores in the greater Toronto area.
Energy Manager Today – Enernoc News Release
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