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Toronto Green Standard rules take effect May 1

2 years ago

Commercial and multi-residential real estate developers in Toronto will face significantly higher sustainability requirements when the fourth version of the Toronto Green Standard (TGS) takes effect on May 1.

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Zero-emissions technologies will require more than just lip service from policymakers, according to a report. Still, there’s an ever-growing panoply of efficiency measures — better insulation, improved heating and air-conditioning, less-polluting appliances — that could help the building sector decarbonize.

mCloud Technologies (MCLD-X) has a 20-year agreement with Carbon Royalty Corp. to fund the installation of its AssetCare asset management platform in auto dealerships in the U.S. The partners hope to install 500 of the systems by the end of 2023.

Prevost, a subsidiary of the Volvo Group, is investing $84 million to develop fully electric coach buses and a conversion kit that will allow it to transform diesel-engine models into electric vehicles.

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Pickup truck owners may not seem like the most conventional market for EVs. And yet, demand has surged in North America for the release of electric passenger trucks. Lately, the Ford F-150 has been helping to lead the charge.

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Snow Lake Resources Ltd. has commissioned a scoping study to assess the development of a lithium mine in southern Manitoba. If successful, it hopes to build the “world’s first all-electric, fully renewable lithium mine,” and necessary in Canada’s EV push.

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Ottawa pledged up to $3.8B over eight years for a critical minerals strategy — a move that could create a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Canada amid global EV demand. However, experts wonder if the industry can do it sustainably.

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Arc Boat Co., a Los Angeles startup trying to do for watercraft what Tesla did for sedans, is announcing another $30 million in investment this morning, capital that will help finance its first production run of 25 vessels.

Energy Profiles

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Could a housing development built entirely of mass timber happen here in Toronto? Starting in 2025, the city of Amsterdam plans to embark on an ambitious project to construct a 10-block neighbourhood of low-rise buildings made of wood.

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Surging global energy prices are supercharging the already rapid pace of growth in solar, wind, and battery storage projects, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis US 2022 Power Sector Outlook.

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Air-source heat pumps have been added to the list of clean energy equipment that qualifies for special tax treatment through Canada’s capital cost allowance (CCA) program. Now developers and businesses aiming to reduce GHG emissions can apply for cost savings.

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Retail has been later than others to adopt sustainability measures. Next to other industries such as airlines and consumer packaged goods, companies like Costco are beginning to understand the value of inter-sector collaborations on sustainability.

Anchor Corp

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Nothing is more central to hitting our emissions targets than the use of green hydrogen and its derivative green ammonia, according to a report. However, to make an even bigger footprint, it must expand into transport, buildings, and power generation.

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Some of the common, wasteful aspects of commercial food production have largely flown under the radar. Still, the restaurant industry is finding a purpose for fry oil, which is emerging as an option to create biodiesel and other clean fuels.

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A biodegradable and compostable drinking straw will be available for baseball fans in New York at Yankee Stadium this season. The straw is part of the Yankee Stadium’s sustainability efforts, which include a commitment to achieving net-zero waste.

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Architects of plastic bag bans feel they are doing right by the environment; however, new research from the University of Georgia (UGA) suggests their efforts might actually do more harm than good.

Winnipeg Real Estate Forum

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To help companies and communities better plan for the challenges of pursuing microgrids, here are six questions to ask when you’re in the planning phase, according to Alok Singhania, a partner at Gridscape Solutions.

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The U.S. state of Colorado has tabled legislation to take a more direct approach to increase microgrid development. The Electric Grid Resilience and Reliability Roadmap calls for actionable steps to identify and prioritize critical facilities and infrastructure.

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Longstanding and systemic discrimination along race, ethnicity and income has led to limited availability of economic opportunities, excessive environmental pollution, and increased vulnerability to climate change for disenfranchised communities. Now a new screen tool has been proposed to solve it.

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Microplastic particles have been discovered in the lungs of live human patients. A team of researchers recently published a study in the journal Science of the Total Environment that reveals 39 microplastics found in 11 of 13 samples tested.

Industry Events