CPP to diversify with Sustainable Energy Group

BIZ  Energy, Finance  •  Investment  •  National

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has created the Sustainable Energy Group, which is a new investment group focused on growing market opportunities as the energy sector evolves and global power demand grows, especially for low-carbon energy alternatives.

The race for Canada’s first hydrogen hub

Energy  •  Globe and Mail

Canada’s first hydrogen hub launched outside Edmonton is a focal point for a domestic industry projected to be worth $50 billion to $100 billion each year by 2050. Hydrogen hubs across the country are key to the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada.

Edmonton on the road to a net-zero energy future

Real Estate  •  CBC  •  Global News

The City of Edmonton is moving toward being a low-carbon municipality by 2030 and is adopting an energy transition strategy that includes initiatives like the district energy system in the Blatchford, EV charging infrastructure, electric buses, LRT, and energy-efficient buildings.

Hines, PC Urban JV on West’s largest mass timber office

Real Estate  •  RENX

Houston-based Hines is partnering with Vancouver-based PC Urban Properties Corp. to build Western Canada’s largest and tallest mass timber office building. The building, at 123 East 6th Ave. in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, will be 10 storeys and 196,000 square feet.

Ottawa unveils $1.5B plan to boost green construction

Real Estate  •  Globe and Mail

A new federal five-year, $1.5-billion program designed to spur green building through retrofits, upgrades and new construction aims to save energy, cut costs and pollution while creating jobs, with potential projects ranging from community centres to energy-efficient library windows.

Canada, FCM Invest in Retrofits for Community Buildings

Real Estate  •  Canada Newswire

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and federal government have launched the Community Buildings Retrofit initiative to help communities of all sizes to decrease emissions generated by existing community buildings such as arenas, pools, libraries and recreation and cultural centres.

Sponsored by Mitrex Solar cladding turns highrises into vertical green power plants

As global populations become increasingly urban, demand is increasing for sustainable energy in metropolitan areas. Unfortunately, many of the sites that are best suited for generating clean electricity are located far from the city centres that consume the energy.

Does Canada’s net-zero math add up?

Energy  •  Pembina Institute

The federal government’s climate agenda is the commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to help limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Implementing this commitment requires defining and operationalizing net-zero in legislation, programs and plans, and decision-making criteria.

Montreal giving Parc Jean-Drapeau $970M makeover

Real Estate  •  CBC  •  Montreal Gazette  •  Global News

The City of Montreal wants to transform Parc Jean-Drapeau into a place that people the world over will want to visit.

It created a 10-year plan valued at $970 million to achieve that goal, with a focus on access to the river and creating sustainable mobility options.

IKEA Canada partners for EV last-mile delivery

Real Estate  •  Retail Insider  •  Business Wire

IKEA Canada is partnering with Second Closet and Lion Electric for last-mile delivery in the Greater Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver markets using five-tonne zero-emission electric vehicle trucks starting in Etobicoke, Boucherville, Que., and Richmond in the fall of 2021.

Condo-dwelling EV owners face charging challenges

Real Estate  •  Globe and Mail  •  Financial Post (Sub. required)

Omar bought a Hyundai Kona EV last fall, a month after his condo installed a 240-volt outlet next to his parking space. He shared a provincial rebate with the six other owners who decided to get electric vehicle plug-ins installed.

A ULI report about decarbonization of CRE

Real Estate  •  CP Executive

“Decarbonizing the Built Environment: 10 Principles for Climate Mitigation Policy,” a new report from the Urban Land Institute, marks a milestone in the collaboration between the public and private sectors to achieve decarbonization of commercial real estate and the built environment.

The World GBC releases its 2020 annual report

Real Estate  •  World Green Building Council

The World Green Building Council’s Annual Report 2019/20 outlines the major achievements of the organization and its global network of Green Building Councils. The movement of almost 70 GBCs, 1,000 employees and over 36,000 members allows it to connect and promote sustainable buildings.

Carbon offsets from agriculture key to net-zero goals

ESG  •  Corporate Knights

Agriculture is emerging as a key sector for generating carbon offsets that will help companies and countries meet their net-zero emissions targets. It is a pathway to incentivize farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon storage in soils.

Tesla to conquer trillion-dollar energy market: analyst

Energy  •  Toronto Star

Tesla is set to “attack and conquer” another trillion-dollar market as the company best known for EV ramps up its focus on energy generation and storage. Canaccord Genuity’s Jed Dorsheimer gave it one of Wall Street’s highest price targets.

Lawmakers in 20 states introduce 69 microgrid bills

Energy  •  Microgrid Knowledge

Amid a growing focus on grid resilience, lawmakers in 20 U.S. states have introduced about 69 microgrid-related bills so far this year. The legislation comes as state lawmakers are increasingly taking steps to support grid modernization.

The case for raising up women in climate tech

Energy  •  GreenBiz

Four years ago this week, Project Drawdown released groundbreaking research on climate solutions that catalyzed the narrative that reversing global warming is possible. To celebrate that anniversary and underscore what’s needed now, I’m spotlighting 15 women-led ventures at the heart of the climate-tech movement.

Businesses must understand mental health, sustainability

Social  •  Sustainable Brands

With limited social contact and far-from-ideal home-working conditions, many people struggle to cope with the new realities of daily life. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports adults suffering from anxiety or depression jumped fourfold prior to December 2020.

We are living in a climate emergency. We’re going to say so.

Social  •  Scientific American

A hurricane blasts Florida. A California dam bursts. A record-setting cold snap in Texas. Emergencies requiring immediate action multiplying worldwide and it is the biggest environmental emergency to beset the earth in millennia. 13,000 scientists agree it is a “climate emergency.”

We can’t let greenwash make us lose sight of the prize

ESG  •  Corporate Knights

This March, Tariq Fancy, the former chief sustainable investment officer of the largest investment house in the world, BlackRock, called out the multi-trillion-dollar sustainable investment complex for perpetuating a massive greenwash campaign that is duping the public and imperiling the planet.