le Faubourg Cousineau to feature 3,000 LEED homes

BIZ  Real Estate  •  Homes  •  Greater Montreal

Habitations Mont-Royal is building what will become Canada’s largest LEED-certified neighbourhood in the City of Longueuil. About 800 homes in the le Faubourg Cousineau suburban eco-neighbourhood project have been constructed.

OAA’s Shift Challenge highlights resilient architecture

Real Estate  •  Construct Connect

The projects selected as part of the Ontario Architecture Association (OAA) Shift 2021 Resiliency Architecture Challenge demonstrate how architectural thinking and design can lead to new approaches to improve communities. Two of the five submissions were spotlighted during a recent webinar.

RE developer Hines creates first chief carbon officer

ESG  •  Green Biz

Sustainability professionals are leveling up their careers and businesses are getting new faces into their ESG departments. In the first role of its kind, real estate developer Hines promoted Mike Izzo, a former construction VP, to become chief carbon officer.

B.C. floods caused at least $450M in insured damage

Real Estate  •  CBC  •  Business In Vancouver

The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates the insured damage caused by flooding in B.C. last month at $450 million. The cost, however, is much higher as many impacted people were located in high-risk areas where flood insurance was not available.

Mass timber buildings are climbing in popularity: Panel

Real Estate  •  Construct Connect

Environmental benefits and economic stimulation are among the reasons mass timber buildings look to gain a foothold in cities such as Toronto. Expect 10 to 12 mass timber multi-storey housing projects to start in 2022, says Leith Moore, principal of R-Hauz Solutions Inc.

Brownie awarded to Toronto’s reimagined Auto BLDG

Real Estate  •  Canada Newswire

Auto BLDG – a 102-year-old, industrial-deco landmark that has over the decades been an aluminum extruder, auto parts plant, a production studio and incubator for graffiti artists – was recognized at this year’s Canadian Brownfield Awards winning prestigious Rebuild Brownie.

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Brad Pilgrim: CEO and co-founder, Parity Inc.

Deconstruction is gaining momentum in U.S. cities

Real Estate  •  Bisnow

U.S. cities that are looking to move aggressively to promote green jobs and infrastructure are showing more interest in deconstruction as a way to unlock a new source of revenue for the construction industry that also reduces enormous carbon emissions.

Walmart heir invest in Circular Capital fund

Real Estate  •  Bloomberg

Lukas Walton, grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, has joined other families and private foundations in backing a $25 million fund aimed at advancing the minimization of waste. It’s the second of two funds raised by Singapore-based investment-management firm Circulate Capital.

Walmart Canada to eliminate single-use plastic bags

Waste  •  Canada Newswire  •  Canadian Grocer  •  Retail Insider

Walmart Canada will eliminate single-use plastic shopping bags preventing almost three-quarters-of-a billion plastic bags from entering circulation each year. The changes apply to in-store purchases along with online grocery pickup and delivery orders to be completed by Earth Day 2022.

Walmart offers sustainable supply chain financing

Real Estate  •  Chain Store Age

Walmart is encouraging its suppliers to take part in Walmart’s Project Gigaton emissions reduction program with early invoice payments. Walmart is working with HSBC and environmental non-profit CDP to offer the supply chain finance program using science-based GHG emissions targets.

Montrealer launched reusable takeout packaging option

Real Estate  •  Montreal Gazette

Montrealer Mishel Wong has just launched an app-based reusable takeout packaging service in the city, the “Bo option.” In collaboration with 16 restaurants in the Plateau/Mile End districts, customers now have the option to choose reusable packaging when ordering takeout.

Revving up the green vehicle wave

Transportation  •  Corporate Knights

The car has changed everything, redefined local, reshaped our neighbourhoods and communities, and it eventually transformed every aspect of our lives. Now, there is no pathway to a sustainable, net-zero future that does not include the elimination of fossil-powered transportation. 

Calgary offers energy efficient loans for homeowners

Real Estate  •  CBC  •  Calgary Herald  •  Global News

Calgary homeowners will be able to get some financial assistance in 2022 after city council approved the clean energy improvement program (CEIP) offering low-interest loans up to $50,000 for solar panels, increasing insulation, upgrading windows or buying a tankless hot water system.

Myths about renewable energy, the grid, debunked

Energy  •  Yale 360

Renewable energy skeptics argue that wind and solar cannot be the foundation of a dependable electricity grid. But the expansion of renewables and new methods of energy management and storage can lead to a grid that is reliable and clean.

Burying power lines don’t always protect electric grids

Energy  •  GreenBiz

Dramatic images of damaged power lines can make people wonder whether their electricity service might be more secure if those lines were buried underground. Theodore Kury, Energy Studies University of Florida studied this question and the answer is not straightforward.

Biden order calls for gov’t to be carbon neutral

Finance  •  Environmental Leader

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to make the federal government carbon neutral by 2050 as part of the administration’s plan to reduce emissions by 65 per cent by 2030 and be completely net-zero by 2050 and 100 per cent carbon-free electricity by 2030.

Bezos Earth Fund has $443M in grants to advance nature

Social  •  PR Newswire

The Bezos Earth Fund  awarded 44 grants totaling $443 million to organizations focused on climate justice, nature conservation and restoration, and tracking critical climate goals as part of the  Bezos Earth Fund’s $10 billion commitment to fight climate change.

New study outlines high costs of extreme heat in Phoenix

Real Estate  •  Winnipeg Free Press

A study presented Monday by The Nature Conservancy commissioned a look at the costs of rising temperatures in Phoenix. Working with infrastructure consulting firm AECOM, the nonprofit environmental organization turned its attention to the country’s hottest large metropolitan area.

Corona announces plans for a natural island destination

Real Estate  •  Green Lodging News

Corona has announced Corona Island, a unique destination slated to open in 2022 in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. It is striving to become “Blue Verified” by Oceanic Global as part of the international NGO’s rigorous Blue Standard program.