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Empire, Second Harvest partner to reduce food waste

3 years ago

Canada’s largest food rescue organization is partnering with Empire Company Ltd. to incorporate the Second Harvest Food Rescue App across its grocery chains. The app is designed to allow non-profit and community groups easier access to previously wasted food.

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Grocery store chain Sobeys is expanding its unique Infarm vertical farming units to more stores across the country as it takes advantage of the growing consumer appetite for local-made products.

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Construction has commenced on a city block-sized green energy hub at the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus. Solar panels will be installed on overhead canopy structures at the Thunderbird Parkade, doubling as shade structures for vehicle parking below.

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The landscape of The Forks is set to change dramatically in the coming years, as parking lots between the CityTV building and Shaw Park are converted from pavement slabs into an expansive, mixed-use neighbourhood.

Yardi Pulse

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Burning gas, wood, and biomass in buildings has more negative health effects than burning coal in many U.S. states says a new peer-reviewed study from the Harvard School of Public Health.

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JLL (JLL-N) announced its aim to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 across all areas of its operations. To deliver this commitment, 95% of JLL’s 2018 baseline greenhouse gas emissions will be fully abated and any residual offsets required will be limited.

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Global investment manager Invesco has launched a green exchange traded fund (ETF) at a time of increasing appetite for sustainable investments, with 77 percent of institutional investors planning to stop investing in non-ESG (Environment Social Governance) products by 2022, according to PwC.

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ASHRAE and the International Code Council (ICC) have released the 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) User’s Manual. “ASHRAE remains committed to providing sustainability strategies to improve indoor air quality and building performance,” said 2020-21 ASHRAE President Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E.

Energy Profiles

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Ottawa is stepping into the approval process of a proposed Ontario highway that would link four Toronto-area municipalities, claiming environmental concerns require a closer look. Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is considering a federal impact assessment of the $6-billion project.

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Victoria’s building boom is causing concern regarding where to put the dirt being excavated for new commercial buildings, residential projects, and underground parking garages. Much of the uncontaminated soil gets dumped on private properties, sometimes causing the landscape to alter.

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Canadians’ knowledge of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing is mixed, finds a new survey from BMO Global Asset Management. The survey found that those aged 18 to 34 were most knowledgeable about ESG and were more likely to hold ESG investments.

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For more than 100 years, Panasonic has focused on a philosophy to contribute to society. Environmental issues, and particularly decarbonisation, are among the most important issues globally today, which is why decarbonisation forms the basis of the Japanese company’s “Environmental Vision 2050”.

EY

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Microgrid buyers should consider resilience and cost savings and shouldn’t rule out diesel. According to Ryan Goodman, CEO and co-founder of Scale Microgrid Solutions, “Microgrids are … complicated to develop. It would … be easier to [use] solar or … a backup generator.”

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A new white paper from the Propane Education and Research Council presents case studies illustrating the benefits of using propane generators in hybrid microgrids. Today’s microgrids typically consist of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, battery storage, and a backup generator.

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The Minister of Natural Resources announced Canada will join the U.S. in establishing a Net-Zero Producers Forum to discuss how the sector can support the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

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Alberta will unveil changes to its Mine Financial Security Program (MFSP) for oilsands companies to adjust for last year’s oil price crash. The province also plans to review the MFSP to address issues raised by the province’s auditor general.

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Canadian oil sector companies want to pay more interest on their debts in exchange for more environmental, social, and governance credit from investors. In a first for the North American energy industry, Gibson Energy Inc. announced a sustainability-linked credit facility.

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ATCO published its Sustainability Report,  highlighting noteworthy developments from the past year, including a 90 per cent reduction in its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2020, ATCO also commissioned Canada’s largest off-grid solar project and continued to grow the company’s hydrogen expertise.

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JOG Capital, a Calgary company, made its mark investing in junior and mid-size producers. Now, the private equity firm’s transformation into a carbon-capture and storage (CCS) speaks volumes about how the city is starting to adapt to a massive transition.

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Whitecap Resources Inc. is working to expand its ability to capture, store and use carbon dioxide to enhance oil recovery in spite of Ottawa’s decision to exclude such projects from proposed investment tax credits in its recent budget.

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