Europe top, but Canada GRESB leader in the Americas

BIZ  Real Estate  •  Office, Apartments  •  National

Canada has extended its lead as the top GRESB performer in the Americas, outpacing the United States, Mexico and Brazil in management and performance according to 2020 assessment results. GRESB revealed the results during a Nov. 24 event co-hosted by REALPAC.

CAPREIT awarded Green Star designation by GRESB

Real Estate  •  Globe Newswire

Ranked sixth amongst the participating listed residential multi-family companies in North America, CAPREIT’s strong performance in its first 2020 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) submission is the result of its decades-long commitment to a environment, social and governance (ESG) strategy.

Federal property portfolio plan targets ‘net zero’

Real Estate  •  CBC  •  Canada Newswire  •  Toronto Star

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos released the federal government’s plan to drive down greenhouse gas emissions within the federal bureaucracy itself, with the goal of achieving “net zero” by 2050 through a radical restructuring of the government’s property and vehicle portfolio.

Despite COVID, sustainable office building gains steam

Real Estate  •  Globe and Mail

In September, with few tenants on site because of the COVID-19 pandemic, work began on a multimillion-dollar retrofit of a 20-storey office building in downtown Toronto at 11 King St W. with installation of a new heating, cooling and ventilation system.

Greenbelt Foundation invests $500K in climate change

Real Estate  •  Globe Newswire

With significant support from a private donor, the Greenbelt Foundation is making its largest investment to date—over $500,000—in helping municipalities in the Greenbelt and across Canada shift to using nature to deliver critical community services, like stormwater management.

Mackenzie Financial to buy Toronto’s Greenchip Financial

Real Estate  •  Globe and Mail (Sub. required)

Mackenzie Financial Corporation is expanding its green footprint with the purchase of  Toronto-based Greenchip Financial Corp, which is focused exclusively on the environmental economy. Mackenzie is a socially responsible investment manager that oversees more than $485 million in assets.

Sponsored by Lockourier Canada The last, last mile delivery – Drones, retailers, and Lockourier Canada

Lockourier is taking the lead of industry giants like UPS, Walmart, and Amazon and preparing its products to adapt to the need for wide-spread use of drone delivery.

TELUS launches investment fund for sustainable startups

Real Estate  •  Environmental Leader

TELUS has announced the launch of its new TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, a $100-million social impact investment fund created to power the biggest, boldest, bravest ideas in new responsible and sustainable startup businesses.

Montreal to receive giant new green urban park

Real Estate  •  Daily Hive

One of the province’s biggest infrastructure projects in history is about to get a lot greener. Quebec’s Ministère des Transports and the City of Montreal unveiled final plans for a giant green space located parallel to the newly-renovated Turcot Interchange.

NRC’s new advanced materials research facility opens

Real Estate  •  REMI Network

The National Research Council (NRC)’s new advanced materials research facility has opened in Mississauga. The Diamond Schmitt-designed building will serve as a national clean energy hub, supporting and undertaking foundational research of new materials for clean energy.

Regulatory solutions for deep retrofits in Canada

Real Estate  •  Pembina Institute

Construction or renovation projects featuring new technologies or different construction techniques often face regulatory barriers. In this backgrounder, we identify some of the regulatory barriers and solutions for deep retrofit projects in Canada

Getting building height right for the climate

Real Estate  •  Green Tech Media

It may seem obvious that cities filled with big buildings use energy more efficiently than dispersed suburban landscapes but now some architects and engineers are questioning that orthodoxy. There might be a sweet spot for building height: the four-storey courtyard.

Dvele gives the smart home new meaning

Real Estate  •  TreeHugger

Recently released DveleIQ, “the first whole home solution built from the foundation up with artificial intelligence to promote the health of its occupants, the health of the home, and the health of the planet,” takes the smart home to a new level.

Tuning up waterpower in Canada

Energy, Real Estate  •  Water Canada

Canada has generated electricity from flowing water since the 19th century. Energy systems have transformed dramatically although the individual components at the heart of every waterpower station — turbine runner and shaft, and the generator rotor and stator — remain largely similar.

Form Energy attracts four new investors

Energy  •  Green Tech Media

Long-duration energy storage startup Form Energy brought in four new investors for its just-closed Series C round. Coatue Management led the round, which totalled $76 million joined by Utility-backed Energy Impact Partners, Temasek and NGP Energy Technology Partners III.

Blue hydrogen may boost fossil fuels industry

Real Estate  •  Globe and Mail (Sub. required)

The federal government has been working on a hydrogen strategy for three years, following in the footsteps of dozens of countries in Europe and Asia as it eyes hydrogen to help Canada get to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

USGBC funds 500 LEED pros for underserved communities

Real Estate  •  Green Lodging News

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced it will provide funding for 500 people in underserved communities to earn their LEED professional credential. This commitment is designed to help build capacity and expertise for green building.

Startup to build affordable housing from 100% recycled plastic

Real Estate  •  ThePrint  •  UN Habitat

Using one problem to solve another is behind a Norwegian start-up’s mission to develop affordable housing from 100% recycled plastic. Only nine per cent of global plastic is recycled, according to Othalo, while a billion people live in slums.

Unlocking the ‘first wave’ of net zero emission for shipping

Energy  •  GreenBiz  •  Globe Newswire

There is broad consensus that zero-emission deep-sea trade vessels must be commercialized by the end of this decade to reach a 2050 climate goal of halving emissions compared to 2008, the low carbon solutions required for shipping decarbonization remain in their infancy.

Tasmania declares itself 100% powered by renewables

Real Estate  •  Renew Economy

The Tasmania government has declared that it has become the first Australian state, and one of a few jurisdictions worldwide, to be powered entirely by renewable electricity. Tasmania effectively achieved electricity self-sufficiency with its wind and hydroelectricity projects.