RE Royalties offers financing for sustainable projects

BIZ  Energy, Finance  •  National, Metro Vancouver

RE Royalties believes it is transforming the way renewable energy projects are being financed. The company acquires royalties from renewable energy generation facilities by providing a financing solution to privately held and publicly traded renewable energy generation and development companies.

1st net-zero hotel in U.S. nearing completion

Energy, Real Estate  •  BDC Network

The Hotel Marcel, a 110,000-sf, 165-room hotel scheduled to open in Connecticut in 2022, is being touted as the first net-zero carbon hotel in the U.S., and its transformation is guided by Passive House and LEED Platinum certification standards.

Funds holding $10T told ESG goals fall short

Finance, ESG  •  Bloomberg

The world’s sovereign wealth funds, representing about $10 trillion in combined assets, will end on the wrong side of history if they fail to acknowledge how rapidly the planet is overheating, according to the woman who presided over the Paris Agreement.

Calgary leading Canadian carbon innovation

Energy  •  Globe and Mail

In Calgary, where about a third of downtown office space lies empty, a possible way forward for the city centre is taking shape inside a building that once housed the headquarters of oil giant Suncor Energy.

Alberta CEOs urge diversification to find place in world

Energy, Real Estate  •  Globe and Mail

While Alberta’s oil and gas sector still contributes to the Canadian economy, it has been battered by seven years of low prices, pipeline protests and cancellations, layoffs and consolidation. Close to 30 per cent of downtown Calgary’s office market sits vacant.

Sponsored by Skyline Group of Companies Real estate owners: the sun continues to shine on clean energy infrastructure investment

2021 is the “make it or break it” year for climate change, according to the United Nations Secretary-General.1 Last year was one of the three warmest years on record in the history of our planet; what’s more, Natural Resources Canada’s

Rush to net-zero could hit economy like 1973 oil crisis

Real Estate  •  Globe and Mail

A rainstorm hits your house, your basement floods and the roof leaks. Suddenly, you are rushing to arrange expensive overhauls to keep the house livable. This scenario is similar to the one facing our warming planet.

Bitcoin reducing carbon footprint by planting trees

Energy, Finance  •  Financial Post

Calgary-based Accelerate Financial Technologies Inc. is launching a carbon-negative Bitcoin exchange by planting 3,450 trees for every $1 million invested to offset the environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining. The company estimates this will result in the sequestration of 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide.

Piedmont Lithium, Sayona acquire NA Lithium

Energy  •  Proactive Investors

Demand for lithium to power North America’s EV and battery storage revolution continues to accelerate, and studies are underway for the manufacturing of lithium chemicals in Québec, which could position the province to become an important lithium hydroxide production centre.

Google invests in LevelTen to drive clean energy future

Energy, Finance  •  Environmental Leader

As part of Google’s efforts to drive a transition to clean energy, the technology company is investing in LevelTen Energy. LevelTen has raised $35 million in Series C funding, led by NGP ETP and nearly all of LevelTen’s investors.

How Ontario can create jobs in the EV economy

Transportation  •  Pembina

As Canada transitions to a decarbonized economy, and with all new light-duty car and passenger-truck sales having to be zero-emission by 2035, Ontario must leverage the strength of its auto industry and pivot to much greater uptake of electric vehicles (EVs).

Iqaluit using solar power in the Arctic

Energy  •  National Observer

Iqaluit seems an odd place for solar power, given that the shortest day of the year has only three and a half hours of daylight. But installers attached 12 solar panels to a house, connecting its resident to the power grid.

Montreal Protocol averts additional 2.5 degrees C

Energy  •  Yale Environment 360

The Montreal Protocol, which phased out the use of ozone-depleting chemicals, not only saved the ozone layer, but also staved off an additional 2.5 degrees C of warming by the end of this century, according to a new study.

Sustainability is more than a corporate aspiration

Energy, Real Estate  •  Forbes

The growth of Chief Sustainability Officers in C-suites and of Sustainability Committees in boardrooms suggests sustainability is being taken seriously at the highest levels of the modern corporation, including the infrastructure, energy and natural resources sectors.

Healthcare companies need ESG, climate action plans

ESG, Health  •  Environmental Leader

Healthcare organizations face a rapidly accelerating suite of climate and ESG-related challenges, including rising energy costs, physical disruptions, and a list of ever-increasing expectations from investors and regulators as well as doctors, patients, and communities.

SEPA makes recommendations to reach clean energy

Energy  •  Environmental Leader

As part of its Utility Transformation Challenge initiative, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) recommends utilities undergo a series of cultural and business model changes, such as linking executive compensation to carbon reduction goals, to reach a clean energy future.

Fortescue plans carbon targets for customers

Energy  •  Bloomberg

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. is planning to unveil targets for reducing the carbon footprint of its biggest customers, marking a shift in approach for the world’s no. 4 exporter of iron ore.

Washington State provides funds for 9 microgrids

Energy  •  Microgrid Knowledge

Washington State announced $3.9 million in grants from the state’s Clean Energy Fund for 18 electric grid modernization projects, including microgrids. The projects will help Washington achieve its 2045 goal of having 100 per cent of its electricity supply free of greenhouse gas emissions.

Fostering consumer courage in combating climate crisis

ESG, Health  •  Sustainable Brands

With people connecting more with nature during the pandemic and embracing the experience of their local area, it is not surprising that 86 per cent of people want to see a more sustainable world post-pandemic, according to the World Economic Forum.

Paris shrinks speed limit to protect climate

Transportation  •  CTV  •  Winnipeg Free Press

No more zipping past the Eiffel Tower or through the Latin Quarter without slowing down to soak in the sights: The speed limit on nearly all streets of Paris is now just 30 km/h.