Recent Articles
Wastewater heat recovery firm SHARC Energy growing
Wastewater heat recovery firm SHARC Energy growing
B.C.-based SHARC Energy, a leader in energy recovery from wastewater, continues to grow its North American footprint with a vision of future expansion throughout the world. The company, which was founded in 2010, specializes in recycling thermal energy from wastewater.
OPG awards Bird contract for clean energy campus
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) announced a new headquarters campus adjacent to the existing Darlington Energy Complex in Clarington, in Durham Region. OPG hopes the office will be ready for occupancy by 2024.
Robot timber homebuilders nab B.C. funding
A factory in Delta, B.C., is aiming to prove that robots can build wood-frame, mass-timber, multi-family homes faster, greener and better than conventional tradespeople and building systems can. Intelligent City began planning urban housing projects in its factory in May 2021.
CaGBC award winners recognized for sustainability
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) announced its 2021 award winners, with buildings and individuals from Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta taking top honours. The awards recognize leaders transforming Canada’s building sector through CO2 reduction, environmental sustainability and health and wellness.
Climate emergency warrants mandate on ZEVs
To prevent the worst of climate change, we must buy zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Transportation accounts for one-quarter of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, so our cars, SUVs, pick-ups and vans must be battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric or hydrogen fuel cell.
Montreal site uses AI to show impacts of climate
Mila, a machine-learning and technology research institute in Quebec, created the website, thisclimatedoesnotexist.com. The site blends artificial intelligence with geography to show the potential impact of climate change on almost any address on the planet.
ClimateCheck 1st to offer climate risk assessment tool
ClimateCheck is the first to offer a climate risk assessment tool for U.S. consumers. After putting a property’s address into the tool, users are presented with scores for five climate risks (heat, storms, flood, fire and drought) based on 2050 projections.
Achieving net-zero requires social, economic changes
The EU, U.S. and Britain have promised to achieve net-zero by 2050. This goal will require social and economic changes, from the way energy is produced to the way goods are made, the food people eat and the holidays they take.
Sticking points at the UN climate conference
Representatives from nearly 200 countries will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, from Oct. 31-Nov. 12 for climate talks to strengthen action to tackle global warming under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The actions of governments at this conference will determine whether it is a success.
Whether COP26 succeeds hinges on 4 questions
• GreenBiz
More than one-fifth of the world’s largest corporations have pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. More companies are expected to commit ahead of the COP26 climate summit, and those that do not will miss billions in new investments.
Pyrolysis: a promising route to hydrogen
• H2 View
We propose that hydrogen derived from methane pyrolysis should be renamed ‘white hydrogen’. This form of pyrolysis is not new and was first championed in the 1960s. It was found to deliver a coke-free, high yield of hydrogen.
Hydrogen in buildings: Poster child of ‘tech-crastination’
• GreenBiz
Tech-crastination refers to cases where the promise of a future technology diminishes interest in the deployment of existing reliable technologies. Tech-crastination is used to describe the gas industry’s claims around the suitability of hydrogen as a solution to decarbonize buildings.
Microgrid cuts carbon for B.C. First Nation community
Sixty-two miles from the nearest electricity grid, the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation has completed a renewable energy microgrid in British Columbia with the help of Amp Energy. The microgrid provides power to 28 homes and consists of 250 kW of solar capacity.
Mohawk Group emphasizes wellbeing in workplaces
• GreenBiz
Much research is being done on the future of workplaces as we transition into the post-COVID-19 world. Recognizing the importance of this, Mohawk Group recently achieved the WELL Health Safety Rating for all its showrooms in North America.
OMERS Infrastructure invests A$700M in solar firm
OMERS Infrastructure has acquired a 49 per cent interest in an Australian solar power platform from Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), a developer of utility-scale renewable energy projects. According to a source, OMERS Infrastructure “paid upwards of A$700m” for FRV Australia.
Mitsubishi to spend US$17.5B to drive decarbonization
Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp will invest US$17.54-billion by 2030 in alternative energies such as renewables and hydrogen to drive its decarbonization efforts and cut emissions. Mitsubishi aims to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Real estate gender splits outdo TSX benchmark
An Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP report on diversity disclosure practices in public companies shows women are somewhat more conspicuous in commercial real estate’s executive suites and boardrooms than the average for Canadian companies, but are still the minority.
Ottawa entrepreneurs get spots in MaRS program
Ottawa-based Hyperion Global Energy co-founder Heather Ward and Victoria Xu, who helped launch CleanInnoGen Energy Solutions, are among 10 entrepreneurs from across Canada taking part in the RBC Women in Cleantech Accelerator hosted by Toronto-based MaRS Discovery District.
Canadians among biggest energy users in world
• Globe and Mail • National Observer • JWN Energy
Canadians are – and will remain – among the biggest consumers of energy over the next decade even as policies ramp up to make the country more energy-efficient, a global energy forecast suggests.
UK’s Grafton Architects win 2021 Stirling Prize for town house
The Stirling Prize is awarded every year to the United Kingdom’s best new building. They usually end up on Treehugger because they are interesting “green” buildings. This year’s winner is the Kingston University student “Town House” designed by Grafton Architects.
Industry Events
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Sustainable Finance Forum 2024
Nov 28 2024
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Shaw Centre, Ottawa -
Zero Carbon Building Standards Interactive Workshop
Dec 10 2024
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Feb 10 2025
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Apr 28 2025
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Building Lasting Change
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Vancouver, BC