The ESG Report › The ESG Report: Loblaw unveils net-zero, waste reduction targets

Jordan Maxwell: Business reporter

Amazon shareholders reject environmental motions

ESG, Waste  •  The Guardian  •  Globe Newswire

Amazon shareholders have rejected 15 resolutions brought forward by investors in a push to influence the company’s environmental impact and treatment of workers. Shareholders voted Wednesday against all the resolutions, most of which focused on worker rights and social issues.

It’s time to rethink human rights in the boardroom

Carbon, Energy  •  GreenBiz

As the impacts of climate change are felt by more people, human rights are taking centre stage. With the blurring of lines between environmental, social and governance concerns, this ushers in a new era for companies’ ESG work.

ESG isn’t a scam. Here’s why.

ESG, Social  •  Corporate Knights

ESG investing is under attack — Elon Musk recently tweeted that ESG is a scam. However, Tim Nash, founder of Good Investing, says we are fooling ourselves if we think that a profit-first worldview will help us solve existing sustainability challenges.

Finland’s binding climate negative goal sets example

Carbon, Finance  •  Protocol

Carbon dioxide removal will soon be written into Finnish law: In a historic Wednesday vote, the country’s Parliament approved a new Climate Change Act that would commit the country to carbon neutrality by 2035, and carbon negativity by 2040.

Calgary committee to discuss $87B net-zero strategy

Real Estate  •  Calgary Herald

Calgary councillors will be opening discussions this week on the city’s updated climate strategy that would see a reduction of city-wide emissions to net zero by 2050 with a price tag of about $87 billion.

Hydro-Quebec CEO talks national energy conversation

Carbon, Energy  •  Financial Post

Sophie Brochu is stirring up discussions about creating a “national energy conversation” — a difficult concept for those still irked by the National Energy Policy of the 1980s. Still, she has the experience to make those thoughts worth listening to.

Building on river floodplains has proven costly

Carbon, Transportation  •  Globe and Mail

Flooding has condemned some cities to painful cycles of loss and rebuilding. Although multiple levels of government seek to restrict further development on floodplains, some cities continue to allow it.

ZEV registrations in Canada hit 8.3% in Q1 2022

Carbon, Energy  • 

According to London-based firm IHS Markit, zero-emission vehicles (ZEV, which include battery-electric and plug-in hybrid) made up 8.3 per cent of new vehicle registrations between Jan. 1 and March 31. That’s the equivalent to one out of every 12 vehicles.

Sudbury EV battery supply chain conference held

Carbon, Energy  •  Electric Autonomy Canada

From Indigenous relations to sourcing raw materials, experts at The City of Sudbury’s Mines to Mobility battery supply chain conference were unanimous that realizing Canada’s enormous EV battery supply chain potential hinges on cooperation and commitment from all sectors.

Vancouver advances climate action with EV charging

Carbon, Energy  •  Smart Cities World

By January 2025, all gas stations and commercial parking lots in Vancouver will need to have an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure available to avoid paying a higher business licence fee.

How a cheap part could help kill off combustion cars

Transportation, Waste  •  Canada.com

Auto part supplies have been choked due to global events. The humble wire harness, a cheap component that bundles cables together, has become the scourge of the auto industry, and some predict it could quicken the downfall of combustion cars.

Cambridge engineers develop zero-carbon cement

Carbon, Real Estate  •  Treehugger

This could totally rewrite the story of concrete and steel. Engineers at Cambridge University claim to have invented the “world’s first-ever zero-emissions cement” that they’re calling Cambridge Electric Cement.

Report calls for real estate owners to decarbonize

Real Estate  •  Toronto Storeys

The latest global research from global real estate firm JLL — who is working with corporations and governments to rapidly decarbonize cities — reveals telling insights into the future of cities in response to the climate crisis.

Ontario regulator refuses new Enbridge pipeline

Carbon, Energy  •  The Energy Mix

The Ontario Energy Board sent minor shock waves through the province’s energy regulatory and municipal energy communities earlier this month with its refusal to approve the final phases of a $123.7-million pipeline replacement project in Ottawa proposed by Enbridge Gas.

Highway 413 reveals flawed species-protection rules

Carbon, Energy  •  Globe and Mail

Highway 413 has emerged as a major issue because of a debate over urban sprawl and the health and climate consequences of building another major highway. However, it’s also a microcosm of a larger battle to preserve Canada’s native wildlife.

In Mississippi, green means go, but go slowly

Carbon, Finance  •  GreenBiz

The Mississippi River has been an economic engine flowing 2,300 miles through 10 states, generating more than $400 billion in sales and services annually. However, the Mississippi was ranked No. 6 on the list of most endangered rivers in America.

EU missed climate spending target

Carbon, Energy  •  SaltWire

The European Union missed its target to spend 20 per cent of its pre-2020 budget on fighting climate change and overstated its green spending to claim that the goal had been met, the European Court of Auditors said on Monday.

China may go green with REITs

Real Estate  •  The Standard

The National Development & Reform Commission and National Energy Administration said in a joint statement that regulators will also support eligible new energy projects to earn certified emission reduction credits and to be included in the national carbon trading market.

China’s curbs on property and COVID have cut emissions

Real Estate  •  Bloomberg

China’s carbon emissions have posted their longest sustained drop in a decade due to Beijing’s efforts to rein in the property market, boost clean energy and control the spread of the virus.