hat began as an ideascribbled on the back of arestaurant napkin in 2011

has developed into a sought-afteraward for sustainable develop-ment in Canada that is changingand inspiring leadership acrossthe sector.Canada’s Clean50 celebratesoutstanding sustainabilityachievements across 16 categories,selecting 50 individuals or smallteams fromwell over 500 nomina-tions. The work of these sustain-able development and clean techleaders is making a differenceand driving others tomake bigand small changes to benefit theenvironment.The impact of the 2015 Clean50announced in September isimpressive: Collectively over thepast two years, honourees whoactually measured their impactcontributed to their employers’ ef-forts across North America to cut1.3 million tonnes of carbon diox-ide equivalent, saved or producedgreen electricity totalling 2.9 bil-

lion kWh (roughly equivalent toturning Toronto “off” for 39 days)and reduced water use by 1.6billion litres (turning off Niagara

Falls for 50minutes). Combinedwith additional outcomes, theyachieved the equivalent of takingall the cars in B.C. and Saskatch-

ewan off the road for sixmonthsa year.At the same time, they trans-formed their businesses intomoreprofitable, resilient companies.“This impact proves that wedon’t just need to adapt to climatechange. We can actually beat itback if we take the steps thatsome of these organizations havetaken,” says Gavin Pitchford,founder of Canada’s Clean50awards and chief talent officer atDelta Management Group.Recipients come from awiderange of public and private orga-nizations across Canada in sectorssuch as retail, telecom, financialservices and energy, and range inage from 20 to over 65.Mr. Pitchford says organizationsoften pursue sustainability be-cause they’re interested in savingmoney and passionate about pro-tecting the environment. There’susually a business case showing areturn on investment within threeto four years, but often in as littleas four to sixmonths, he says.

“Smart organizations recog-nize that it’s not something thatneeds to cost them a lot of money,and in the end it will save themmoney and reduce risk,” says Mr.Pitchford. “It also helps attract thebest employees.”Gordon Hicks, president of realestatemanagement companyBrookfield Johnson Controls(BJC), is a 2015 Clean50 honouree,awarded for his work helping toreduce energy use among thecompany’s building portfolio.

Celebrating our sustainability leaders

The impactof the2015Clean50:

1.3 million 2.9 billion 1.6 billion 126,100 2 milliontonnes of carbon dioxideequivalent cut

Collectively over the past two years, Clean5o honourees contributed to their employers’ sustainability efforts across North America to save the equivalentof taking all the cars in B.C. and Saskatchewan off the road for six months a year.

kWh green electricitysaved or produced

litres of water usereduction

hectares of landconserved in perpetuity

tonnes of wastediverted

muchmore

+

=

+ + + +

SpecialCanada’s Clean50

FR IDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1 , 2014 C 1

AN INFORMATION FEATURE

This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications, in partnership with The Globe and Mail’s advertising department. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved in its creation.

INSIDE

Business gains throughsustainability. Page C 3

Net-zero homes in harshconditions. Page C 5

Responsible resourcemanagement. Page C 7

ABOUT CANADA’S CLEAN50

Canada’s Clean50 honourees each year are chosen from over 500nominees across 16 different sectors, by sustainability and clean techsearch firmDelta Management Group, with advice from industryadvisors, and based on the nominees’ submissions.Delta founder Gavin Pitchford created the award in 2011 to bringtogether leaders from numerous sectors with a view to encourag-ing cross-community learning and collaboration that could inspireothers.Honourees commit to participate in sharing knowledge witheach other and to attending the Clean50 Summit, held each fall inToronto.Sector categories include Advocates (ENGOs), Angels (clean techinvestors), Buildings, Cities, Clean tech, Consultants, Education,Financial & Services, Manufacturing & Transportation, Primaryresources, Public sector, R&D, Renewable energy, Retail & Consumer,Technology, and Traditional energy.Clean50 awards also recognize 15 leading sustainability projectsand 10 emerging leaders under the age of 35.

More information at clean50.com.

Clean50, Page C 3

They are champions – the 50 award winners whose efforts had the largest impact in advancing sustainability and cleancapitalism over the previous two years.

Row 1: Kerry Adler, CEO, Skypower Global; Jane Ambachtsheer, Partner, Mercer; Celine Bak, President, Analytica Advisors;Paul Blanchard, CEO, ARTEX Environmental; Kevin Brady, President, Sustainable Enterprise Consulting; Kent Brown, CEO,BluEarth Renewables; Lloyd Bryant, Managing Director, HP Canada; Chris Campbell, Executive Director, Marine RenewablesCanada; Row 2: Howard Chang, CEO, Top Drawer Creative; John Coyne, VP, Legal & External Affairs, Unilever; Elisabeth (Lisa)DeMarco, globally ranked, leading energy and climate change lawyer; Ron Dembo, CEO, ZeroFootPrint Software; AudreyDepault, National Manager, Climate Reality Project Canada; Frank Dottori, President, White River Forest Products; FrancesEdmonds,Director Environmental Programs, HPCanada;Tyler Elm,ManagingPartner, TJ Elm&Assoc.Row3: Alexis Esseltine-Scoon, SCS Global, Blair Feltmate, University of Waterloo; Mike Gerbis, CEO, The Delphi Group; Peter Gibel, Senior VicePresident, Staples Canada; John Grace, Emeritus Professor, University of British Columbia;TomHeintzman,Managing Director,JCM Capital; Chris Henderson, President, Lumos Energy; Gord Hicks, CEO, Brookfield JCI; Row 4: Celesa Horvath, Principal,Ventus;Mark Jaccard, Professor, Simon Fraser University; Brent Kopperson, Executive Director, Windfall Ecology Centre;DavidLabistour, CEO,MEC; Julia Langer, CEO, Toronto Atmospheric Fund; Judith Lipp, TREC Renewable Energy Co-op; Bruce Lourie,President, Ivey Foundation; Peter Love, President, Love Energy Consultants; Row 5: Sandy Marshall, Chairman, BioIndustrialInnovation Canada; Joe Miranda, CEO, Canada Fibers, Mike Morrice, Executive Director, Sustainability CoLab; Chad Park,Executive Director, The Natural Step; Leigh Pearson, Director, Staples Canada; Gavin Pitchford, CEO, Delta Management;Francisca Quinn, Managing Partner, Quinn & Partners; Marlo Raynolds, Vice President, BluEarth Renewables, Row 6: PaulRichardson, Renewal Funds; Don Roberts, CEO, Nawitka Capital Advisors (formerly Vice-Chair Wholesale Banking, CIBC WorldMarkets Inc.); Andre Rochette, President, Ecosystem; Merran Smith, Director, Clean Energy Canada; Esther Speck, Principal,Speck Consulting; Coro Strandberg, Principal, Strandberg Consulting, Bruce Taylor, President, Enviro-Stewards, Michael vanAanhout, Chairman, Stratos; Row 7: John van Leeuwen, CEO, EcoSynthetix;Wal van Lierop, CEO, Chrysalix EVC; AnthonyWatanabe, CEO, Innovolve; Doug Webber, Executive Vice President, Halsall & Loop Initiatives; Jonathan Webster, CEO,EnvAerospace. The following Clean50 Honourees have signed this document as individuals – not as representativesof their organizations: Keleigh Annau, Jim Burpee, Ray Cote, Row 8: Tom Ewart, Marcus Goodick, Martin Janowitz,Diane Kilcoyne, BrianMontgomery, Muhammad Qureshi, AndrewTelfer, KateWhalen, Carolyn Sedgwick.

An open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper,Thomas Mulcair, Justin Trudeau, Elizabeth May,our Premiers, Canadian business leaders, and allCanadians

IT’S TIME TO ACTLeading climate scientists overwhelmingly agree that ourclimate is changing - and that most of the change is theresult of human activity.

We have all witnessed the impact of climate change onCanada’s ecosystems, communities and businesses. Thiswill only accelerate and amplify.

Addressing climate change head-on will not only restoreour planet and improve our health, it will create new jobs forCanadians, new markets and opportunities for businessesto innovate and excel, in a global economy hungry for ourexpertise in clean technology and sustainability.

In advance of a federal election and the upcomingPremier’s conference on Climate Change, we, theundersigned members of Canada’s Clean50, call on allour political parties to speak with Canadians about theimpacts of climate change, and engage business leadersand the public in collaborating to find solutions that provideinvestment certainty, innovation and jobs.

We believe that one solution is to develop a well thoughtout framework that includes setting a price on carbonat some specific date in the future, that would reduceother taxes, and provide an incentive for businesses andindividuals to take steps to reduce their use of carbon.

IT’S OUR TURN TO LEADCanadians: Ask your political representatives what theywill do to address climate change. Let’s get moving ona real plan to keep our economy strong AND build asustainable, prosperous future.

Our politicians need to know: Climate action is apriority.

For more information, please visit www.clean50.com

CANADA’S CLEAN50

ers with a good sustainabilitystrategy have increasingly morejob applicants and attract bet-ter, more engaged employees– many of whom are actuallywilling to work for less moneyif they believe in the company.Research shows a strong correla-tion between engaged employ-ees and financial results. Whenemployees are proud of theiremployer, this translates to costsavings by reduced voluntaryturnover, lower training andrecruiting costs, and improvedproductivity.

Do you believe this is an up-ward trend?Yes – since it is especially pro-nounced in the younger genera-tion. Millennials, in particular,do their research and preferto work for – and buy from– companies that are commit-ted to CSR and environmentalsustainability. Delta recentlydid a survey of a wide swath ofhighly educated millennials andidentified that cohort’s threeleading criteria in selecting em-ployers: Work-life balance wasnumber one. But the company’svalues, sustainability and CSRperformance was a close second.

Sustainability plus leadership expertise –a winning combination

Demonstrating brand authenticity

Interview with Gavin Pitchford,Chief Talent Officer at DeltaManagement Group

How are clean initiatives andemployee engagement con-nected?The expectation that orga-nizations in both the privateand public sector will tangiblydemonstrate corporate socialresponsibility (CSR) have neverbeen higher than today, andleaders are facing unprecedentedpressure from key constituentssuch as customers, investors,regulators, suppliers and employ-ees to reduce their environmentalfootprint. The good news is thatcompanies that consistentlymeasure and report on corporatecitizenship earn sparkling reputa-tions that improve their bottomline and also attract – and engage– top talent.

How does a good sustainabilitystrategy pay off with employees?I see it all the time that employ-

Above-average compensationactually came fourth.

How do you promote employeeengagement?It is much talked about – butcompanies struggle to make itwork. Employees are actuallyoften prepared to volunteer theirtime for projects that enhancethe organization’s sustainabilityperformance – everything fromidentifying opportunities toreduce or reuse waste, to reland-scaping the grounds. As a bonus,when you’ve invested personalhours, worked on teams doinggood things, put some heart intothe organization, it’s a lot harderto leave.

What role does leadership play?There are significant opportuni-ties for companies to save mon-ey and transform the way theydo business, but to do so, theyneed the right talent. Embeddingsustainability throughout theorganization is a good concept,and volunteer green teams oftenhave the right intentions, butwithout the necessary exper-tise, there is a greater chancefor inadvertently doing harm ormissing opportunities to go fur-

mitment to offering respon-sible products, reducing carbonemissions, constructing envi-ronmentally friendly stores andsupporting the conservation ofecologically important spacessuch as the Nahanni NationalPark Reserve in the NorthwestTerritories.These sustainability effortsare “critical to business suc-cess” not only because theyhelp win and keep customers,but because they help to posi-tion for the future by reducingrisks and costs, fostering inno-

vation and attracting employ-ees, says Ms. Speck.“People want to connectwith brands that offer theproducts and services theyneed, but also stand for some-thing: brands that reflecttheir values. For companieslike MEC, investments in thisarea prioritize real businessissues like climate change andallow them to demonstratetheir brand authenticity byacting on what their membersand customers care about,”she adds.

ther. It’s incredibly importantthat sustainability is part of theoverall strategy of the organiza-tion and that it’s led by a quali-fied chief sustainability officer.Everyone uses spreadsheets, butorganizations still have subjectmatter experts in corporate ITdepartments. In the same way,to maximize results, sustain-ability initiatives need to be ledby experts in the field.

Any advice for someoneembarking on a sustainabilitycareer?We are seeing an oversupply ofgraduates from world-leadingCanadian MBA and ES/MESprograms – which means thisis a tough market. The trend toattempt to embed sustainabilitythroughout the organizationrequires that grads need tobe prepared to integrate theirsustainability learnings into jobdescriptions that are focusedon other things. Of course, in-troduction of a price on carbon– or increased environmentalregulations – would dramati-cally improve that outlook.

This interview has been edited andcondensed.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

Rachel ParentFounder, Kids Right to Know

When a person learns aboutthemany issues affecting ourplanet, it brings forth a natu-ral response: a desire tomakethings better.Translating that response intobecoming a sustainability leaderbegins with passion. To findyour passion, think carefullyabout what issue bothers youthemost. Finding the passionwithin is a necessary first step.Without it, you’ll find it difficultto stay focused andmotivated.The next step is to educateyourself about the cause behindyour passion. Dig deep; don’tbelieve everything you see onTV or hear in themedia. Trackdown the research, read thestudies, talk to people on bothsides and keep an openmind.When you’ve taken those firsttwo steps, you are ready to takeaction.Taking actionmeans takingcharge, finding your voice, hav-ing a clear message and speak-ing up at every opportunity.For me, being a sustainabilityleadermeans connecting withseed and food producers, speak-ing with governments, meetingwith educators, supporting localand organic markets and otherorganizations that care abouthow our food is produced fromseed to plate. It means educatingpeople about the impact thatevery purchase theymake canhave on the environment andthe future of our planet.Having the passion, com-mitment and courage to createchange, tomake a differencenomatter how difficult, is whattransforms us from a concernedperson into a sustainabilityleader.

IN HER OWN WORDS

THE GLOBE AND MAIL • FR IDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1 , 2014C 2 • AN INFORMATION FEATURE

Q&A

has a lasting impact,” says Ms.Speck, who adds that Moun-tain Equipment Co-op (MEC)is a good example of a com-pany that has realized a brandadvantage from its emphasison business practices that aregood for the planet.Before starting her consult-ing business, Ms. Speck servedas MEC’s head of sustainabilityfor six years. She explains thatthe 17-store chain, founded in1971 by a group of west coastmountaineers, has built trustand is recognized for its com-

firm commitment to sus-tainability practices canhelp to build brand au-

thenticity as well as ensure long-term business health, says EstherSpeck, a 2015 Clean16 honoureewho founded Vancouver-basedSpeck Consulting two years ago.She cautions that firms thatwant tomake a differencemust“integrate sustainability withintheir strategy and culture” andnot only create environmental“side projects.“This is important if you wanta strategy that drives value and

OUR PRODUCTS DEFINE WHAT WE DO.

OUR ACTIONS DEFINEWHO WE ARE.Sustainability is woven into the very fabric of our company,because people want more than just quality fromthe clothes they buy and love.

Our vertically integrated manufacturing - central to ourbusiness model - allows us to see the big picture, whilecaring for every detail of our operations. By pursuingcontinuous improvement and by investing in technologyand innovation, Gildan strives to be a world leader inthe apparel industry.

Along with our 43,000 dedicated employees worldwide,we remain committed to doing things the right way andearn all of our stakeholders’ trust every day.

www.genuinegildan.com

Gildan employees inthe Dominican Republic,October 2014

the®

leaders green index

“We started to change theperception that weeds on lawnswere a bad thing,” says Mr. Hicks.BJC has since focused on thereduction of waste, as well as wa-ter and energy consumption. Forinstance, low-flush toilets wereinstalled in several buildings,and clients are encouraged toembrace zero-waste programs.Dr. Vicky Sharpe, the foundingpresident and CEO of Sustain-able Development TechnologyCanada (SDTC) and one of only

four two-time Clean50 honou-rees, says the awards help bringtogether leaders across differentsectors who are committed togrowing sustainability.What she finds encouraging isthat there are 50 honourees eachyear.“That speaks to sustainability,that not one entity or organiza-tion can do this alone. This isabout powerful grassroots,” saysDr. Sharpe, who is now strategicadvisor to the board of directors

of SDTC. “One of the real valuesof the Clean50 activity is thatit brings together a diversity ofviewpoints and knowledge.”Dr. Sharpe believes Canadaranks well on the global stagewhen it comes to providingclean tech sustainability solu-tions.“We have some great compa-

nies with some great products;now we need more investmentfrom capital markets and greateruptake by industry.”

Clean50: Taking steps to address climate change

The business case for going green

Mr. Hicks oversees themanagement of over 134 mil-lion square feet of Canadianreal estate and engages clientsregularly on the issue of climatechange. He has helped to reduceBJC’s own greenhouse gas build-ing intensity by 16 per cent inthe past two years alone.Mr. Hicks says the first bigchange the company made,when he took on the role in2006, was to ban pesticide usesacross his client portfolio.

ustainability” hasbecome somewhat of abuzzword lately. But if it’s

done right – and integrated into acompany’s structure at every levelrather than viewed as an add-on– it can be powerful tool for gener-ating tangible results. A businessthat has an impressive trackrecord in sustainability initiativesis the Canadian National RailwayCompany (CN).“We believe sustainabilityneeds to be completely embeddedinto the corporate culture,” saysChantale Després, CN’s directorof sustainability. To that end, thetransportation firm launchedits EcoConnexions program in2011 with the goals of conserv-ing energy, reducing waste andimproving housekeeping at itsCN yards and offices across NorthAmerica. More than 7,000 ofits 24,000 railroader employeeshave attended corporate Eco-Connexions events that serve toengage them in environmentalaction and stewardship. CN hasalso trained 550 “EcoChampions”within its ranks to act as leaderson green initiatives. “EcoChampi-ons are the heart and soul of oursustainability program – they arethe natural leaders who can influ-ence large groups of people,” saysMs. Després.In addition to getting employ-ees on board, CN has also hadsuccess working with utility pro-viders to eliminate energy wasteand improve energy efficiency.

For example, by working with BCHydro, CN achieved a 20 per centreduction in energy consumptionat its Thornton Yard in Surrey, B.C.This represents an annual savingsof $182,000 and a reduction of3,000 tonnes of greenhouse gasemissions.“We scaled this program out toothermajor yards in the orga-nization, and this served as theblueprint for evenmore savings,”says Ms. Després.Another company that hasturned corporate social responsi-bility into a competitive advan-tage is Gildan Activewear.

A leading Canadian cloth-ingmanufacturer with facilitiesaround the world, Gildan ownsand operates large-scale, verticallyintegratedmanufacturing facili-ties and boasts 39,000 employeesworldwide who are collectivelycommitted to industry-leading la-bour and environmental practicesin all their facilities.“At Gildan, sustainability is akey component of our overallbusiness strategy; it is integratedinto virtually everything that wedo,” says Peter Iliopoulos, seniorvice president of public and cor-porate affairs.

The company began its sustain-ability journey in 2000, longbeforemost textile manufactur-ers. The results of its most recentwork speaks for itself, reducingwaste by 25 per cent and reduc-ing greenhouse gas emissions by32 per cent compared to the 2010baseline. Through transitioning tobiomass energy sources to operatetextile and hosiery facilities, 52 percent of Gildan’s 2013 total energyconsumption originated fromrenewable sources.In recognition of those out-standing achievements, Gildan’scorporate sustainability managerJulie Cournoyer was honouredwith a Clean50 award.Ms. Després, another Clean50honouree, believes reinvestingearnings from sustainabilityinitiatives can boost outcomes.Last year, CN created a $5-millionrevolving “EcoFund” to investsavings generated by its greenprogram into new capital projectsthat support employee ideas forenergy conservation and wastereduction.The success of CN’s EcoConnex-ions initiative proves that “what’sgood for the environment is goodfor business,” says Ms. Després.“Our wide-scale sustainabilityefforts not only build pride amongour employees, they’ve alsohelped with our recruiting andretention efforts. Being a sustain-able organization has helped usattract a whole new generation ofrailroaders.”

FROM PAGE C 1

Frances EdmondsDirector of EnvironmentalPrograms, HP

There is no recipe to becom-ing a sustainability leader – itis “experimental cooking.”But here are a few things I’velearned alongmy journey up“Mount Sustainability.”There’s only one way to getstarted – get started. Don’t waitfor someone to tell you it’s OK.While this is uncharted territoryfor many companies, there isopportunity to integrate sus-tainability measures in almostevery aspect of a business.On the other hand, don’tbecome paralyzed because youfeel you need to be amaster ofeverything. Make a commit-ment, set a goal, then come tothe table with an implemen-tation plan. Find the expertsyou need. Learn from themand collaborate with them. It’simportant to not reinvent thewheel (frankly, we don’t havetime). Share and leverage, butalways give credit. Rememberto do some reversementor-ing in addition to your usualmentoring – no one has all theanswers.I rarely turn down an offerto try something new – theseopportunities always pay back,often in unpredicted ways. Forexample, HP andWWF teamedup to create the Living Planet@Work program. The program,championed by HP, providesguidance and tools to drivesustainability practices at work.Some guest lecturing about theprogram resulted in an Iveycase study about the relation-ship between HP &WWF as abest practice example.Once you’ve started, remem-ber tomeasure your progress.

IN HER OWN WORDS

AN INFORMATION FEATURE • C 3THE GLOBE AND MAIL • FR IDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1 , 2014

CANADA’S CLEAN50

LEADERSHIP

The goals of CN’s EcoConnexions program include conserving energy,reducing waste and improving housekeeping at CN yards and officesacross North America. CN

To learn more about our environmental initiatives, visit edmonton.ca/thewaywegreen.

The City of Edmontonthinks that every cityshould be strivingfor environmentalsustainability andresiliency. It’s aboutleaving a better placefor future generations.

Edmonton now has:• the largest composting facility on the continent

and a Materials Recovery Facility that recycles40,000 tonnes of waste a year

• a new waste to biofuels facility that will enablean increase in diversion rate from 60 to 90% by 2016

• civic buildings that meet high energy conservation standards

• a world-class wastewater treatment plant that protectsthe ecological health of the North Saskatchewan River

• programs to double the size of the city’s urban forest

• initiatives to transform the city intoa bike-and walk-friendly place

• a long-term commitment to environmentallyfriendly public transit

• over 460 parks and a preserved 48-kilometer stretchof river valley right through the heart of the city

EDMONTON IS SERIOUSABOUT SUSTAINABILITY.

event bringing together morethan 400 real estate leaders todiscuss sustainability and inspirechange.Bullfrog CEO Peter Melansonsays that companies that signon with Bullfrog reduce theirenvironmental impact while con-tributing to a social good that willpositively benefit their commu-nities. They are also motivatedby a number of business con-siderations, such as marketingand brand-building initiatives,differentiation in the market andemployee engagement strategies.“Doing the right thing is alsogood for business,” he says,pointing out that Bullfrog cantailor a solution to an individualcompany and its needs.Having Brookfield as a channelpartner is especially helping tospread the word about greenpower to Brookfield’s own cus-tomers and extending its reachamong larger businesses, Mr.Melanson says. Staples, mean-while, is a small-business channel

“Canada is a contender in theglobal boom in solar electricity,”says John Gorman, president andCEO of the Canadian Solar Indus-tries Association (CanSIA).“The renewable energy marketis already overtaking the tradi-tional energy part, and solar willcontinue to be a big part of that,”says Mr. Gorman, recently namedone of Canada’s 2015 Clean50honourees.He says it’s now time forother provinces, with leadershipfrom the federal government,to introduce similar policies toencourage further growth in solarenergy.For example, Mr. Gormanwants Ottawa to offer the renew-able industry the same tax incen-tives provided to the conven-tional energy sector, such as oiland gas. Ottawa should also takea more market-based approach toexport opportunities for renew-ables and increase accessibilityto solar power for Aboriginalcommunities.These are some of the is-sues Mr. Gorman says will bediscussed at Solar Canada 2014,a major industry conferencehosted by CanSIA in TorontoDecember 8 to 9.

Building a clean energy community

Bright prospects for solar power

s a champion of clean en-ergy, Brookfield JohnsonControls Canada is green-

ing the energy used by three ofits offices across the countrythrough a deal with BullfrogPower, Canada’s leading greenenergy provider.Brookfield, which manages 134million square feet of commercialreal estate in Canada, is one ofmore than 1,200 businesses and10,000 homes that have signedup with Bullfrog, greening theenergy they use while supportingthe development of new renew-able energy projects. And in itsrole as a channel partner forBullfrog, the company is promot-ing green power among its manyclients, helping themmake theswitch to pollution-free energy inaddition to other efforts to bringabout a cleaner, healthier world.“Our vision is to be a rolemodel for sustainable operatingpractices for our industry,” saysBrookfield CEO Gordon Hicks,who hosts an annual industry

magine a day when thesun becomes the world’slargest source of electric-

ity, ahead of fossil fuels, wind,hydro and nuclear.It’s not that far off, accord-ing to the International EnergyAgency (IEA), which cites solaras the world’s fastest-growingrenewable power technology.The IEA forecasts that renewableenergy is expected to make upone-third of global electricityoutput by 2035 and that solarphotovoltaic (PV) systems couldgenerate up to 16 per cent of theworld’s electricity by 2050.Canada’s solar industry iscontributing to this global shift.Installed capacity for solar PVpower is expected to hit the2,000 megawatt (MW)mark in2014 and will approach 3,000MW by the end of 2015, makingCanada a leading jurisdiction forsolar energy.The growth, almost all ofwhich is in Ontario, has beendriven by investment-friendlyprovincial government policiesand the dramatic drop in theprice of solar technology, fromabout $4 per watt for a solarpanel in 2008 to around 69 centstoday.

partner, selling a Bullfrog pack-age to SME customers. “It’s away for us to reach thousands ofcompanies across Canada.”All of Bullfrog’s corporate cli-ents “become part of the Bullfrogcommunity,” Mr. Melanson says,for example participating inpanel discussions on sustainabil-ity and engaging with Bullfrog’sresidential customer base.“We have a lot more than avendor-client relationship,” hesays, adding that companies thatsign up with Bullfrog “join themovement of individuals andorganizations building a moresustainable Canada. We are inevery sense of the word a socialenterprise.”

Mr. Hicks says the part-nership between Brookfieldand Bullfrog has widespreadbenefits. These range fromimproving the health of thepopulation and reducing theenvironmental impact of thebuilding sector to helping newcommunity-based clean-energyproducers and encouraginga “fault-tolerant” distributedpower system.By supporting a green energyprovider such as Bullfrog, com-panies can help Canada becomea centre of expertise and excel-lence in clean energy globally,he adds, which can also be goodfor the country’s bottom line.“The future is in green power.”

RENEWABLES

“The renewable energymarket is alreadyovertaking the traditionalenergy part, and solar willcontinue to be a big part ofthat.”

John Gormanis president and CEO of the Cana-dian Solar Industries Association

“We are in every senseof the word a socialenterprise.”

Peter Melansonis CEO of Bullfrog Power

THE GLOBE AND MAIL • FR IDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1 , 2014C 4 • AN INFORMATION FEATURE

CANADA’S CLEAN50

PARTNERSHIPS

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Canada’s advancedbiofuels network

Join our growing network

Sustainable innovationTHROUGH TEAMWORK

info@biofuelnet.ca514-508-2884

www.biofuelnet.ca

Join the green-energy revolutiongreen-energy revolu-tion is underway thatmost people don’t even

know about,” says David Dodge,the producer of Green Energy Fu-tures (GEF), a multimedia projectthat travels across Canada tellingthe stories of Canadians engagedin the implementation of clean-energy solutions in their homes,businesses and communities.A former journalist, Mr. Dodgeis an enthusiastic champion ofnet-zero homes, which attemptto produce as much energy asthey consume. Sponsored bySuncor Energy Inc. and ShellCanada, GEF is based in Edmon-ton, which Mr. Dodge calls, “avirtual centre of net-zero energyin Canada.”He notes that Edmonton builtits first net-zero home in 2007,an undertaking that required ateam of 145 people from a myriadof disciplines, many of whomwere volunteers determined toprove that it could be done.By 2014, Mr. Dodge says, theprocess had been incrediblysimplified and much more af-fordable. “We have one Albertacompany, Landmark Group ofBuilders, that builds a thousand

homes a year and is aiming tohave all of them net-zero readyby 2015.”Many of the homes built byLandmark are already almostnet-zero – and delivered at virtu-ally the same cost as homes thatconsume much more energyright next door – an accomplish-ment driven by the vision of thecompany’s CEO Reza Nasseri,who received a Clean16 award in2013.If anyone wonders whetherhomes powered primarily bysolar energy can withstand therigours of a harsh Canadianwinter, Mr. Dodge points toEdmonton as proof. “We are themost northern large city in NorthAmerica,” he says. “If we can doit here, it can be done anywhere.”There are two main reasonswhy net-zero homes are becom-ing more prevalent: the employ-ment of air-source heat pumps,which transfer heat from theoutside to the inside of a build-ing and vice versa, depending onthe season, and the drop in costsfor solar energy, says Mr. Dodge.The green-energy revolutionis not confined to homebuilders,however.

The Cadillac Fairview Corpora-tion Limited, one of North Amer-ica’s largest developers, ownersand managers of commercial realestate (including Toronto’s EatonCentre), “has an extremely proac-tive energy-reduction approach,”says Karen Jalon, the company’sdirector of sustainability.The commercial landlord setsannual energy-reduction targetsfor its portfolio of 2.5 per cent,she says. As of its October 2014year end, “we achieved 5.7 percent in addition to our reductionof 16 per cent from 2008 to 2013.”A key component of CadillacFairview’s reduction initiativesis its collaborative engagementwith its sophisticated tenants, shesays. “They always say that build-ings don’t use energy; people do.We collaborate with our clientsto implement energy-reductionprograms that can be as simple asturning off your lights and com-puters at the end of the day.”Each of Cadillac Fairview’smanaged properties has a teamthat builds “a sustainabilityroadmap for the property thatdeals with how to improve the ef-ficiency of the building. We thenbring people together in differentroles to implement industry bestpractices,” Ms. Jalon says.As example of the latter, shesays, is that Cadillac Fairview’spremier office properties aim tomeet the LEED (Leadership in En-ergy and Environmental Design)standards.Both Mr. Dodge and Ms. Jalonpoint out that the green-energyrevolution is gaining acceptancenot just for altruistic reasons, butalso because it makes good busi-ness sense. “The cost of utilitiesis just escalating in Ontario,” Ms.Jalon says. “The beauty of sus-tainability is that it’s an excellentlong-term investment.”Mr. Dodge says that with theprice of solar now affordable,“farmers in southern Alberta –which was not always the warm-est place towards renewable en-ergy – are seeing that solar energycan deliver electricity for 30 years,protecting them from future costincreases. They’re realizing thatit’s a good investment.”

Shafraaz and Serena Kaba with their three-storey, near-net-zero home that is super energy efficient and tailor-made forthe climate of Edmonton, Canada’s most northerly big city. DAVID DODGE, GREEN ENERGY FUTURES

“The cost of utilities is justescalating in Ontario. Thebeauty of sustainability isthat it’s an excellent long-term investment.”

Karen Jalonis director of sustainability for TheCadillac Fairview CorporationLimited

AN INFORMATION FEATURE • C 5THE GLOBE AND MAIL • FR IDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1 , 2014

CANADA’S CLEAN50

COMMUNITIES

Merran SmithDirector, CLEAN ENERGYCANADA

Sustainability leaders are aunique breed. You can’t becomeone by completing a particu-lar degree, or by attending aretreat with the “right people.”Leaders inmy line of work riseto the top because they possesscertain characteristics: vision,openness and tenacity.Visionmeans knowing whereyou want to go. A visionaryleader does not only paint aninspiring picture of the future,but also possible paths to getthere. A leader “walks the talk”and takes steps tomake thatfuture tangible and acces-sible. Inmy field, that doesn’tnecessarily mean she’s bolt-ing solar panels to her roof ortrading in her gas-guzzler for anelectric vehicle (although thosethings impress me). Instead,shemakes decisions based onevidence and expert counsel,not ideology or dogma.Opennessmeans sustainabil-ity leaders spend a lot of timeoutside their comfort zone.With emotional intelligence,they are able to build bridgesbetween diverse interests. Theymake an extra effort to reachbeyond the “friendlies” andseek the views of those whodon’t agree with them, or evenactively oppose them.Finally, such leaders possessa combination of passion, inno-vation and grit – they keep at it.Trying to change the world is atough slog. Progress is typicallyglacial; there are few sweepingvictories, just a long series ofsmall engagements. But leaderssurround themselves with greatteammates, keep laughing andkeep at it without compromis-ing their values.

IN HER OWN WORDS

CLEAN50 RECOGNIZES LEADERS WHO HAVE MADE THE

GREATEST CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

OR CLEAN CAPITALISM IN CANADA.

* 54% OF THIS WAS ACHIEVED BY REDUCING PRODUCTIONTONNAGE, WHILE 46% WAS ACHIEVED BY REDUCING GHGINTENSITY OF THE EXISTING OPERATIONS.

65%REDUCTION IN ABSOLUTE GHG EMISSIONSBELOW 2000 LEVELS BY 2015.

OUR OBJECTIVE

• INDUSTRY-LEADING• EQUIVALENT OF TAKING 1.62 MILLIONCARS OFF THE ROAD

OF OUR GOAL COMPLETED*100%

2015

2000

RESOLUTE INVITES ALL BUSINESSES TO JOIN US IN DRAMATICALLYREDUCINGOURCOLLECTIVE CARBON FOOTPRINT.

RESOLUTEONENERGYANDCLIMATE

SOUND INVESTMENTSFROM 2011 TO 2013, RESOLUTE SAVED $60 MILLIONIN OUR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

A COAL-FREE FUTURE

IN 2015, RESOLUTE’S OPERATIONSWILL BE 100%COAL-FREE** EXCLUDING COAL USED IN BOILERS NOT OWNED BY RESOLUTE, I.E., ELECTRICITY PROVIDERS

CO2 O2DID YOU KNOW?

TOTAL ENERGY NEEDSFROM RENEWABLE SOURCES

FUEL ENERGY USAGEFROM BIOMASS

75%ALTERNATIVE SOURCES*

WE RECOVER THEIR ENERGYVALUE TO REDUCE CONSUMPTION

OF FOSSIL FUELS.71% 9%

ELECTRICITY WEPRODUCE OURSELVES

STEAM

RESOLUTE MILLS PRODUCE99% OF THEIR OWN STEAM.

ELECTRICAL POWERWE MAKE ELECTRICITY AT OUR

HYDROELECTRIC DAMS ANDCOGENERATION FACILITIES.

• INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGIES THAT ALLOW US TO REDUCEOUR SCOPE 2 GHG EMISSIONS

• INVESTING IN MORE CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS

• FURTHER ENHANCING EFFICIENCY AT OUR OPERATIONS

• TRACKING SCOPE 3 GHG EMISSIONS

WHAT’S NEXT?

SUSTAINABLY-SOURCED FOREST PRODUCTSACT AS AN ADDITIONAL GLOBAL CARBONRESERVOIR FOR MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE.THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN FOREST PRODUCTSARE USED INSTEAD OF MORE CARBON-COSTLYMATERIALS LIKE STEEL AND CEMENT.

OTHER SOURCES*

* ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY INCLUDE: METHANE FROM LANDFILLS; USED OILS; TIRE-DERIVED FUEL ANDWASTE PLASTICS; CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION DEBRIS; AND WOOD RESIDUALS RECLAIMED FROM LANDFILLS.

Fuelling Canada’s emerging bio-economyccording to Dr. DonaldSmith, one of Canada’sleading minds on the

subject of the bio-economy anda professor at McGill University,we are only scratching the surfacein terms of Canada’s potential tolead in the emerging global bio-economy.A Clean50 winner and theCEO and scientific director ofBioFuelNet Canada, Dr. Smithhas spent years mobilizing andconnecting Canadian researcherswith private industry, investorsand government bodies to shapea greener future. Collectively,their focus is to help get our

country on the fast track to inno-vation and pursue new strategiesto reduce dependency on non-renewable fossil fuels.“Sometime in this century,

we are just going to run out offossil fuels. The ramifications ofincreasing greenhouse gas emis-sions are alarming, so we mustthink long term,” says Dr. Smith.One key solution is biofuel.Solid, liquid or gas-based fuels– such as ethanol and biodieselthat can be produced fromrenewable biomass like corn,grass, forestry and agriculturalwaste and food waste – can pro-vide an alternative to fossil fuels

such as coal, petroleum andnatural gas.Blessed with a massive wealthof renewable natural resources,Canada is uniquely positionedto become a global leader inadvanced biofuels with the po-tential to generate thousands ofnew jobs and offer a long-termenergy solution.Dr. Smith sees a lot of inter-esting activity in the advancedbiofuel sector right now. “If wedo this correctly, our work willlead to significant reductions ingreenhouse gases while engag-ing industry and investors whosee the significant opportunitythis presents,” he says.Over the past 10 years, the U.S.and Canada have collectivelyinvested nearly $37-billion inthe biofuel, bio-energy and bio-products sector. In the last 18months, four large biofuel plantshave opened in the U.S. – a trendthat is sure to spur on similarfacilities across Canada.An example of how Canadianinnovation is making headlinescomes from Adam Noble, a20-year-old genius from Peter-borough, Ontario, who wasrecognized as the youngest everrecipient of the Clean50 awards.

Mr. Noble is the president,CEO and founder of Noble Puri-fication and Noble Reliance Inc.based at Trent University. Whilehe was still in high school, hespent two years researching withhis partner, Andressa Lacerda,trying to figure out how to pre-vent algae blooms in a nearbylake. Mr. Noble ultimately de-veloped a brilliant and lucrativesolution using a unique protist,euglena, that helps protect theenvironment, creates biofuelandmay potentially treat cancer.He has developed a patentedwastewater treatment filter withpotential applications for theoil sands, oil fracking, miningwaste and municipal wastewa-ter. A demonstration trial of histechnology, presently underwayin Peterborough, Ontario, isexpected to filter 100,000 litresof wastewater a day, eliminatelarge volumes of carbon dioxideand generate some 13,000kilograms of euglena filtrate forbiofuel.Better yet, Mr. Noble’s discov-ering of the cause of lake wateralgae blooms – called silvernanoparticles – are being stud-ied as a treatment for childhoodleukemia.

Research efforts at facilities like JML Lab are advancing Canada’s potentialfor the development of biofuels. SUPPLIED

can negatively affect returns oninvestments in fields like the autosector – that works in favour ofclean tech because “the industry issolving problems,” says Ms. Bak.A problem prompting a num-ber of recent innovations is theneed for energy storage.Solutions can be applicablefor projects of different scale, forexample data centres that needbackup or large utility companiesintegrating renewable energycomponents that comewith theneed for storage or “power condi-tioning” – increasing the qualityof the power so it can go into thegrid without causing problems,Ms. Bak explains.Technologies that are provid-ing answers – and that Canadiancompanies are active in advanc-ing – are lithium-ion batteries,hydrogen-based storage andflywheel energy storage systems.“Clean tech isn’t just a scienceproject,” Ms. Bak says. “This is anindustry that is verymuch alignedwith Canadian values.”The potential for innovation isimmense, says Ms. Bak, adding,“Themove to a less pollutingand lower carbon economy is notabout what we can’t do anymore.It’s about what we can do nowand the things we’ll be able to doin the future.”

Providing solutions with clean techhey come up with newideas that solve pollutionand efficiency problems

and generate revenues of $11.3-bil-lion annually, but Céline Bak,president of Analytica Advisors,believes this is just the beginningof an upward trajectory for Cana-da’s 800 clean tech companies.The sector’s growth is also re-flected in the number of employ-ees, which has increased to 41,000.“Plus the supply chains, we aretalking about a 200,000 personindustry,” she says, adding thatclean tech is also a field wheremany want to build careers – 20per cent of the workforce is madeup of the under-30 age group.Clean tech firms are part ofwhat Ms. Bak calls the “new realeconomy.” By launching the firstnational independent researchon the Canadian clean technol-ogy industry and global markets,Analytica Advisors promotesbetter understanding of the op-portunities. It also builds bridgesbetween investors, entrepreneursand government, aiming to createa $50-billion clean technologyindustry by 2020.The focus on sustainabilityboosts the sector’s strength as itmakes it less vulnerable tomarketwhims. One example is con-sumer perception – a factor that

GROWTH

“If we do this correctly,our work will lead tosignificant reductions ingreenhouse gases whileengaging industry andinvestors who see thesignificant opportunity thispresents.”

Dr. Donald Smithis a professor at McGill University

“Clean tech isn’t just ascience project. This is anindustry that is very muchaligned with Canadianvalues.”

Céline Bakis president of Analytica Advisors

THE GLOBE AND MAIL • FR IDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1 , 2014C 6 • AN INFORMATION FEATURE

CANADA’S CLEAN50

BIOFUEL

Clean tech innovations help tofacilitate the shift to a lower carboneconomy. ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Sustainabilityis good for business

guelph.ca/energy

Reliable and economical thermal energyservices demonstrates the City’s

continuing commitment to supportingthe success of local business.

Ernie Sweeney, President and CEO,Würth Canada

Guelph offers competitiveadvantage in a changing market.

™

CADILLAC FAIRVIEW CORPORATION IS PROUD TO HAVE WONTWO SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS.

We are honoured that our GREEN AT WORK™ program has been recognized by Clean50 and Top15.

htttp://cadillacfairview.com/sustainability

TO BE A LEADER IN

SUSTAINABILITYTAKES TEAMWORK.

IT ALSO TAKESSOME REALLY GREAT

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Responsible resource management andawareness key to resiliency

n the global scale, Canadais blessed with one ofthe richest reserves of

extractable energy and is thefifth largest food exporter. It alsopossesses upwards of 20 per centof the world’s fresh water. Thiswealth of resources – in a countryof only 35 million – might be theenvy of other nations, but alsocomes with responsibility, saysJon Fennell, vice president ofgeosciences and water security atIntegrated Sustainability Consul-tants Ltd.Dr. Fennell believes that whilea lot of the discussion has fo-cused on greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions, more awareness andmaturity is needed on how cli-mate change will affect Canada’senergy, food and water security.“Understanding the criti-cal importance of water to thecontinued delivery of energy andfood is the lynch-pin,” he says.“Environment Canada indicatesthat approximately 60 per cent ofCanada’s GDP is directly connect-ed to water. Those sectors relianton water of sufficient volume andquality – when and where theyneed it – should prepare them-selves.”Since water use varies acrossthe sectors – and is not necessar-ily proportional to their contri-butions to the GDP – Dr. Fennelladvocates for more transparency.A company that is lookingclosely at its “water footprint” isResolute Forest Products, saysSeth Kursman, Resolute’s vicepresident, corporate commu-nications, sustainability andgovernment affairs. The desire toactively seek out and implementenvironmentally sound solutions– especially in light of the water-intensive nature of the paper-making process – has promptedResolute’s participation in theCarbon Disclosure Project’s WaterDisclosure program that aims tomeasure and improve water use.Mr. Kursman explains that wa-ter conservation is not the onlyarea in which Resolute is makinga difference.

At first, the shift to sustain-able practices happened organi-cally, but it was the leadership ofRichard Garneau, Resolute’s CEOsince 2010, that took it to the nextlevel, says Mr. Kursman. “Richardmade it clear that he wanted todifferentiate the company withinthe business community andwithin the paper and forest prod-ucts industry.”The accomplishments thatearned Mr. Garneau his 2015Clean50 award include that 100per cent of Resolute’s managedwoodlands meet one or moreof the three internationallyrecognized sustainable forestmanagement standards. And thecompany meets 71 per cent of itstotal energy needs from renew-able sources and derives 75 percent of fuel energy usage frombiomass.“We’ve also made some of themost aggressive GHG reduc-tion commitments by globalstandards,” says Mr. Kursman,

explaining that the companypledged to reduce absolute GHGemissions by 65 per cent by2015, compared to 2000 levels –amounting to the equivalent oftaking 1.62 million cars off theroad. “And we’ve achieved thattarget two years ahead of sched-ule,” he adds.Resolute has also introduced– and developed – a brand ofeco-friendly papers that requireup to 50 per cent less wood fibreand have a carbon footprint upto 85 per cent lower than theaverage competing product.While some changes requiredsignificant investments, therewards don’t stop at environ-mental benefits – conserva-tion efforts have also reducedthe company’s energy bill andearned the loyalty of employees,says Mr. Kursman.Speaking about the three pil-lars of sustainability – economic,social and environmental – Mr.Kursman says, “I challenge theold paradigm that improvementin one area must come at theexpense of another. All three areinextricably linked together, andmutual benefit and balance is atthe heart of what a sustainableapproach is all about.”While Dr. Fennell sees a grow-ing awareness in the naturalresource sector regarding sus-tainability and the importanceof water to Canada’s future, hebelieves that this needs to trickledown to consumers so that theycan make informed decisions.“Climate change will createstress on existing societal struc-tures given its influence on grossdomestic product (GDP) andcosts related to extreme weatherevents,” he says.“Our resiliency will depend onthe level of understanding andmaturity Canadians have regard-ing the connection betweenenergy, food, water and climatechange,” Dr. Fennell explains.“We need to be informed andask our government officials toenact laws and policies that willsecure our nation’s future.”

Canada’s wealth of resources comes with a responsibility, says Jon Fennell,vice president of geosciences and water security at Integrated SustainabilityConsultants Ltd., who advocates for greater awareness about the connectionbetween energy, food, water and climate change. SUPPLIED

“Our resiliency willdepend on the levelof understanding andmaturity Canadianshave regarding theconnection betweenenergy, food, waterand climate change.”

Jon Fennellis vice president of geosciencesand water security at IntegratedSustainability Consultants Ltd.

AN INFORMATION FEATURE • C 7THE GLOBE AND MAIL • FR IDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1 , 2014

CANADA’S CLEAN50

STEWARDSHIP

Mike MorriceExecutive Director, SustainabilityCoLab

As in other fields, it takes amixof factors to become a sustain-ability leader: some of whichwe can fully control, some weonly partially control, and somewe don’t control at all.Of those we can control,passion is the classic example:we can each choose to lead ina field we’re deeply passionateabout. And it’s this passion –the kind that can’t be faked –that captures others’ attentionand is worthy of following.Of those we can only some-what control, these are traitsthat are difficult to be taught.Like an ability to get othersexcited about a vision. Knowingwhom to hire. Keeping a groupof people focused on a commongoal. These can be learned overtime, though.Lastly, those factors we can’tcontrol at all, like luck – theright timing, connection, con-versation. The synchronicity oflife. And there’s privilege, forexample related to gender, up-bringing and race, which loadsthe dice unfairly. And namingthis privilege is part of what ittakes to be a leader, as we alljoin in levelling the playingfield in Canada.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

“...it’s this passion – thekind that can’t be faked– that captures others’attention and is worthyof following.”

TogetherWe deliver responsibly

www.cn.caSustainable transportation solutions

Measures to reduce – and prepare for – climate changeare adding up

s the world’s climate ischanging, momentoussustainability efforts are

underway across Canada to notonly reduce our society’s carbonfootprint, but alsomake our com-munities more resilient.Green initiatives send the mes-sage that a “company has a roleto play in climate change,” saysKaren Mulchinock, senior manag-er of corporate social responsibil-ity at Scotiabank, which launchedits online Scotiabank EcoLivingprogram four years ago. The web-site (ecoliving.scotiabank.com),which has 30,000 unique visitorseverymonth, provides informa-tion on how to improve residen-tial energy efficiency and includesa calculator that makes recom-mendations on how to reducehome operating costs – fromsmall changes such as installinglow-flow toilets tomajor renova-tions such as insulating an attic.The bank is currently redesigningthe Scotiabank EcoLiving website,scheduled for launch inMarch2015, and is partnering with Cana-dian Tire to provide how-to videosand product recommendationsfor green home projects.The Scotiabank EcoLivingAwards, which generate publicinterest in residential energy ef-ficiency, offer a combined $75,000annually to recognize businesses,entrepreneurs and studentswho are advancing business andresidential energy innovation. “Wewant our Scotiabank EcoLivingwebsite to be a comprehensiveresource that raises awareness ofthe benefits of energy efficiencyand sustainable practices, influ-

ences behaviour by enablingCanadians to savemoney by sav-ing energy and reward individualsand companies for their uniqueenergy efficiency ideas,” says Ms.Mulchinock.On a community level, thecity of Guelph has earned widerecognition for implementing sus-tainability measures. It launchedits award-winning CommunityEnergy Initiative eight years ago,and the achievements of themid-size city of 120,000 speak forthemselves: a 10 to 15 per cent re-duction in per capita greenhousegas (GHG) emissions and energyuse, water conservation effortsthat have resulted in residentsusing 20 per cent less water thanthe average Ontarian and nearly70 per cent of solid waste diverted

from landfills, the highest rate inOntario.“These reductions point tomillions of dollars that could po-tentially stay in the local economyrather than leave the communityto pay for infrastructure,” says RobKerr, Guelph’s corporatemanagerof community energy.Within the next couple ofdecades, the city aims to reduceits energy use by 50 per cent andGHG emissions by 60 per cent.Perhapsmost ambitious of all, itplans to build North America’sfirst city-wide district energy net-work, an underground connectionof pipes installed alongside water,electricity and other utilities,which will replace the need for in-dividual furnaces, air conditioningunits and water heaters – resulting

inmassive savings in fuel, equip-ment andmaintenance costs andamuch smaller environmentalfootprint. Mr. Kerr adds that theCorporation of the City of Guelphsaved approximately $300,000in energy costs on its last budgetthat totalled $8-million a year.The city’s focus on sustainabil-ity is not just “a one-time projector an altruistic contributionto global issues,” says Mr. Kerr.Rather, it’s intended to stimulatethe local economy by attractinglike-minded companies – suchas Canadian Solar Solutions, oneof the world’s largest solar panelmanufacturers, which is based inGuelph – and help both the cityand its residents realize savings.As leader of Canadian UrbanDevelopment & Infrastructureand Global Sustainable Cities atGolder Associates, and a Clean502014 honouree, Jeanette South-wood believes that addressing en-vironmental concerns is only partof creating resiliency – economicand social considerations are alsoimportant.With Golder teams supportingrevitalization and resilience for

public- and private-sector clientsacross the world, Ms. Southwoodnoted the work of the Federationof Canadian Municipalities andthe Canada Mortgage and Hous-ing Corporation, among others,in identifying commonalities insustainable communities.“One is land use mix on a hu-man scale – residential, commer-cial, institutional, recreational,industrial – and good transporta-tion options, including healthyalternatives, to reduce fossil fueluse,” she says. “Another is ef-ficient use of resources, includingwaste.”In addition to energy-efficientbuildings, Ms. Southwood ad-vocates minimizing the use anddisposal of water and reducingimpacts on watersheds. “We alsowant buildings that are resilientin terms of ability to withstandclimate vulnerabilities,” she adds.In a recent study, Golderlooked at Ontario buildings andassigned vulnerability scores. Thefindings underscore the need tobe prepared and draw on bestpractices to make Canadian com-munities more resilient.

RESILIENCY

per cent of the content – Ontario’sbattery recycling regulationsrequire that at least 80 per cent ofthematerial is returned as reus-able commodities.At RMC’s facility in Port Col-borne, Ontario – where all single-use batteries collected in the prov-ince are processed – a patentedmechanical system separates thesteel, plastic and paper casingsfrom the batteries’ contents.Steel is recycled into steel; thenon-recyclable paper and plasticportion goes to an energy-from-waste facility – the only part ofthe battery that is not “up-cycled,”says Mr. Ewles, adding that theenergy created by the conversionoffsets up to 80 per cent of theenergy consumed by the entireRMC process.The contents of the batteries – amix of zinc, manganese, potas-sium and carbon compounds– are then blended to a specifica-tion required bymanufacturers ofagricultural micro-nutrients.“A total of about 92 per cent ofeach battery by weight is recycledinto ‘technical nutrients’ formanufacturing new products and‘biological nutrients’ that increasecrop yields in a process that gener-ates very few greenhouse gases,”says Mr. Ewles.Mr. Ewles sees combininghigher battery collection rateswith an effective recycling processas a way of “closing the loop.“One day, the spent AAA batter-ies in your remote control will notbe a waste but a fully recoveredresource,” he predicts.

Closing the loop onspent batteries

n 2015, Canadians will buyand discard over 745mil-lion single-use AAA, AA,

C, D and nine-volt batteries thatcontain, in total, almost 20,000tonnes of recyclablematerials,such as steel, zinc, manganese andpotassium.What happens to those bat-teries after they’re depleted? InCanada, much depends on wherethey’re sold, says James Ewles,president of RawMaterials Com-pany (RMC).“Despite many efforts, nationalbattery collection and recyclingrates remain low,” says Mr. Ewles,explaining that less than 15 percent of single-use batteries sold inCanada are recovered for recy-cling, and of those, many areman-aged in a way wheremuch of thevalue of thematerial is lost.He believes the poor perfor-mance partly stems from thepassive collection system – whereconsumers drop off batteries atretail locations – that most Cana-dian battery stewardship effortsrely on.Ontario has taken a differentapproach with the Battery Incen-tive Program (BIP), which rewardscompanies that collect and recyclesingle-use batteries.“As a result, 3,500 battery col-lection points across the provincehave been established, and somemunicipalities have curbside col-lection,” Mr. Ewles says.Rather than shipping batteriesto smelting operations designedto process non-batterymaterials –that typically recover less than 40

RECYCLING

Workers install pipes at Guelph’s Sleeman Centre, which will be part ofNorth America’s first city-wide district energy network. In addition tobringing massive savings in fuel, equipment and maintenance costs, thisinitiative will lead to a much smaller environmental footprint. SUPPLIED

By thenumbers

Over the pasttwo years,Clean50 hon-ourees’ initia-tives achieved:

6.5millionlitres of spentchemicalsrecycled

7.5millionlitres of usedoil recycled

1.1milliontonnes ofrecycled paperused

128,000tonnes ofpaper saved

THE GLOBE AND MAIL • FR IDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1 , 2014C 8 • AN INFORMATION FEATURE

CANADA’S CLEAN50

IntegratedSustainability.ca

Our passion is waterOur project solutions are courageous

Honouring Canada’s Clean50 champions and their achievements

WadeBarnesPresident and CEO,Farmers Edge PrecisionConsulting Inc.

ToddMelendyVice President,Sustainability andCompliance, Celestica

JoeMirandaCEO, CanadaFibers Ltd.

ArtSterrittExecutive Director,Great Bear Initiative

BruceTaylorP.Eng., President,Enviro-Stewards Inc.

HowardChangCEO, Top DrawerCreative

Wade pioneered the commercial application of VariableRate Technology (VRT) that improves fertilizer useefficiency and positively impacts air, water and soilquality while maintaining high yields and improving netreturns. To date, Farmers Edge’s achievements amountto an estimated net reduction of 75,000 tonnes of CO2emissions.

Under Todd’s leadership, sustainability is quicklybecoming an integral part of Celestica’s businessmodel. With a passion for strong corporate citizenship,employees are becoming highly engaged in innovativecarbon footprint and waste reduction initiatives, as wellas community giving activities such as the donation ofsolar panels to a hospital in Haiti.

Joe and his team built the largest material recyclingfacility in North America, creating 250 new jobs.Sorting dry commercial/industrial and municipalwaste, the 27-acre, 420,000-square-foot facility diverts700 million pounds from landfill each year with thegoal to become fully integrated and recover 97 percent of all incoming materials.

Protecting our coast. Building our economy. Clean en-ergy is the foundation for a sustainable coastal economy.Great Bear’s carbon credit project and aquaculturebusinesses provide income and economic renewal tolocal communities while conserving the largest temper-ate rainforest in the world. Great Bear expects the LNGindustry to do its part too, and use clean energy.

Bruce founded Enviro-Stewards, an engineering firmand Certified B Corporation that helps clients increasetheir profits, sustain the environment and compellinglybenefit society. These measures average 100 per centreturn on investment. In 2014, Enviro-Stewards wasrecognized by B lab as one of the “best companies forthe world” due to its overall impact.

A champion of the clean tech sector for 13 years, Tonyshapes BDC Capital’s investment direction. He over-sees the $152-million Clean and Energy TechnologyVenture Fund (ICE). Since 2012 alone, ICE has investedor reserved over $70-million in 18 transactions in 14technology companies that employ over 700 employ-ees and generate revenues of $100-million.

A commitment to 100 per cent green energy. A paid bike-to-work program. A client roster strong in social cause,health, nutrition, green energy, adventure sports, fitnessand active lifestyle categories. All these factors led toHoward’s Clean50 recognition, and to Top Drawer Creativebecoming the first Canadian full-service advertising agencyto be certified as a B Corporation earlier this year.

Working with Great Clientsfor Continued Success

Golder Associates congratulates all of ourclients recognised as Clean50 honourees.

With over 50 years of experience, Golderprovides a wide range of independentconsulting, design and construction servicesaround the world in our specialist areas ofearth, environment and energy.

Engineering Earth’s Development,Preserving Earth’s Integrity.

solutions@golder.comwww.golder.com

TonyVan BommelSenior ManagingPartner, BDC Capital