Category: Sustainability

ACCIONA Canada took to the skies to celebrate 20 years of sustainable infrastructure construction in Canada. 

The company partnered with reforestation startup Flash Forest to plant 20,000 trees in B.C. using drones.

Planting from above

By leveraging drone, AI, GIS, and plant science technology, Flash Forest planted Douglas-fir, Hybrid Spruce, Western Larch and Lodgepole Pine in natural disaster-affected areas of the province.

“Having a direct positive impact on the environment we are building within is part and parcel with our Sustainability Master Plan 2025 (SMP 2025),” said Caroline Miwa, director of quality, health and safety, environmental and sustainability for ACCIONA North America. “ACCIONA is building some of B.C.’s largest transportation and clean energy projects, and so the project with Flash Forest in B.C. was intentional and meaningful.” 

ACCIONA has published a five-year SMP since 2010, and it continues its roadmap for every business action worldwide.

“Our sustainability strategy has evolved and strengthened with each edition of the SMP,” said Miwa. “The 2015 edition was focused on measuring key performance Indicators, 2020 aimed to integrate and engage all stakeholders to align our sustainability approach, and 2025 goes a step further to not only minimize our footprint, but to make a positive impact.”

Miwa noted that “Planet Positive” is one of the four pillars underpinning SMP 2025 and supporting the regeneration of impacted forests in B.C. contributes to its global organizational goal of planting and monitoring the growth of one million trees within five years.

She also reflected on the ACCIONA’S long history of infrastructure. 

20 years building Canadian infrastructure

“ACCIONA Infrastructure entered the Canadian market 20 years ago with one of the country’s most iconic hydraulic projects to-date, the Deep Lake Water Cooling System in Toronto,” she said. “The system draws cold water from the bed of Lake Ontario and uses it to cool downtown Toronto office towers – a sustainable alternative to conventional air cooling. The system is still in use today.”

Miwa said that since the start of the 2000s, ACCIONA has continued to deliver sustainable infrastructure solutions that have a positive impact on the community and environment, from the Saint John Safe Clean Drinking Water Project in New Brunswick which supplies 75 million liters of safe drinking water to the community every day, to the award-winning Royal Jubilee Hospital Patient Care Centre in Victoria, B.C., to the Broadway Subway Project currently under construction in Vancouver that will take cars off the road and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

More than building projects

She added that ACCIONA’s sustainability efforts aren’t just limited to projects. 

“It is important to remember that sustainability also encompasses community engagement,” said Miwa. “The ACCIONA joint venture delivering the Site C Clean Energy Project in Fort St. John, B.C. founded a Community Investment Program in 2016 that has since donated $375,000 to the North Peace Community Foundation in support of local charities. What’s more, 100 per cent of the donation was generated by our onsite recycling program.”

Miwa added that for ACCIONA, sustainability also means diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

“‘People Centric’ is another pillar of our SMP 2025, under which ACCIONA aims to increase the percentage of women in middle and senior management positions every year – across all business lines globally,” she said. “In Canada, we are continuously improving the percentage of women in these positions and are proud that women make up almost 30 per cent of the North America leadership team.”

She added that safe, clean water has also been a major focus of ACCIONA’s efforts. 

On one of its major transportation projects in B.C., tunnel water treatment plants are operated onsite to treat water resulting from tunnelling activities. Treated water is then discharged into sanitary sewage according to the specifications of the city of Vancouver.

Assisted by technology

Advances in technology are helping ACCIONA’s work on the “People Centric” pillar of the SMP 2025 by creating safer job sites and decreasing harmful emissions. They are using drones on site to assist with survey works, which eliminates hazards that our team might otherwise be exposed to. The company is working to electrify its fleet and is even investigating the use of hydro-treated vegetable oil bio-fuel across its operations.

Miwa explained that sustainability should be a concern for everyone in the industry. 

“It is well known that the construction industry is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions,” she said. “As contractors, we are in a unique position to educate and influence sustainable decision-making both upstream to clients and peak bodies, and downstream to the supply chain. The industry – at every level – needs to move faster to execute infrastructure that will help restore social and environmental balance and regenerate the planet.”

Key Takeaways:

• Researchers in Toronto will test the viability of various methods of trapping CO2 in concrete.
• It is a collaboration between University of Toronto and the Canada Green Building Council.
• Officials say the collaboration will make it easier for research findings to get translated into industry, as well as into new policies and regulations.

The Whole Story:

Where do you put carbon once you capture it? 

Researchers in Toronto are investigating the potential of burying it into one of the world’s most common products: concrete. 

The work is a collaboration between a team of researchers led by Daman Panesar, a professor in the University of Toronto’s department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, and the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC). The team will identify the potential and implications of low-carbon approaches and technologies and how they might capture large amounts of CO2 and trap it in concrete.

The project is funded by a $1.7 million contribution by the Government of Canada.

“Currently, several low-carbon concrete framework documents have been produced worldwide and most of these roadmaps have set 2050 carbon reduction targets related to several levers, such as clinker-cement ratio, alternative fuel use and carbon capture, storage and sequestration,” said Panesar.

The researchers noted that while there has been preliminary work on several carbon utilization approaches, few have been implemented on a large scale. Panesar and her team will examine the challenges associated with scale-up of these strategies and explore new technologies that can effectively turn built infrastructure into a carbon sink.

“Natural carbonation of concrete occurs by a chemical reaction between the constituents of concrete, particularly cement, and atmospheric carbon dioxide – and it has the potential to occur throughout the life of the concrete,” said Panesar. “However, accelerated or enforced carbonation approaches are relatively new technologies, which can also be referred to as carbon capture and utilization technologies, and can be introduced at different life stages such as during manufacture or at end-of-life.”

Some examples of processes that will be explored and assessed include: 

• CO2 injection
• Elevated CO2 exposure
• Mineral carbonation using recycled or waste CO2
• Industry by-products used to replace cement and subsequent CO2 curing
• Synthetic treated aggregates

“All of these techniques need further understanding of the implications and potential for negative emission technologies such as carbon capture utilization approaches,” Panesar says.

The researchers explained that another challenge for both new and existing structures is ensuring that any change to the formulations of concrete – for example, using lower-carbon components or absorbing more CO2 during curing – doesn’t come at the expense of its required structural and material design properties, including strength and durability.

“For example, considering natural carbonation processes, the mechanism related to the potential for increased vulnerability of reinforced concrete elements to steel corrosion, concrete degradation and shortened service lives is fairly well understood.” said Panesar.

“For existing infrastructure, the situation becomes more complex because there is a need to account for and interpret the role of age-related cracking on the CO2 uptake of concrete, as well as in conjunction with other predominant degradation issues in Canada, such as freeze-thaw cycles.”

Finally, researchers stressed that there is a need to develop benchmarks and other standardized tools to accurately account for the carbon uptake in building materials.

“Currently, there is no harmonized measure of concrete carbonation and the differences in measurements and reporting add an extra dimension of complexity when trying to compare between different concrete formulations and/or CO2 uptake technologies,” said Panesar.

“Carbon accounting is critical to enable us to determine the relative environmental impacts of the various approaches and to be able to estimate or forecast the impacts of deploying these new technologies in the coming decades.”

Officials noted that one major benefit of the research collaboration is that it provides a built-in pathway for new research findings to get translated into industry, as well as into new policies and regulations.

“As the national organization representing members and stakeholders across the green building spectrum, CAGBC can access industry expertise to help advance research and mobilize the sector to implement market solutions,” says Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council.

Key Takeaways:

• PCL Solar will be responsible for estimating, design, performance analytics, solar-specific technology, project execution and in-house commissioning.
• The operation will be led by Andrew Moles.
• The solar team’s new work attainment was $1.1 billion in 2021 alone.

The Whole Story:

PCL Construction’s solar business is rising. 

The company announced the formation of PCL Solar, which is based in Toronto with satellite offices in strategic centers across the United States and Australia. They believe it will deliver an even wider array of renewable energy projects as demand increases.

“The demand for high-performing solar facilities will only increase in the coming years as the world transitions away from carbon-producing forms of energy generation,” said Andrew Moles, general manager of solar for PCL Construction. “PCL has risen to the challenge by assembling an outstanding renewable energy team ready to meet the needs of this ever-growing market.” 

In five years, PCL’s solar team has completed a number of large projects, including Travers Solar, which will be the largest solar project in Canada, the Gunnedah Solar project in New South Wales, Australia, and U.S. projects in Texas, Oregon, Georgia, Colorado, Tennessee and beyond. The solar team’s new work attainment was $1.1 billion in 2021 alone.

PCL said it anticipates significant opportunities for continued growth in 2023 and beyond. 

Andrew Moles will lead the Solar operation as general manager. Andrew began his career at PCL in 2007 and started working on solar projects in 2009. Since then, he has led solar expansion efforts across North America and Australia. He has served as a board member on the Canadian Solar Industries Association and as a board member and Vice-Chair of the Utility-Scale Solar Division of the US Solar Energy Industries Association. He is recognized by the Canadian Construction Association as a Gold Seal Certified Project Manager and is a LEED accredited professional.

The operation will be responsible for estimating, design, performance analytics, solar-specific technology, project execution and in-house commissioning.

Key Takeaways:

• The company will access the vehicle’s performance in Squamish, B.C.
• It is part of GFL’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its fleet.
• The company has already switched 15 per cent of its fleet over to cleaner fuels.

The Whole Story

GFL Environmental, a North American environmental services company, has introduced its first first fully electric automated side loader (ASL) truck, in B.C.

The vehicle has already been on a long journey. Its chassis was built at Mack Trucks in Pennsylvania; its body was mounted at Labrie Automizer in Quebec; and from there it attended Waste Expo in Las Vegas. Now, the truck has moved to its new permanent home in Squamish.

The company explained that Squamish is a perfect place for GFL to introduce an electric truck. The district of Squamish declared a climate emergency in 2019 and is actively working towards creating a low-carbon future. Decarbonizing transportation is one strategy being adopted to reduce emissions.

“Environmentalism is appreciated in the natural beauty of Squamish and the District of Squamish has been quite vocal on electrical adoption,” said Tyler Stefure, GFL’s fleet director for Western Canada. “They have expressed interest in seeing what a private hauler can do. I think this truck will get a lot of attention for us in Squamish.”

The new truck operates with a near-silent powertrain, providing quiet service to the residents on its route. The truck produces no exhaust emissions and requires no oil changes. It will be charged overnight so it’s ready to tackle its route the next day.

Denise Imbeau, general manager of GFL’s Squamish facility, added that the area is a huge draw for outdoor enthusiasts, including skiers, mountain climbers, mountain bikers and windsurfers.

“Our community is very eco-minded, innovative and forward thinking,” Imbeau said. “Investment in electric technology aligns with the values of this community and demonstrates the commitment GFL has to our community and our planet.”

GFL stated that one of its key sustainability objectives is to continue to reduce GHG emissions from operations and increase the use of alternative and low-carbon fuels in its fleet. The company has already switched 15 per cent its collection fleet over to compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel.

“The electric truck is intended to do everything that its gas and diesel counterparts can do,” Stefure said. “Obviously, battery life is influential so as time goes on, we’ll really put it through its paces and see how it does.”

GFL’s plan is to first learn how to safely operate and care for the truck, then to test it in a variety of situations to figure out what limitations, if any, need to be considered.

“There’s a lot of speculation on what the truck should do. The proof is in what it can do, and that’s why BC is such a great proving ground for us,” Stefure said. “It offers different climates and different terrains, so we can run the truck in Squamish and maybe run it in the Lower Mainland or someplace really cold, just to find out how it performs.”

Canada has announced its first National Adaptation Strategy which establishes a common direction for preparing for climate change events.

“Canadians in every region of the country are already feeling the effects of climate change, and the costs of these impacts are projected to rise to $25 billion by 2025 and to the range of $100 billion annually by 2050,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of natural resources. “Inaction is not an option. Through the National Adaptation Strategy, we will advance key resilience and adaptation measures to mitigate these changes, preserve livelihoods and protect our communities and the critical infrastructure we depend on. The result will be a stronger, safer and more prosperous place to call home.”

The strategy focuses on five key systems:

• Disaster resilience
• Health and well-being 
• Nature and biodiversity 
• Infrastructure 
• Economy and workers.

Officials noted that climate change is warming southern Canada at twice the global average and approximately three times as quickly in the North.

The strategy was announced this month by Bill Blair, president of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and minister of emergency preparedness. Blair also unveiled the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan, which sets out the federal role in preparing Canadians for climate hazards and outlines specific investments, programs and initiatives that are making Canada more resilient to climate impacts. Blair announced over $1.6 billion in new federal spending to support climate adaptation.

If action isn’t taken, it’s going to cost Canadians. The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that by 2025 Canada will experience annual losses of $25 billion as a result of climate change. This is equal to 50 per cent of projected 2025 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.

Resilient Infrastructure

Some of the infrastructure-related actions being taken in the plan include:

• Delivering the national Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to mitigate current and future climate-related disasters and the Natural Infrastructure Fund to support nature-based climate solutions.  
• Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure by topping up the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund by up to $489 million over 10 years.
•  Spending up to $60 million over five years to accelerate the use of climate-informed codes, standards and guidelines for resilient infrastructure in Canada.  
• Investing up to $95 million over five years to deliver climate toolkits and services that increase the uptake of climate resilient practices and investments in communities.

The strategy is now open to the provinces, territories and National Indigenous Organizations for a final 90 days of engagement on the strategy’s common goals and specific measurable targets and objectives. Officials said that the strategy is a result of extensive engagement since 2021 and presents a shared vision for climate resilience in the country and a framework to measure progress nationally.

Investing now to save later

Making adaptation investments now will have major economy-wide benefits later. Federal officials noted that expert research suggests that every dollar invested in prevention and preparation can save up to 15 dollars in costs. 

Researchers found that implementing new flooding and wildfire guidelines and standards for new construction could save Canada an estimated $4.7 billion a year — saving nearly $12 per $1 invested. They also discovered that climate-resilient building codes implemented in Canada have an estimated benefit–cost ratio of 12:1 — equivalent to a 1,100 percent return on investment.

Key Takeaways:

• Collaboration between government and industry will be key to hitting targets.
• Huge progress can be made right now without waiting for future technological advancements.
• An action plan is expected to be released in the coming months.

The Whole Story:

The most-used construction material on the planet is on a mission to decarbonize and Canada wants to do its part. 

This fall the Cement Association of Canada took its first major step after years of coordination and planning with the federal government and industry stakeholders by releasing the Roadmap to Net-Zero Carbon Concrete by 2050.

The document provides guidance on the technologies, tools and policies needed for the Canadian cement industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions while ensuring it remains competitive in a global net zero economy.

It can’t be done alone

The roadmap was spearheaded by a joint government-industry working group, co-led by the Cement Association of Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. The working group includes key players from the federal government, the Canadian cement and concrete industry, and relevant environmental experts.

The team effort was indicative of what will be needed in the coming decades to achieve the net-zero goal. 

“One of the common themes of the roadmap and really any part of our journey is it’s something we can’t do alone,” said Adam Auer, president and CEO of the Cement Association of Canada. “There’s no possibility to achieve this without the collaboration of government and different folks in the construction value chain and ultimately technology providers.”  

He noted that the industry has been working on decarbonization since the 1990s and that Canada’s effort is just one piece of an entire global effort. Last year, dozens of members of the Global Cement and Concrete Association announced their roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

According to the Canadian roadmap, decarbonization pathways for the cement industry include low carbon fuels, performance-based codes, standards and procurement policies, material efficiency, and carbon capture (CCUS). With approximately 60 percent of cement emissions resulting from industrial processes in the manufacturing of clinker (the key ingredient in cement), clean technologies like CCUS are needed for the industry to meet net-zero emissions.

Government key to early work

Auer noted that while the decades-long effort will involve many different stakeholders, much of the early work lies with the government. 

“Things are starting to change with progressive developers but all three levels of government in Canada purchase about 40 per cent of the concrete the country uses. They have an opportunity to be a market maker for innovation and it’s a big focus of our work,” said Auer. 

The association believes the government and its various agencies could help incentivize and streamline innovation. 

The association is currently working with François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, to foster innovation through procurement, derisk low-carbon ideas and find the pinch points that are hindering decarbonization. 

A good example of this was the Department of Finance’s Fall Economic Statement which helped close the gap with the Inflation Reduction Act thereby ensuring Canada remains a first choice for the trillions in private capital waiting to be invested in clean technologies around the world. The association believes the financial incentives and tools put forward in the FES will help Canada’s industrial sectors thrive in a competitive global green economy.

Auer noted that the collaborative attitude from government and industry bodes well for the net-zero goal. 

“It’s very encouraging. This has been a bit of a missing ingredient up till now. I think a lot of folks in the construction sector are starting to look at the challenge and opportunity of embracing an industrial decarbonization agenda for concrete,” said Auer. “Some fantastic people are coming to the table to learn about how we can do this. It’s extremely encouraging and i think the industry as a whole finds it encouraging. That collaborative spirit is something we’ve been trying to foster for many years.”

But it’s not going to be easy. Auer explained that going forward, ambition and momentum need to be maintained among the many different groups. 

“The challenge is there are a lot of moving pieces,” he said. “There are lots of players even within the government. There is no single government department with all the tools to unlock decarbonization.” 

These departments include the National Research Council, Standards Council, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and many others. 

“There’s a huge number of institutions that have their own structures that have to coalesce around this agenda. That’s a hard thing to do. Government is a largue bureaucracy and there is a lot if siloing that needs to be broken down.”

There is no silver bullet to save us

Auer explained that instead of a silver bullet, it will take a load of buckshot to achieve decarbonization goals. CCUS gets a lot of buzz and with 60 per cent of concrete emissions coming from how it’s manufactured, Auer said reaching net-zero simply cannot be done without it. There’s even a large-scale carbon capture project underway in Edmonton that could make it the world’s first carbon neutral concrete plant. 

But Auer says that while these advances are exciting, there is no reason to wait. The industry can get 60 per cent of the way to net zero without CCUS. This includes using greener fuels to heat kilns, extracting value from waste products, optimizing mixes and designing infrastructure with only the amount of concrete necessary. 

“If you want to hit targets you have to take advantage of stuff we can do immediately: optimizing existing technology and being more efficient in how we design infrastructure,” said Auer. 

The next step will be completing an action plan for the net-zero goal, which Auer said is expected in the coming months. The plan will include significant milestones, including cutting carbon emissions up to 40 per cent by 2030.

“Canada could be a leader in this space,” said Auer. “The trick will be making moves that are matching the ambition of similar efforts in the U.S. and other jurisdiction. Cement producers are all multi-national and competing for internal capital as well. We want to make sure Canada is the most attractive region for our companies to invest in.”

*Editor’s Note: The cement industry’s journey towards net zero was recently featured in our newsletter.

The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), a Crown corporation and national development bank, announced its new $400 million Climate Tech Fund II which has the goal of creating world-class Canadian cleantech champions. The new envelope brings the fund’s committed investments in the innovative cleantech and climate tech sector to $1 billion.

BDC launched its Cleantech Practice’s $600 million Fund I in 2018 to address the lack of risk capital for the commercialization and scale up of Canada’s cleantech and climate tech industry. BDC stated that the fund was innovative in that it was flexible, multistage, and patient, which better suited the entrepreneurs in the space.

“BDC will play a leading role in helping Canadian climate tech firms dream bigger and become global technology champions,” said Isabelle Hudon, BDC’s president and CEO. “Here at home, BDC will enable the scale up and deployment of low carbon technologies which are so fundamental to Canada’s ability to meet its GHG emissions reduction targets. This new Climate Tech Fund reflects BDC’s ambition to help build a clean, low carbon, circular economy.”

BDC’s Cleantech Practice partners with leading global institutional investors and government funding programs to support dozens of high potential cleantech and climate tech firms. Now that Fund I is fully committed, BDC’s new Climate Tech Fund II will help preserve and extend Canada’s position in the strategic sector by continuing to build and grow the ecosystem for climate tech firms.

“BDC’s Cleantech Practice is one of the largest, most active investors of its kind in Canada. Our investment strategy is not about market trends but GHG emissions reduction,” said Jérôme Nycz, executive vice president, BDC Capital. “BDC’s Climate Tech Fund II will reinforce the importance of low carbon supply chains, help the commercialization, scaling and adoption of Canadian technologies in Canada and abroad and create opportunities for climate tech firms.”

The bank noted that Canada currently ranks second on the Global Cleantech Innovation Index compared to seventh in 2014 but believes more progress can be made. Bank officials explained that the global cleantech market is expected to double in value, reaching more than $400 billion US by 2026. BDC says it will continue to support longer development timeframes and larger capital needs typical of many climate tech ventures. The nank expects Fund II to be fully committed over the next five years.

“With Climate Tech Fund II, we will continue to invest along the full lifecycle of leading-edge, disruptive Canadian firms to support their growth and the deployment of technologies critical for our country to reach net zero,” says Susan Rohac, managing partner, climate tech fund, BDC Capital. “Canada is fortunate to have an increasingly robust and well-coordinated network of Crown Corporations, agencies, departments, and private sector partners supporting climate tech entrepreneurs. Our team will continue to do its part to reinforce this ecosystem to accelerate Canada’s innovation outcomes in climate technologies.”

The Cleantech Practice currently has a portfolio of 50 companies, including firms that have been recognized as Global Cleantech 100 Companies. 

Key Takeaways:

• The Stack, a 37-storey office tower, is officially a Zero Carbon Building.
• Oxford achieved this through low carbon building systems, triple-pane glazing on all windows, rainwater management and enhanced air tightness and other methods.
• Oxford says it wants to share its lessons from the project and encourage others in the industry to set high sustainability goals.

The Whole Story:

The Stack, a downtown Vancouver office tower, is making history. 

The project’s developer, Oxford Properties Group, announced that The Stack, has achieved the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building – Design standard certification. The 37-storey, 550,000 sq. ft. commercial office tower is Canada’s first commercial high-rise office tower to achieve this certification.

As well as being the first high-rise commercial office tower to achieve the certification, it is also the largest project in Canada to achieve it to date. Upon completion later this year, The Stack is set to become the tallest office building in Vancouver.

The project team includes Ledcor and it was designed by James K.M. Cheng Architects.

Size created bigger challenges

Oxford noted that the project’s size added to the technical complexities required to achieve the Zero Carbon Standard. The project team stated that they incorporated many innovative features that minimize carbon emissions, energy and water usage as well as landfill waste. These include low carbon building systems, triple-pane glazing on all windows, rainwater management and enhanced air tightness. On-site renewable energy will be achieved through the use of a rooftop photovoltaic solar panel array.

“Oxford’s purpose is to create economic and social value through real estate and The Stack embodies Oxford’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and decarbonization,” said Andrew O’Neil, vice president of development for Oxford. “The CaGBC certification is the culmination of over five years of planning to pioneer a new zero carbon framework in a high-rise and architecturally-significant office tower, all while juggling the demands of realizing an economically-viable commercial project for our stakeholders.”

O’Neil added that the lessons learned from the project can now be applied to future projects, and shared with industry peers.

Oxford isn’t stopping there. The team is also targeting LEED v4 Platinum Core and Shell certification. Oxford plans to deploy smart building technology to provide insights on energy management, optimize building performance and enable preventative maintenance. The Stack will feature 250 bike parking stalls and club-quality fitness and change facilities for an exceptional customer experience. Oxford says this is meant to encourage wellness and promote sustainability. 

Reducing total carbon footprint 

The Stack is one part of a larger direction the company has been moving in. In 2015, Oxford set out to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2025. Last year Oxford announced it had exceeded their goal, reducing its portfolio carbon intensity by 37 percent, four years ahead of schedule. Company officials explained that this was made possible by pioneering groundbreaking new developments that raise the bar on sustainability, investing in data and analytics to set hourly carbon targets for its properties and human solutions that encourage sustainable active transportation.

“Oxford continues to demonstrate leadership in lowering carbon emissions across their portfolio. The Stack is the first new high-rise office building to achieve CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building – Design certification. With this stand out project, Oxford is setting a new benchmark for Canada’s top real estate owners,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO, Canada Green Building Council. “Shifting investor and market interests in carbon solutions, along with advances in technology and know-how, make it more feasible for Canada’s major real estate projects to follow suit. 

Sustainability is good for business 

The company noted that The Stack is set to become the latest in a line of landmark developments. These include Vancouver’s MNP Tower, 402 Dunsmuir and Riverbend Business Park, Manhattan’s St. John’s Terminal which was recently acquired by Google, The Leadenhall Building in London and Toronto’s Park Hyatt. The Stack is currently 70 per cent pre-leased.

“Oxford has strong conviction that best-in-class offices that are smart, wellness-focused and sustainable will continue to be highly desirable to occupiers and continue to outperform,” said Ted Mildon, senior director at Oxford. “There is a real need among businesses to ensure they are located in buildings that not only inspire and engage their workforce, but also actively contribute to their own ESG goals. As a result of our Zero Carbon certification, The Stack is uniquely positioned to do so in the Vancouver market.”

Key Takeaways:

• Climate change is making wildfire risk higher.
• Officials are looking to identify high wildfire risk areas near people and cities that could benefit from fire prevention efforts.
• In some cases, this means partnering with forest products companies to harness logging activity for fire prevention.

The Whole Story:

Nope, it’s not just haunted house fog that wafted through Metro Vancouver this October. Once again, B.C. residents were blanketed in wildfire smoke. 

But experts say the country isn’t helpless when it comes to addressing wildfire risks and the wood products industry can play a role in keeping skies clear and communities safe. 

Kate Lindsay, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer at Forestry Products Association of Canada, explained that climate change is creating conditions for hotter, less controllable wildfires. 

“That’s what we have seen, particularly in B.C., but we are seeing it in all parts of Canada to be honest,” she said. 

Lindsay noted that B.C. recently updated forestry law to identify wildland fire urban interface areas (WUIs). These are lines, areas, or zones where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels.

“What the B.C. government has done is allowed those WUIs to have flammability ratings done, so some will be more flammable and a higher risk for fire,” said Lindsay. “The hope is that this will allow forest managers to take those high-risk WUIs into consideration for thinning and fire break creation.”

And after trees are harvested, more fire-resistant species can be planted in their place. 

These efforts can be partnered with programs like FireSmart, which seeks to improve communication with stakeholders; and to organize programs and assets into a logical, manageable structure based on three pillars – homeowners, neighbourhoods and communities.

“It’s about people understanding what the risks are around wildfires and the steps they can take to mitigate wildfire risk,” she said. “It’s a whole-of-society approach that works at multiple scales: homeowner, community and landscape scale.” 

In some cases, this can lead to beneficial partnerships with the forest products sector. Lindsay cited a recent example of this in Jasper, Alta. Beginning in late 2018, Parks Canada contracted Canfor, a forestry products company, to log dead and dying trees in mountain pine beetle affected forest west of the city in an area known as Pyramid Bench. 

“People want to have nature be relatively free from human intervention, but what we are finding is that national parks are under a lot of climate change stress,” said Lindsay.

David Argument, resource management officer for Jasper national park, explained in a video on the project that the city was too close to the affected area for safe prescribed burns.

“Logging at this scale in a national park is not something that we really do, so we had to weigh the visitor impacts and ecological integrity of the site with the need to reduce the fire risk.

Kari Stuart-Smith, senior forest scientist at Canfor, explained that the project included strict requirements to limit impacts to the soil, animals and trails. 

“One of the key lessons from this project is that logging can be used to reduce the fuel hazard in extremely sensitive areas,” she said.

Key Takeaways:

• Surrey is embarking on a multi-phase project to upgrade its dyke systems.
• The city’s strategy is in response to increasingly severe flooding and storm events.
• Officials are seeking $10 million in provincial funding for the first phase.

The Whole Story:

Surrey officials are moving to bolster the city’s defenses against climate change. 

The B.C. city announced it is in the first phase of upgrading the dyke network to protect against flooding from increasingly more common high magnitude storm events.

Officials explained that the upgrades are being done to protect against flooding from increasingly more common high magnitude storm events. As a next step in enhancing the network, the city will be applying for $10 million in funding to upgrade the Nicomekl River Dyke.

“It is important that the city expand and enhance our dyke network to protect against the increasing effects of rising sea levels and storm events,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “Upgrading and maintaining Surrey’s dykes are important because it provides effective protection against flooding from increasingly more common high magnitude storm events as was experienced in November of 2021. For these reasons, the city is applying for grant funding to significantly upgrade our dyke network.”

The city council has endorsed an application for grant funding for the Nicomekl River Dyke Upgrade Project, from 168 Street to 188 Street for a total of $10 million through B.C.’s Green Adaptation, Resilience & Disaster Mitigation Program (ARDM) as part of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. Officials noted that the city’s drainage utility has enough funding in its capital project reserve for the city’s financial portion (27 per cent) of the project’s eligible costs.

Surrey has approximately 100 kilometres of dykes throughout the city.

Key Takeaways:

• The $146 million project is expected to be completed in 2023.
• It’s receiving $10 million from Emissions Reduction Alberta.
• Construction will employ roughly 140 workers.

The Whole Story:

The sun is about to rise on TC Energy’s Saddlebrook Solar Project.

TC announced it will begin pre-construction activities on the project near Aldersyde, Alta. The $146 million facility is TC Energy’s first Canadian solar project. It has the capacity to generate 81 megawatts, enough energy to power 20,000 homes annually. The initial construction includes installing solar panels on TC Energy property in the local industrial park.

“This is the first utility-scale solar project to be fully developed and delivered by TC Energy in our history,” said Corey Hessen, TC Energy executive vice-president and president, ower & energy solutions. “This investment bolsters our ability to deliver low-carbon solutions for our customers and underscores our commitment to add renewable energy to the local electricity grid.”

The project is partially supported by $10 million from Emissions Reduction Alberta.

TC Energy has obtained all regulatory approvals and permits. Construction is expected to wrap in 2023. During the construction phase, about 140 workers are expected to support the project. Once in operation, two full-time TC Energy employees will work at the facility.

“The High River Chamber is excited to see the introduction of diversified energy solutions to our area and the potential for stronger business relationships, contract opportunities and employment possibilities,” said Lisa Szabon-Smith, executive director of High River & District Chamber of Commerce. “To see the Saddlebrook area become the home of such a project is exciting for our community.”

Funding has been secured for a net-zero RCMP detachment in North Cowichan.

$11.5-million from the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) will go towards the construction of a net-zero energy ready (NZER) RCMP detachment facility in the municipality of North Cowichan. This includes a $10 million low interest loan and a $1.5 million grant.

According to Natural Resources Canada, the integrated hub will better serve a growing urban population of about 50,000 residents across North Cowichan, Duncan, Cowichan Tribes and the surrounding rural areas. The new, 50,000-square-foot building will consolidate the North Cowichan/Duncan Detachment, Forensic Identification Services, South Island Traffic Services and Indigenous Policing.

GMF previously supported the construction of a NZER RCMP detachment in Fort St. John in northern B.C. The current project is based on that same design but has been optimized for North Cowichan’s different climate and usage needs. 

Officials added that the project will also incorporate energy efficiency in every aspect of the building design. Optimized features of the building include:

• Structure and site orientation improvements.
• high-efficiency equipment.
• Rooftop solar photovoltaic panels.
• Solar shading to reduce cooling demand by 45 per cent.
• Daylight sensors to reduce annual lighting operations by 25 per cent.

The GMF, administered by the FCM, is funded through an endowment by the Government of Canada. GMF helps local governments switch to sustainable practices more quickly. Its unique mix of funding, resources and training gives municipalities the tools they need to build resiliency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Key Takeaways:

• The condo complex design was inspired by biophilia concepts.
• The developers hope Quebec can be an example of what sustainable, responsible construction can be.
• The WELL standard, unlike LEED, solely focuses on the well-being of those inside the building by evaluating concepts like air, water, nourishment, luminosity, thermal comfort, movement, sound, materials, mind, community and innovation.

The Whole Story:

Le Huppé, a rental condo complex in Quebec City is the first residential building in Canada to receive Gold level WELL certification. 

The WELL program is run by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). Certification is carried out by the same independent organization that does LEED, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). Unlike LEED, WELL certification is the first standard that focuses on the health and well-being of the people inside the building. Projects are reviewed by a team that ensures that the building and its environment adhere to the 10 major WELL concepts: air, water, nourishment, luminosity, thermal comfort, movement, sound, materials, mind, community and innovation. The standard also has more than 100 individual indicators ranging from performance standards and design strategies to specific operational procedures.

The team behind Le Huppé, Immostar and its partner Fiera Real Estate, explained that a major inspiration for the project’s design was the concept of biophilia – the human affinity for living things and natural systems. This meant it should include optimal access to natural light, views of the outdoors, and materials and textures reminiscent of the natural environment.

“The pandemic has sharpened our focus on wellness and underlined the importance of helping people stay healthy,” said François Pelchat, partner and vice-president of development and marketing at Immostar. “Along with our partner Fiera Real Estate, we have made it our mission to drive change in the real estate industry and help improve the lives of residents. The WELL standard is not merely cosmetic. It is a real paradigm shift. It’s up to us, as leaders in Quebec’s real estate industry, to set an example and show how important it is to consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria when investing in projects.”

Pelchat added that society is becoming more aware that buildings have a large carbon footprint, both through the use of polluting materials and through the consumption of resources and energy. 

“The real estate industry can make a significant contribution to achieving emission reduction targets – and socially engaged buildings are how,” he added. “These buildings are the new way forward for real estate. They meet the needs of a clientele that cares about the environment and their community.”

Some of strategies used to achieve the certification included: 

• Improved air and water quality treatment.
• Increased natural light through generously sized windows and glare control in all living spaces and in the condos themselves. 
• Lighting and temperature controlled by the occupant in all common areas. 
• Signs offering health, nutrition and workout tips throughout the building.
• A shared library space.
• Promotion of physical activity through an inviting and fun staircase design.
• A variety of indoor and outdoor common spaces that encourage interaction and community.

Key Takeaways:

• The world’s largest copper mine in Chile is switching over to electric vehicles.
• The fleet of 160 haul trucks will be replaced over the next 10 years.
• The high-tech vehicles will also support the future transition to autonomous driving.

The Whole Story:

BHP Group Limited, Caterpillar and Vancouver-based Finning International announced an agreement to replace BHP’s entire haul truck fleet at the Escondida mine, the world’s largest copper producer, located in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile.

The agreement is part of a strategic equipment renewal process developed by Escondida. The mine will begin using Caterpillar 798 AC electric drive trucks that feature improvements in material-moving capacity, efficiency, reliability and safety.

The Australian-based resource company noted that the new equipment will also generate a positive impact in key initiatives for the future, such as decarbonization, diversity and inclusion, autonomous technologies, and the development of local capabilities.

“This agreement is an important step to continue projecting into the future Escondida | BHP´s leadership in the industry,” said James Whittaker, president of Escondida | BHP. “It will allow us to generate significant efficiencies at the operational level, but it is also in line with some of the main challenges that drive us as a company: innovation for the future of mining, decarbonization, and development of capabilities in Antofagasta´s community. We have great expectations regarding the benefits that will be generated in the short and long term for both the company and the Antofagasta region.”

The first trucks are expected to arrive at the mine late next year, with delivery of the remaining trucks to extend over the next 10 years as the three companies work to replace one of the world’s largest mining fleets. 

The Escondida site currently uses more than 160 haul trucks. Maintenance and support services provided under the agreement advance BHP’s local employment and gender balance strategies. Finning´s Integrated Knowledge Center, located in Antofagasta, will provide technical support for the fleet. 

“We are very pleased to build on our long-term relationship with BHP to support its Escondida operations by improving efficiency, productivity, and safety, as well as reducing its carbon footprint, supporting its diversity and inclusion journey, and contributing to the development of capabilities in Antofagasta,” said Scott Thomson, president and CEO of Finning International. “This is the largest fleet deal in Finning’s history, and will significantly expand the Caterpillar truck population and support the transition towards cleaner energy, with electric drive trucks, and future zero-emission trucks.”

Key Takeaways:

• Deep energy retrofit projects could receive up to $500,000 in funding.
• A panel of experts will choose 10 to 16 of the best project applications for funding.
• The city is eager to curb greenhouse gas emissions from buildings as they cause roughly 57 per cent of total community-wide emissions.

The Whole Story:

Toronto has opened applications for its Deep Retrofit Challenge, an initiative to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in the city.

Encouraging deeper retrofits

The challenge will provide funding to support deeper-than-planned energy retrofits in 10 to 16 privately-owned buildings, with the goal of accelerating emissions reductions and identifying pathways to net zero that can be replicated in other buildings. The project is funded through a $5 million investment provided by Natural Resources Canada’s Green Infrastructure – Energy Efficient Buildings Program.

Successful applicants will receive a grant equal to 25 per cent of their total project costs up to a maximum of $500,000 – depending on gross floor area and building performance – to offset the incremental design and construction costs required to achieve maximum emissions reductions.

Who can apply

Buildings must be located within Toronto and be an Ontario Building Code Part 3 building, meaning greater than 600 square metres or greater than three storeys. Eligible buildings include:

• Multi-unit residential buildings (including condominiums, apartments, etc.)
• Commercial office buildings
• Mixed-use buildings (residential and commercial, including residential over commercial)

Eligible projects must:

• Involve a deep retrofit that reduces both GHG emissions and energy usage by at least 50 per cent.
• Meet a 20-year payback period or better.
• Be completed and operational by January 1, 2025.

Projects must use a comprehensive whole-building approach, considering how components of the building work together as an integrated system. Eligible measures include:

• Building enclosure improvements such as insulation, high-performance windows and air sealing.
• Energy recovery (ventilation, drain or equipment).
• Electric heat pumps (ground or air-source) for space hating and hot water.
• Renewable electricity generation.
• Building controls.

How projects are chosen

The city says the projects will be selected through a “competition-style” process. A design meeting organized by the city will assemble a variety of specialists to identify energy and environmental improvements that may be achieved by the selected projects, and opportunities to advance the design to maximize emissions reductions. Net zero buildings typically eliminate the use of fossil fuels.

Building owners may also apply to the City’s Energy Retrofit Loan program and High-Rise Retrofit Improvement Support program to assist in funding their projects, as well as incentives available from other sources.

Marching towards net zero

The city hope the challenge encourages early compliance with the City’s Net Zero Existing Buildings Strategy and advance the goals and targets of the TransformTO Net Zero Climate Action Strategy, including the city’s net zero by 2040 emissions reduction target. 

“The projects will serve to demonstrate the deep energy retrofits needed to move buildings towards net zero emissions, with the goal of accelerating market adoption,” said the city.

Officials noted that buildings are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto, creating approximately 57 per cent of total community-wide emissions, mainly from the burning of fossil fuels for heating and hot water. 

To achieve the emissions reduction trajectory needed to reach net zero by 2040, community-wide emissions from all sources must be sliced in half in the next eight years. The City controls only about five per cent of community-wide GHG emissions directly through its own buildings and operations.

The city also committed to release information from the projects, including designs, budgets and performance data to drive case studies, technical reports and academic research. They hope this information will help promote community knowledge of deep retrofits and facilitate the uptake of deep retrofits.

Key Takeaways:

• The Cement Association Canada is the first industry-wide group to join the Net-Zero Challenge.
• The group will implement a plan to produce net-zero concrete by 2050.
• Details of this plan will be released this fall.

The Whole Story:

The Cement Association of Canada announced it would be the first industry-wide participant to join the federal government’s Net-Zero Challenge. The Net-Zero Challenge is a voluntary initiative led by the Government of Canada that encourages businesses to develop and implement credible and effective plans to transition their facilities and operations to net-zero emissions by 2050.

Participation in the Net Zero Challenge requires public transparency and disclosure, including a comprehensive net-zero plan, two interim emissions reduction targets consistent with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier, and annual progress updates.

The association noted that concrete is the most used building material on the planet, second only to water.

“It is found in virtually every class of infrastructure – from bridges to buildings, watermains to hydro-dams, hospitals to schools, sidewalks to subways,” said the group.  

The association added that Concrete’s strength, durability and resilience will play a critical role in ensuring the nation’s infrastructure stands up to extreme weather– heat, flooding, wildfires and wind. 

The group stated that it will release an industry action plan this fall outlining the steps the industry needs to take to produce net-zero concrete by 2050. The plan will highlight significant milestones, including cutting carbon emissions up to 40 per cent by 2030.

“Climate change is our industry’s most significant challenge,” said Adam Auer, president of the association. “It is also our greatest opportunity. By charting a credible, transparent path to net-zero emissions, our industry continues its history of leadership in building the sustainable world of tomorrow. We are proud to be a founding participant in the Net-Zero Challenge as just one example of our pursuit of proactive partnerships with governments, the construction sector and civil society groups to support the ambitious and science based imperative of reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050.”

Key Takeaways:

• Canadian long-term energy storage company Hydrostor is partnering with Kiewit on a FEED study for a massive energy storage centre in California.
• It would be capable of eliminating the equivalent of roughly 120,000 cars off the road every year.
• The facility would use Hydrostor’s advanced compressed air technology to store excess green energy.

The Whole Story:

The 500 MW Willow Rock Energy Storage Center would be the largest stand-alone energy storage project in the state. It also comes after California officials have set a goal of using 100 per cent carbon-free energy by 2045.

The project will store excess generation from California solar and wind projects during periods of low customer demand by compressing air and storing it on the project site. During periods of higher customer demand or low supply, this high-pressure air is used to generate emissions-free electricity to meet real-time electrical load and enhance overall grid reliability. The project is designed to generate electricity for at least eight hours at full capacity.

Hydrostor stated that the work demonstrates steady progress in the development of its advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) technology in North America. 

According to Hydrostor, A-CAES uses commercially proven equipment and processes to provide affordable, large-scale, and emission- free long-duration energy storage (LDES). 

The company added that Willow Rock will be capable of storing enough energy to provide reliable power for up to 400,000 homes over 8 hours, turning California’s growing solar and wind resources into on-demand peaking capacity, enabling the closure of emitting fossil fuel resources while maximizing transmission system utilization.

“Hydrostor continues to reach important milestones at Willow Rock, and we look forward to working with the world-class engineering and construction teams at Kiewit to advance this critical clean energy project,” said Curtis VanWalleghem, Hydrostor CEO. “Our global teams are paving the way towards achieving aggressive net-zero goals. Willow Rock will be capable of eliminating the equivalent of roughly 120,000 cars off the road every year over its 50+ year project life.” 

Kiewit praised Hydrostor’s approach, stating that LDES solutions like A-CAES are a critical component of grid modernization. 

“We look forward to commencing work on Willow Rock, which has the potential to abate significant emissions and provide a reliable, sustainable energy source for many decades,” said Kevin Needham, president of Kiewit Power Engineers.

Key Takeaways

• The first phase of the rules goes into effect this October.
• More than half of the demolition material that hits Metro Vancouver landfills is recyclable.
• Starting in 2023, the rules will be encouraged with a deposit system that gives a refund when the diversion goal is hit.

The Whole Story:

Rules around demolition waste are changing for Burnaby, B.C. 

The city is introducing the Construction & Demolition Waste Diversion Bylaw, which mandates that at least 70 per cent of waste created as a result of building demolitions must be diverted from landfills. 

City officials stated that once the bylaw comes into force in fall of this year, it will represent a major step in Burnaby’s efforts to meet Metro Vancouver’s regional goal of 80 per cent overall waste diversion. 

“As materials from construction and demolition make up a third of Metro Vancouver’s solid waste, making improvements in the sector is an integral part of the City’s overall waste reduction strategy,” said the city. “More than half of the approximately 400,000 tonnes of demolition material which flows into Metro Vancouver landfills annually is recyclable, and diverting resources like wood, metal and concrete to recycling facilities is a vital step in reducing the greenhouse gases these materials emit when not disposed of correctly.” 

Officials explained that the new bylaw will be introduced in phases, with multi-family and non-residential demolitions subject to the new regulations on October 1, 2022, and rules for single- and two-family buildings coming into force on March 1, 2023. 

After these dates, demolitions will require a non-refundable application fee of $250, and a deposit of $2.25 per square foot of the building being demolished, with a maximum deposit cap of $50,000. The refund received will be calculated on the percentage of waste diverted to the proper recycling channels, with the entire deposit amount being refunded for demolitions which divert 70 per cent or more of their waste.

The funding will help groups like the Heiltsuk First Nation from Bella Bella. The Nation will use the funds for an essential road infrastructure project designed to increase access to the community by linking Bella Bella to the airport. 

The project includes converting the existing road into a dedicated pedestrian and bike path and constructing 2 km of new road. 

The Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation also received funding. The plan to gain greater food build two green houses, two walk-in freezers and a canning shed, which will support the community garden and sustainability program. Officials say these developments will help safeguard against the impact on food production caused by environmental threats.

In the Strathcona Regional District funds will be used to give residents better and safer access to Read Island through the reconstruction of a dock, boardwalk and community building.

Other communities across the province, including Cumberland, Salt Spring Island, Spallumcheen, and Sparwood will benefit from new or upgraded wastewater treatment facilities and drinking water systems, including the rehabilitation of an aging dam, construction of a new well and reservoir, and upgrades to sewage treatment facilities.