| Just last week we announced that later this year I will be transitioning out of my role as Executive Director at Sustainable Waterloo Region, to lead the launch of a national network created to share the Regional Carbon Initiative model: read all about the transition below, on our blog, in the media and on the SWR website. Meanwhile, Waterloo Region’s sustainability network continues to grow: congrats to Eco Shift Power Corp, our newest Pledging Partner of the Regional Carbon Initiative. We’re also thrilled to have Karen Clarke-Whistler, Chief Environment Officer at TD Bank, join us for our final Educational Forum of the 2012/13 event season, we have a new 8 month internship opportunity posted, and you still have a chance to provide input on a climate action plan for Waterloo Region. Please read on for details about these items and more. All the best, Mike Morrice Executive Director Sustainable Waterloo Region |
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Regional Carbon Initiative Members |
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Smile Epidemic Observing Organization | |||||
| Increased Pledging Partner Commitment – Congratulations! | ||||||
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Athena Software Gold Pledging Partner Increasing from 20% to 60% intensity GHG reduction over 10 years RCI Member Since: 2009 | |||||
| New Pledging Partner Conversion – Congratulations! | ||||||
.JPG "Eco-Shift (JPEG)") |
Eco-Shift Power Corp. Bronze Pledging Partner 20% absolute GHG reduction over 10 years RCI Member Since: 2010 | |||||
| Renewing Regional Carbon Initiative Members | ||||||
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Conestoga Mall Observing Organization RCI member since: 2012 | |||||
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Gore Mutual Insurance Company Observing Organization RCI member since: 2010 | |||||
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The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation Observing Organization RCI member since: 2011 | |||||
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THEMUSEUM Observing Organization RCI member since: 2012 | |||||
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Region of Waterloo Observing Organization RCI member since: 2010 | |||||
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United Way Kitchener Waterloo & Area Observing Organization RCI member since: 2012 | |||||
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Wilfred Laurier University Bronze Pledging Partner 25% intensity GHG reduction over 10 years RCI member since: 2010 | |||||
| If you are interested in joining the Regional Carbon Initiative as either a Sustaining Partner, Pledging Partner or Observing Organization, please visit the Sustainable Waterloo Region website or contact Mike Morrice with any questions.
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| Upcoming Sustainable Waterloo Region Events Educational Forum: TD Bank Group – An Environmental Leader TD Bank Group is working to make a positive environmental impact through its operations, its products and its employees. Join us for this educational forum where Karen Clarke-Whistler, Chief Environmental Officer of TD Bank Group, will be sharing how TD has approached claiming a leadership position in sustainability, and offering advice on how your organization can learn from what TD has done to date. Date: Wednesday, June 19th, 2013
Time: 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Location: Kitchener-Waterloo Hotel, 105 King Street E., Kitchener, ON Registration: Online This technical workshop will guide attendees in exploring a wide variety of electricity, heating and employee engagement projects that Regional Carbon Initiative members have implemented in the past year. Through presentations from local organizations, including THEMUSEUM and AET Consultants, as well as discussions with fellow attendees, individuals will learn about project selection, implementation and evaluation. Date: Thursday, June 27th, 2013
Time: 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Location: THEMUSEUM, 10 King Street W., Kitchener, ON Registration: Online |
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| SWR Updates And Collaboration Opportunities Actions & Opportunities for ClimateActionWR: What do you think? Through ClimateActionWR, a number of actions and opportunities have been identified for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Waterloo Region between now and 2020. Actions range from installing more electric vehicle charging stations to investigating the feasibility of district energy to developing a green building standard to utilizing Local Improvement Charges as a financing tool for home energy retrofits. Visit the ClimateActionWR Discussion Board today to see the full shortlist of actions and opportunities, and add votes or comments to the initiatives you would like to see in Waterloo Region! For more information, contact Sarah Brown. Sustainable Waterloo Region Recruiting for a new Executive Director Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR) has announced that Mike Morrice will be transitioning out of his role as Executive Director in Fall 2013 in order to lead the launch of a network created to share SWR’s approaches for engaging business in carbon reduction commitments. Mike plans on remaining on the Board of SWR and one of his responsibilities at the new network will be to support the new Executive Director at Sustainable Waterloo Region. Recruitment for SWR’s new Executive Director is now under way. The new Executive Director will guide the organization’s strategy, lead staff and volunteers, spark community resource development, support program delivery and serve as SWR’s primary external spokesperson. Applications for the Executive Director position at SWR are being accepted until Friday, June 14th at 12noon. For more information, please see the job posting at www.sustainablewr.ca/EDPosition. SWR Internship Opportunity Are you interested in joining an innovative and passionate team? SWR is currently seeking interns for 8 months, from September 2013 to April 2014, who will work closely with the RCI team on the release of our 2013 Report and 5th annual Evening of Recognition. This is a great opportunity to:
Interested applicants must be students at an accredited college or university who can count the internship towards their relevant program of study. You can find out more here. |
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| Recommended Environmental Research, Ideas, & Community Events Earth’s Carbon Dioxide Levels Hit 400ppm Global carbon dioxide levels have reached 400 parts per million, scientists report, an ominous milestone that’s unprecedented in human history. Earth’s atmosphere hasn’t contained that much CO2 since the Pliocene Epoch, an ancient era that ended more than 2 million years before the first Homo sapiens appeared. CO2 levels fluctuate seasonally during the year, and typically peak at Mauna Loa in mid-May. Although 400 ppm isn’t a so-called “tipping point” for climate change, it is a symbolic threshold that illustrates how dramatically humans have altered the atmosphere in just a few generations. About 80 percent of human-induced CO2 emissions come from burning fossil fuels, according to NOAA, and about 20 percent come from deforestation and certain farming practices. WTO Ruling Must Not End Fight for Green Jobs A World Trade Organization ruling against Ontario’s incentives for domestic manufacturing in renewable energy industries is a signal that global trade rules must be changed, the United Steelworkers (USW) says. The WTO has ruled to strike down the Ontario Green Energy Act’s domestic content requirements for companies seeking to supply wind and solar power to the provincial electricity grid. The Act requires wind and solar farms to use a percentage of in-province parts and labour. The WTO ruling supports a joint challenge by Japan and the European Union against Ontario’s Green Energy Act. South Korea on Course to have the World’s Highest Carbon Prices In a little over 18 months, South Korea will launch a scheme that will cap around 70% of its greenhouse gas emissions. A White Paper published by research firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance, in cooperation with Ernst & Young, concludes that the design is the most ambitious yet proposed anywhere, and could result in the Korean carbon price reaching the penalty level of $90/tCO2 – exceeding that in any other emissions trading system (ETS) in the world. The predicted high prices in the Korean scheme reflect a combination of factors: ambitious reduction targets, the relatively high cost of reducing emissions within the country, and restrictions on the use of offset credits from abroad. The Other R’s Speaker Series – A Reduce and Reuse Revolution Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Of the three, Recycling has caught on the most. But in a world of over-consumption and limited resources, we want to shine the spotlight on the Other R’s — Reduce and Reuse — as key pieces to the sustainability puzzle. The Other R’s Campaign is a public-awareness initiative that highlights the importance and benefits of consuming with a conscience. Date: Thursday, June 13th, 2013 Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Location: Stecklers Heritage Farm Register: Online Community Access Bicycles Roll Into Kitchener Community Access Bicycles is a bike sharing project of the Working Centre that provides a fleet of well-maintained, easy-to-ride bicycles. A membership card allows members to borrow bicycles from CAB stations located around downtown Kitchener, and the website will show locations of each bike station and real-time availability. Want to be the first to know when $40 memberships become available this summer? Visit the CAB website to join the email list and receive notifications! From the Blog… With Excitement for What Comes Next By Mike Morrice As a board at Sustainable Waterloo Region, we’ve been talking about my transition for over 2 years now. Why? I blame it on Evan Di Valentino. Evan was the first one to ask me to share the SWR business plan, so that he could bring a program modelled after the Regional Carbon Initiative (RCI) to his community. [Read More] |
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