Circular Economy Holds the Key to the Future
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A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET MARCH 2018 | INDUSTRYANDBUSINESS.CA AFFORDABLE. CLIMATE-RESILIENT CLIMATE CHANGE LOW-EMISSION. INFRASTRUCTURE ADAPTATION VERSATILE. How sustainable business Why it’s time to take action on CANADIAN. practices lead to innovation flood resilience in Canada and resilient communities Propane’s role in the clean energy transition p04 p02 p06 2018 CONFERENCE + TRADESHOW April 24-27 The Westin Ottawa, Ottawa, ON INTEGRATED APRIL 24 - APRIL 27, 2018 WESTIN OTTAWA, ON Mark your calendar for EV2018VÉ, the most important Conference & Trade Show for the EV industry in Canada. REGISTER AT EMC-MEC.CA/EV2018VE Circular Economy Holds the Key to the Future s anyone who has ever driven To establish a successful carbon-neutral cir- Vaughan would like to see all these separate across the country will tell you, if cular economy within 10 years, the program out- initiatives brought together under a comprehen- you drive along the Trans-Canada lines several projects, including investment in sive federal plan — Canada’s own roadmap to- Highway long enough you’ll run the use of biogas for transportation, a research ward a circular economy. “Circular economy of- out of pavement. project on new cellulose-based materials, and fers a systemic approach, pulling together differ- AAs any environmentalist will tell you, if we a project to improve the efficiency of mobile ent priorities — from low-carbon pathways and continue using a linear economy — one in which phone and tablet recycling, among others. freshwater stewardship to innovation, enhanced products are made, used, and discarded — we will The goal is to ensure that in the future, prof- productivity, competitiveness, and green jobs — run out of resources. We’re harvesting too many it comes from providing services and intelli- in a more unified way,” he says. resources too quickly. gence-based digital solutions, as opposed to In addition to being good for the environ- For that reason, environmentalists are en- merely producing products for consumption. ment, taking this step would be good for busi- couraging people worldwide to adopt a circu- Since the action plan was launched, Sitra has ness. Vaughan notes that a “green economy” has lar economy, where goods at the end of their life made a list of one hundred inspiring circular potential to lead economic growth, because it cycle are recreated or turned into entirely new economy examples. It includes one company, would create new markets such as biofuels and products. This economy prevents us from con- Valtavalo, that offers sustainable lighting servi- renewable energy. A green economy could also Mari Pantsar suming the planet’s resources faster than they ces, and a start-up that provides reusable pack- be good for trade. China, a rising economic super- Director, can be replenished. aging for digital retailers. “The program has power, is placing greater emphasis on low-car- Carbon Neutral and Circular been very successful because various stakehold- bon and circular economy approaches. Economy, SITRA Finland, a leader in sustainability ers, especially municipalities and companies, The biggest incentive of all, of course, is to en- Scott Vaughan is an advocate for the transition to are thinking about the circular economy when sure the planet is habitable for future genera- a circular economy. He’s the President and CEO working on business strategies and models,” tions. The linear economy that has been in place of the International Institute for Sustainable De- says Mari Pantsar, Director of Sitra’s carbon-neu- for decades is destined to fail because it will velopment (IISD), which was established in Can- tral and circular economy work stream. reach a point at which there are no more resour- ada in 1990 and now has offices in Switzerland She and other members of the company re- ces available. and the U.S. as well. IISD conducts research and cently spent time travelling around Canada to “A transition towards the circular economy engages citizens, businesses, and policy-mak- meet with various individuals, government of- in inevitable as we are already exceeding the ers in the shared goal of developing sustainably. ficials, and organizations interested in sustain- planetary boundaries and overusing natural re- Vaughan points to Finland as a role model that ability. sources,” says Pantsar. “The circular economy is other countries can look to. Vaughan notes the many similarities between much more than waste management or recyc- “Finland is positioning itself as a global lead- Finland and Canada, including the fact that both ling. It is a new economic paradigm.” er in circular economy innovation,” he says. “It’s are northern countries with a vast amount of the first country ever to set out a circular econ- natural resources. He would like Canada to fol- omy roadmap that advances low-carbon innova- low that country’s environmental lead. Can- Randi Druzin tion and inclusive jobs.” adians are already moving in the right direction. Scott Vaughan That roadmap was created a few years ago by a Aveda, Levi Strauss, and other companies are SPONSORED BY President & CEO, Finnish think tank that focuses on the research cutting their emissions and water consumption International Institute for Sustainable and implementation of sustainability initiatives. while making use of materials that in the past Development In 2016 the organization, Sitra, and the Finnish would have been sent to the landfill. In Ontario, government co-launched a national action pro- the city of Waterloo has been testing a program gram to put the ideas into practice. The plan fo- that turns dog waste into energy, heat, and fertil- cuses on food sustainability, forestry, transporta- izers — and a number of municipalities are fol- tion and construction, and machinery. lowing suit. 2 INDUSTRYANDBUSINESS.CA A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET Propane Can Be the Bridge to a Green Q&A with Canadian Future The first step to a green Canada is a greener Catherine Canada. Propane is a step we can take today. Clean energy, like most things, is not a black and white issue. While renewable energy continues to become more viable, it re- mains expensive, and the infrastructure to support it is incom- Hon. Catherine McKenna plete. In the meantime, we have ready-to-go cleaner options Minister of Environment available to us today, foremost among them propane. McKenna & Climate Change More than just for barbecues Propane is a hydrocarbon, but it is far cleaner than coal, oil, or Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna provides even natural gas. “Propane is a game-changer for Canada,” says Nathalie St-Pierre, President and CEO of the Canadian Propane insight into Canada’s plans for climate action leadership. Association. “It has a significant role to play in our country’s clean energy mix because it is an affordable, low-emission, non- toxic energy source that provides environmental benefits for Mediaplanet What is the Canadian government’s tools and research, and strengthen partnerships by launch- numerous sectors, including residential, commercial, agricul- plan for conservation in 2018? ing co-management practices with Indigenous communities, ture, mining, petrochemical, and transportation.” including building local emergency response capacity. Propane-powered vehicles are receiving new attention as Catherine McKenna In Budget 2018, Canada made his- more mature and affordable alternatives to electric vehicles in toric investments totalling $1.3 billion to protect its nature, the push to green our roads. And, as a source of heat, light, and parks, and wild spaces. Since the last election, the Govern- MP What areas do we need to work on most in our electricity, propane’s portability and ability to function with- ment has already increased the protection of coastal waters nation to promote a climate friendly future? out the exponential infrastructure costs of other alternative from one to almost eight per cent, protecting an area of fuels makes it a natural fit for Canada’s remote and Indigenous the ocean larger than the state of California. Importantly, CM Canadians know that pollution isn’t free. We’re seeing communities, many of which primarily operate on diesel today. many of the areas the Government has protected have been some of those costs already, in Canada and around the world “These communities experience local air and noise pollution, in collaboration with Indigenous communities, including — with droughts, wildfires, floods, a national Arctic, and more blackouts, supply issues, and fuel spills,” says St-Pierre. “Propane Tallurutiup Imanga, Inuktitut for Lancaster Sound. This is extreme weather. can support this necessary change on a large scale, and in a prac- Canada’s largest marine protected area and the Government This has a direct impact on our health, our communities, tical and affordable manner — to a degree that will allow these is protecting it with Inuit peoples. It is also protecting our and our economy. Canadians see these impacts and they want communities to grow and foster economic development.” lands. For example, last summer, the Government of Canada to see practical action in response. worked with BC Environment Minister George Heyman and But transitions are never easy. We’re all in this together, An economic powerhouse regional Indigenous leaders, including Chief Clarence Louie and we need to collaborate. That’s why the Government Economically, propane is a win for Canada both at home and of the Osoyoos Band to move forward to create a national worked for a year to reach agreement on a Canada-wide plan abroad. Domestically, the propane industry employs rough- park in the south Okanagan. Protecting this natural legacy for clean growth and climate action, in partnership with the ly 23,000 people and generates over $16 billion annually for the is critical and doing it is important for local communities. provinces and territories, and Indigenous peoples. The plan Canadian economy, and the export potential is substantial as Parks Canada places are an important part of local econ- takes into account what is unique about Canada, and that dif- well.