Ottawa, January 20, 2014– Ottawa businesses and organizations will soon have access to a new initiative to help them reach their greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets, thanks to EnviroCentre’s successful bid to join Sustainability CoLab.
Last Thursday at Artscape Wychwood Barns in Toronto, 225 people gathered from across all sectors to celebrate the launch of Sustainability CoLab, a new non-profit that will share an approach to climate change action with communities across Ontario including Ottawa, one of the five communities selected to join the network. The focus of Sustainability CoLab’s model for community GHG reductions is working directly with businesses and institutions to set and achieve targets to lower their carbon impact, and has been successfully piloted already in Waterloo Region.
“The timing couldn’t be better for Ottawa as local businesses are increasingly aware that their environmental performance directly impacts its reputation, profitability and overall success” said Michael Murr, EnviroCentre’s Executive Director. “EnviroCentre works actively to conserve energy so we’re excited by this opportunity. It is a natural extension of our existing programs and provides us with a whole new set of tools to help not only individual businesses but the community at large”.
Sustainability CoLab was created to share the success of Sustainable Waterloo Region’s Regional Carbon Initiative (RCI). Since 2009, the RCI has grown to become a self-sustaining program that engages over 13% of that community’s workforce, who collectively have committed to reducing their carbon impact by 45,000 tonnes over the next 10 years. “In just five years we’ve seen this model change how businesses in Waterloo Region talk about climate change and sustainability. With a strong sustainability network in place, it’s become simpler for any organization to plug-in, finding their own ways to increase their profitability and reduce their carbon impact.” says Mike Morrice, founder of Sustainable Waterloo Region and Executive Director of Sustainability CoLab. “We’re delighted to have Ottawa as part of the CoLab network and we look forward to supporting EnviroCentre in their efforts to start a similar conversation in this community.”
Ottawa businesses and organizations with an interest in getting involved by providing input and helping to shape a GHG reduction program should contact EnviroCentre at 613-656-0100 extension 1 or info@envirocentre.ca.
About EnviroCentre
Established in 1999, EnviroCentre is an Ottawa-based, non-profit organization which helps individuals, families and organizations conserve energy, save money and lessen their impact on the environment. Our action-oriented programs and services include building energy auditing and energy conservation solutions, transportation demand management strategies and practice, and community programs to promote and encourage sustainable lifestyles.
About Sustainability CoLab
Sustainability CoLab is a national non-profit whose mission is to enable, mobilize, and build community-driven and action-oriented approaches to business sustainability. CoLab provides a variety of key support services for communities to launch, grow and accelerate their own business-focused, GHG target-setting program similar to the Regional Carbon Initiative (RCI) in Waterloo Region. CoLab is currently working with the communities of Durham Region, Kingston, Niagara Region, Ottawa and Waterloo Region.
For more information, please contact:
Jessica Wells, Manager, Energy Strategies
EnviroCentre
Tel: 613-894-3385
Email: jessica.wells@envirocentre.ca