Ottawa, May 19, 2014 – EnviroCentre in partnership with Sustainability CoLab is hosting a series of conversations with business and community leaders on May 26th to discuss the creation of a target-based sustainability program that would help Ottawa businesses substantially reduce their carbon emissions. The results-focused program will support businesses to set targets to reduce their carbon impact, track results, and celebrate progress made.
Mike Morrice, from Sustainability CoLab, will share a case study of Sustainable Waterloo Region’s Regional Carbon Initiative, a proven greenhouse gas reduction program, which will provide the basis for the approach to be taken in Ottawa. The initiative in Waterloo Region has brought together more than 65 businesses – representing 14% of the local workforce – who have collectively committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 53, 000 tones, which is equivalent to taking approximately 12, 000 cars off of the road each year.
By building a collaborative local network of businesses that can learn from one another, and by providing a variety of tools and resources that enable concrete action, the program will provide a key support system for businesses to successfully achieve their sustainability goals.
EnviroCentre is one of five organizations in Ontario working to launch a program of this kind.
These initial conversations on May 26th will be the first of several opportunities to help shape the development of the Ottawa-based program to launch in 2015.
About EnviroCentre:
Established in 1999, EnviroCentre is an Ottawa-based non-profit organization that helps residents, businesses and organizations conserve energy and reduce their impact on the environment, while saving money.
With programs and services offered in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and across the Province, we focus on building energy efficiency; sustainable transportation and providing customers with practical and environmentally-friendly products.
About Sustainability CoLab
Sustainability CoLab provides direct support and a proven approach for member organizations to launch and grow target-based sustainability programs for businesses. These programs build local networks of businesses that are setting and achieving sustainability goals, with a particular focus on reducing carbon emissions. Together with our members and partners, we are working towards shifting how businesses operate to make sustainability the norm. Current CoLab members include Durham Sustain Ability (Durham Region), EnviroCentre (Ottawa), Niagara Sustainability Initiative (Niagara Region), Sustainable Kingston, and Sustainable Waterloo Region. To learn more, please visit: www.sustainabilitycolab.org.
For more information, please contact:
Jessica Wells
Manager, Energy Strategies
EnviroCentre
Tel: 613-656-0100, ext. 108