News

Four climate challenges for Alberta’s new government

7/2015 - Wasting no time following Premier Notley’s commitment to craft a climate action plan, the Pembina Institute convened about one hundred thought-leaders from around the country in Calgary this week. I was honoured to be invited to the roundtable to share insights we’ve gained reducing emissions in the City of Toronto.

Partners trump powers when it comes to climate action

7/2015 - Hey Toronto – what’s your urban personality type? A new report from C40 Cities and ARUP mines characteristics of global cities to find out how they act – and how this affects their ability to push along their carbon reduction targets.

Toronto Climate Summit signals global climate hope

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Coming to large buildings near you: landmark energy reporting policy

7/2015 - …

Smoothing the potholes and making strides with energy retrofits

6/2015 - …

Energy retrofits become an investment vehicle

6/2015 - Energy savings has suddenly become a commodity that investors believe is a hot market with money to be made.

A critical moment for efficiency finance

6/2015 - The energy efficiency sector may face significant hurdles, but the market is quickly maturing as it addresses climate change, energy security concerns, and utility costs. Last week, I joined hundreds of colleagues from the public and private sectors, eager to accelerate investment in efficiency. We convened for the Energy Efficiency Finance Forum (E2F2), hosted by ACEEE in San Francisco.

Pumping energy savings – global heat pump performance review

6/2015 - Heating homes and buildings account for over one third of Toronto’s greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from natural gas-burning furnaces and boilers. Achieving Toronto’s 2050 climate targets will require transitioning from natural gas to cleaner technologies, which has motivated TAF to explore the performance of heat pumps.

How to leverage cap and trade to improve transit

6/2015 - Recently, Move the GTHA, a collaborative project funded and co-initiated by TAF and Evergreen CityWorks, sent a letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne recommending that a significant portion of the province’s cap and trade revenues fund active transportation and public transit.

Follow the leaders – de-carb your money

5/2015 - Big funds are acknowledging the risk of carbon-heavy investments - are you?

Toronto Atmospheric Fund launches financing company for energy efficiency

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New report makes the pitch for mid-rise

5/2015 - Mid-rise development is a critical component of livable, transit-connected, low-carbon communities. A new report by the Pembina Institute and the Ontario Home Builders' Association outlines the multiple benefits of mid-rise development and proposes five key strategies for supporting it in the Greater Toronto Area.