Sustainability : In The News

Eleven of the companies on Maclean's magazine's "Green 30" list are located in the GTA.
 
The list, complied by Aon Hewitt as part of its Best Employers survey, is based on how employees perceive their employer's environmental efforts.

The GTA entries are: Accor/Novotel Canada, Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls, Celestica, Cisco Corp., Delta Hotels and Resorts, IHG, LoyaltyOne, Marriott Hotels of Canada Ltd., Stikeman Elliott LLP, TD Bank and Wakefield Canada.
 
More than 112,000 employees at more than 250 organizations participated in the survey.
 
Read the full story here
Original source: Maclean's

The Toronto Star looks at the "greening" of Toronto's financial core. In addition to a surge in the construction of new sustainable office towers, many iconic Toronto buildings—from First Canadian Place to the TD Tower—are in the midst of massive "green" refurbishments.

"A number of Toronto’s landmark bank towers are now swaddled in scaffolding as they undergo a combined $300 to $400 million in refurbishments that include everything from updating their aged food courts to, in the case of First Canadian Place, replacing its almost 40-year-old marble façade."

"'The trophy towers are getting to that 30- and 40-year-old mark so they are hitting the gym again, so to speak, and getting into shape because they realize they aren't the only game in town anymore,' says John Peets, vice president of leasing for Oxford Properties."

"Oxford, the real estate arm of the OMERS pension fund, announced in October that it's teaming up with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to do what would have been unthinkable a decade ago. They're building a 30-storey office tower between Bay and York Sts. that will become the new domestic banking headquarters for the Royal Bank of Canada."

"Most of the renos are aimed at helping the financial towers, the first of which was built in the 1960s, achieve so-called LEED certification—an internationally recognized acknowledgement that the building is energy efficient and environmentally sound."

read full story here
original source Toronto Star 

Mercer, the international consulting firm that annually releases one of the world's most comprehensive quality-of-life reports, has published it 2011 findings.

Once again, Canadian cities (including Toronto) dominate the North American rankings. As reported by the Globe & Mail,  four Canadian cities (Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto) were the only North American cities to make the top 25. Vancouver tied for fifth spot, followed by Ottawa in 14th, Toronto in 15th and Montreal in 22nd.

"Canadian cities (Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal) hold the top spots in North America in quality of living and safety."

"Mercer looks annually at several measures, including the political and social climate, the economy, health and sanitation, education, public services, recreation and housing."

Toronto is the ninth greenest city in North America and the second greenest city in Canada (behind Vancouver), according to the newly released North American Green City Index. Conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (and sponsored by Siemens), the study ranked 27 North American cities based on categories including CO2 emissions, green energy and environmental governance.

"Toronto's strongest category was waste, where it ranked fourth in North America while it also ranked in the top half of the index in the CO2, energy, buildings, water and air categories."

"Meanwhile, Toronto wasn't looking so good in the transportation category (surprise, surprise). The T-dot had the longest commute time of all 27 cities in the index with plenty of traffic congestion and sprawl within its borders. The study also noted that, while Toronto has a good ratio of public transit vehicles to total area, it lacks large, centrally located pedestrian-only zones."

read full story here
original source buzzbuzzhome.com

Toronto is the most sustainable large city in Canada according to the 2011 survey by Corporate Knights Magazine. Canada's urban centers were ranked across 5 categories of sustainability including "ecological integrity" and "social well-being".

"We studied 28 indicators of sustainability in five categories�ecological integrity, economic security, infrastructure and built environment, governance and empowerment, and social well-being. Seventeen Canadian cities were surveyed, giving us a picture of the country's urban sustainability.Toronto, Vancouver, and Victoria won top honours in our Big, Medium, and Small city categories respectively."

"Gathering data from world municipalities, which are only beginning to request figures from energy companies, turned out to be a big challenge, he says. There are so many factors involved that it would be hard for anyone to simply say, "Hey, my city is better.For example, Toronto was the only Canadian city included in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Global Cities, and it performed well against its North American counterparts, but only average overall because its cold climate drives up the use of its major source of emissions�natural gas."

read full story here
original source Corporate Knights

Good Magazine writes on the group of Toronto artists that recently helped to beautify the city's many untended and unkempt planters. Funded by Toronto arts organization FEAST, 17 local artists and designers took part in "Outside the Planter Boxes" renovating and reviving over 30 planters in a 24-hour period.

"Public planter boxes are great in theory. They're a refuge for nature in the city. A way of cleaning our air and beautifying our streets. But in practice, many public planters are untended or empty, too big or too small for the plants they're meant to contain, or simply falling apart".

"Last month, Sean Martindale decided to do something about it in his home city of Toronto. With a grant from the arts organization Toronto FEAST, Martindale organized a project called Outside the Planter Boxes. He rounded up a group of local "artists, designers, gardeners and urbanites" to execute "planter interventions" in sites across the city. In the end, 17 participants made more than 30 projects in a single 24-hour period during the weekend of May 20."

read full story here
original source Good

This week Toronto officially launches Bixi, the city-wide bike-sharing program. The Toronto Star profiles four "Bixi believers", the Torontonians  who will be the first to take advantage of the more than 1,000 bikes at 80 locations now available to cyclists across the city.

"They are the believers -- the bicyclists that believe a bike-sharing program will work in Toronto, in spite of the city's lack of physically separated bike lanes and a relatively small launch area. The program has worked in other cities, after all."

"Protti, 29, and Watts, 28, like to keep things portable -- no mortgage, no car, no bikes to squeeze into their rented apartment. She's Italian, he's from Australia. By the time they arrived here two years ago, the couple had already lived in Vancouver and Montreal. They have tried Bixi in Melbourne and Montreal and signed up here as soon as the snow melted.Both expect to use Bixi every day, even though they will have to walk or take transit to the nearest bike station from their home near Bloor and Christie."

"In Montreal, where there is a network of physically separated bike lanes, Bixi works like a dream, said Protti."

read full story here
original source Toronto Star

The National Post writes on the Lord Provost of Glasgow's recent Toronto visit. Bob Winter, in Toronto this past Monday as part of his North American tour, reached out to Torontonians with the message that Glasgow and Toronto should leverage their similarities into stronger business partnerships.

"[Bob Winter's] trade visit comes during Scotland Week in North America; it also comes three years before Glasgow is set to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, to be followed a year later by the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto."

"Our eye from the very beginning has been on the legacy that we can get for our own city and for our own people ... showcasing our city, giving a tremendous warm welcome to everyone who visits," said Mr. Winter in a lilting Scottish accent."

"Glasgow will likely have "a lot to share" with Toronto about the experience of hosting the games, Mr. Winter said, citing an unprecedented opportunity to invest in new facilities and promote the city on a worldwide level."

"Glasgow has developed over the years from a heavily industrial and overcrowded city to one that has shed half its population in Mr. Winter's lifetime, a development attributed in part to the post-war period and the industrial collapse of the 1980s."

"The city has rebounded since then, and Mr. Winter says the River Clyde has been "transformed" by the departure of heavy industry. Today, he adds, as Glasgow struggles to recover from the most recent global economic downturn, the city has been investing in education and fostering stronger links with such cities as Toronto."

"These are key issues that we share: How do you regenerate a city and keep regenerating a city, because a city can never stand still," he said. "If you rest on your laurels at all, you can only go backward."

read full story here
original source National Post

The Globe & Mail interviews green entrepreneur Geoff Cape about the importance of Toronto's extensive ravine network. Cape, who conceived and championed the Evergreen Brick Works project, argues that Toronto's ravines have the potential to become a defining feature of the city. An excerpt from the interview:

"The ravines of Toronto are unique in the world. No other city has such an elaborate, such an extensive network of natural spaces. It's the defining aspect of Toronto. We have great hospitals, great cultural institutions, great universities, but so does New York, London, Chicago, Milan, Beijing. What we do have categorically unique is the ravine system. It's an asset for everyone. It doesn't distinguish between rich and poor and cultural diversity. It's available to all of us and it weaves virtually every neighbourhood, every community together, because it's physically so extensive. It connects us all."

read full story here
original source Globe & Mail

Finalists have been announced for the 2011 Green Toronto Awards. The awards, presented by The City of Toronto and Green Living Enterprises, honour Torontonions contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable city. InsideToronto.com has published the list of all 30 finalists, a mix of individuals, businesses and organizations. Winners will be announced at the seventh annual Green Toronto Awards ceremony on Friday, April 15th and will receive an award and $5,000.

see list of finalists here
original source InsideToronto

Blog TO writes on LOFT, the Toronto social enterprise that's giving a helping hand to the next generation of Toronto entrepreneurs. LOFT--which stands for Life, Opportunities, Food, and Technology--was launched in 2001 to help at-risk youth develop career plans.

"Yesterday evening, the LOFT Youth Centre for Social Enterprise and Innovation launched its Capital Campaign to raise funds for its new building at 850 Bloor Street West. Operating under the Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre, LOFT--which stands for Life, Opportunities, Food, and Technology--was created in 2001 and is now on the hub of a major transition. Hoping to raise $950,000, LOFT launched its campaign last night, teaching friends, family, and visitors such as myself exactly what it offers for the youth of Toronto."

"The Loft OssingtonIn short, LOFT is about providing youth (many of whom are at-risk or face institutional barriers) outlets for their creativity, as well as mentorship, marketable skills, and career exploration. It is funded through government grants, private partnerships and donations."

"There are three social enterprises that form LOFT's core; Under the Radar Design, the LOFT Sound Studio, and the LOFT Kitchen. These three enterprises unite staff, mentors, volunteers and youth to not only give direction to young people need guidance, but also giving back to the community."

read full story here
original source Blog TO

This week's Cleantech Forum, held on March 21st at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, brought together industry leaders from Canada, China, and India to discuss the future of green technology. The event, organized jointly by the Canada China Business Council and the Canada-India Business, marks the first time that representatives from all three countries have come together to discuss cleantech opportunities.

"Ontario's Minister of Research and Innovation Glen Murray and the Chairman of the Cleantech Group Nicholas Parker will be the event's keynote speakers."

"A first-of-its-kind event, the China-India Cleantech Forum brings together Chinese and Indian companies looking to invest in cleantech in Canada, and Canadian firms doing business in China and India. The diverse participation and distinctive networking that we'll see on Monday underscores the importance of bilateral relationships in Canada's environmental cooperation with China and India."

"The event will examine key environmental issues in five plenary style sessions-, emphasizing investment opportunities in cleantech sectors in Canada, India, and China. Sectoral breakout rooms will facilitate private meetings and networking between companies."

read full story here
original source Sify News