Event summary produced by The Globe and Mail Events team. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.
Next to the oil and gas and transportation sectors, buildings account for the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, according to data from Statistics Canada. As Canada embarks on a goal to be a net-zero nation by 2050, cleaner sources of energy will be needed to curb emissions in the built environment.
The Globe and Mail hosted a webcast on November 23 to bring energy, climate change and policy experts together to discuss solutions.
Missed the live event or would like to view it again? Scroll down to the video player, below.
Kathryn Blaze Baum, environment reporter with The Globe and Mail, hosted the webcast and began with an interview with Roya Khaleeli, director of sustainability and innovation with Minto Communities. Ms. Khaleeli provided insights on how developers such as Minto are working on the transition to cleaner heating and cooling, through initiatives such as net-zero homes, geoexchange and energy efficiency.
A panel discussion followed, including:
- Phil Spring, executive partner and vice-president of energy and sustainability with IBM Consulting - Europe
- Leona Humchitt, climate action coordinator with Heiltsuk Nation
- Karen Tam Wu, regional director, British Columbia with Pembina Institute
- Éric Filion, executive vice-president of distribution, procurement and shared services with Hydro-Québec
Panelists discussed issues such as building electrification and how Canada will generate sufficient electricity to support the transition away from fossil fuels.
The group shared views on the importance of energy efficiency to managing electricity demand, along with projects focused on making cleaner options available in Indigenous communities and remote locations. They also talked about costs and incentives for fossil fuel alternatives such as heat pumps.
View the full webcast (60 minutes) below.
The Globe and Mail presented the event with sponsor support from IBM.