Yana Lukasheh

Vice-President of Government Affairs and Business Development of SAP Canada

In the race to combat climate change and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, nations of the world face a multitude of complex challenges that require innovative technology solutions to overcome. Canada’s own transition is multifaceted.

We will need a significant amount of ingenuity, creativity and cooperation to realize our lofty net-zero goals. Canada’s adoption of digital technology solutions will be foundational in ensuring a competitive future economy and enabling a climate that is resilient, circular, and emissions-free for a better life for all Canadians.

In an interview with Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, Senior Director, Digital Economy, Technology, and Innovation at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Yana Lukasheh, Vice-President of Government Affairs and Business Development of SAP Canada, discusses the advantages of accelerating digital technology adoption to achieve net-zero objectives.

Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia: Canadian emissions are more than double the average of G20 nations. How can technology help decrease, and ideally eliminate, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions?

Yana Lukasheh:  We know so much more now about GHG emissions because of technology. Satellite and machine learning make it is easier than ever to identify emissions sources, support low-carbon alternatives, and halt further environmental damage through greater energy efficiency.

Digital technology solutions, such as real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence, enable organizations to reduce their energy consumption, enhance supply chain efficiency, optimize transportation routes, promote sustainable practices, and integrate renewable sources of energy, thus mitigating total emissions. Key advancements in digital technology solutions include:

• Carbon accounting tools that enable accurate measurement and reporting of emissions, guiding reduction strategies.
• Smart building management and circular economy initiatives that will further curtail emissions.
• Data-driven insights that produce more informed decisions, which prioritize emissions reduction projects, while collaborative platforms foster knowledge sharing.

As we near 2030 emissions target deadlines, our best opportunity for success — while also ensuring data transparency — is adopting and properly leveraging digital technology. While Canada may not achieve its 2030 objectives, it must work towards the next milestones by harnessing the power of digital tools.  

Bahr-Gedalia: What are the biggest challenges with data, including data on Canada’s appetite for increased technology adoption which has often been pointed to as lagging?

Lukasheh: Data transparency — including accurate measurement, reporting, and verification of emissions reductions — is critical for tracking our progress towards net-zero goals. With many organizations lacking end-to-end business processes and supply chain visibility, developing standardized methodologies and ensuring transparency in reporting remains a challenge. This uneven playing field causes inaccurate climate related inventory and will increasingly become a costly burden if not addressed.

Digital technology empowers organizations to report on scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions while maintaining accurate and real-time sustainability data. This supports stronger identification of carbon impact throughout product life cycles and value chains, allowing for proactive adjustments throughout.

As part of Canada’s commitments towards the Paris Agreement, the Federal Government maintains a system for reporting on environmental indicators through the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicator program. While the program serves an important purpose, it has been criticized for its lack of data quality and availability, inconsistent data collection methods, and inability to interpret trends.

A pan-Canadian sustainability data strategy founded on and continually fed accurate data will better inform policy makers to produce dynamic policies and regulations, and will also improve delivery of effective, equitable and inclusive investments. In order for that to be accomplished, both public and private sectors in Canada need to accelerate their technology adoption plans, taking into account these environmental indicators. Overcoming barriers to data sharing to unlock much needed innovation, discoveries and collaborations will need to be addressed to establish trust and tackle data siloes across economic sectors.

Bahr-Gedalia: Carbon offset and carbon capture are methods of reducing emissions, but is it possible to reach net-zero with these methods alone? What other, if any, technologies/innovations will be required?

Lukasheh: Fundamentally, digital technology adoption is imperative for any transition to a low-carbon resilient economy. As mentioned earlier, technology enables data transparency and facilitates organizations to report on scope emissions across enterprise activities. Responses to the energy transition that include resetting business models via technology adoption will ensure financial resilience and regulatory compliance.

Digital technology equips organizations with the insights necessary to reduce carbon emissions across their value chains and allows data exchange with customers, suppliers and business partners — including scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Simply put, when working towards a shared goal as crucial as net-zero, Canadians must have the best tools available to leverage our digital advantage.

Bahr-Gedalia: Small business is big business in Canada, with over 98% of our economy composed of SMEs. What’s their opportunity or challenge in this context?

Lukasheh: SMEs are Canada’s engine of growth and value creation. Though they often lead the charge when it comes to reimagining the status quo, they face serious challenges from burdensome compliance requirements to lack of resources, to supply chain hurdles, to capacity building, ultimately rendering sustainability a low priority.

The opportunity lies with innovation. Digital technology adoption, such as cloud computing, virtualization, and software-as-a-service solutions can significantly enhance SME operational efficiency, competitiveness, and overall business success by automating many routine and time-consuming tasks and reducing IT costs. Technology provides SMEs the ability to collect and analyze data about their operations, customers, and market trends, as well as make more informed decisions and identify areas for improvement. For example, ecommerce platforms and digital marketing tools enable SMEs to reach a global customer base, expanding market reach beyond local or regional boundaries.

By addressing these challenges through the adoption of innovative technologies, not only will SMEs gain a competitive edge in their industry and differentiate themselves from their competitors, but they will also have the capacity to prioritize sustainability. Additionally, these digital solutions can include the ability to measure, track, and report emissions, which in turn allows these SMEs to become leaders in achieving Canada’s net-zero goal.

Coming out of the United Nations General Assembly Climate Week last September and looking forward to the World Economic Forum COP28 debates, SAP emphasizes the need to adopt technology that addresses our environmental, social and economic challenges.

Bahr-Gedalia: How can technology “re-energize” Canada’s energy sector?

Lukasheh: The Canadian energy sector’s transition from fossil fuels to renewables is economically complicated as demand continually changes and costs rise.

In response, the sector is constantly seeking ways to fortify sources and manage costs, with the trend leaning towards a connected network of distributed energy sources. Cloud-connected AI technologies like machine learning, data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are driving the advancement of smart grids capable of managing complex power generation and distribution, thus ensuring peak performance without waste or unintended costs being incurred by Canadian consumers.

Bahr-Gedalia: What is the role of governments in Canada, in promoting digital technologies?

Lukasheh: Governments, of all levels, have a vital role to play in achieving net-zero and enabling climate-resilient and circular economies, which then further socioeconomic opportunities and environmental conditions. In addition to accelerating their own technology adoption journeys, federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments should establish consistent data measurement standards and best practices, and encourage data sharing models to promote cooperation and catalyze digital transformation across all sectors of our Canadian economy.

Canada has an exciting tech industry, which should be leveraged to help decrease or eliminate emissions. Governments must incentivise R&D collaborations through public-private partnerships, lean on industry experts for the latest cutting-edge technologies, and develop digital skills programs in order to promote Canada as a destination for innovation on the global stage.

Canada has the industrial knowledge and digital technology solutions needed to ensure a just and economically-sound transition to net-zero.

For more information on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s priorities and advocacy efforts around digital technologies and the path to net-zero, please visit: https://chamber.ca/advocacy/

For more details on SAP Sustainability efforts and products, please visit https://www.sap.com/canada/sustainability/our-approach.html 

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Jason McNamee

Co-Founder, Lucent BioSciences

Bill Greuel

CEO, Protein Industries Canada

Through its various initiatives and partnerships, Protein Industries Canada is positively contributing to Canada’s net-zero goal. 

The agrifood sector, like all sectors of the economy, needs to innovate and become more sustainable en route to net-zero emissions,” says Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, an industry-led not-for-profit organization. “Plant-based food can play a critical role in that transition.”

The environmental sustainability benefits of plant-based foods are some of the strongest drivers for their growing popularity—so much so that it’s one of the first reasons most consumers list when describing why they choose to incorporate the products into their diet.

The agrifood sector, like all sectors of the economy, needs to innovate and become more sustainable en route to net-zero emissions. Plant-based food can play a critical role in that transition.

Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada

It’s no surprise. According to the Boston Consulting Group’s 2021 report “Food for Thought”, an 11 per cent shift in the consumption of meat and eggs would lead to a significant reduction in GHG emissions: “…by 2035, the [11 per cent] shift to plant-based meat and eggs alone will have saved more than 1 gigaton of CO2eqv. That’s the equivalent of Japan going completely carbon neutral for an entire year.”

Between its already strong agriculture industry and growing plant-based sector, Canada has an opportunity to be a global leader in achieving such significant GHG reduction. Greuel notes that in order for us to achieve this leadership status, however, we have to continue to increase our strategic investments in food products with lower carbon footprints.

Investing in the plant-based food space

To avert the worst impacts of climate change, the Government of Canada has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Protein Industries Canada is helping Canada reach its net-zero goal through a number of initiatives. “On a macro level, what we’re doing is investing in the plant-based food space, which gives consumers choice about the protein sources and products they want to eat,” says Greuel. 

As one of Canada’s five Global Innovation Clusters, Protein Industries Canada manages an innovation investment fund to help accelerate the growth of Canada’s plant-based food and ingredient sector. It funds innovations in ingredients through to food manufacturing, allowing more choice and increasing accessibility for consumers.

Creating innovation

These innovations are also supporting a reduction in Canada’s GHG emissions.

Protein Industries Canada member New School Foods, for example, is a company that has created an innovative salmon alternative whose production is expected to result in a lower environmental footprint than its traditional counterpart.

“We’re entirely focused on creating a whole-cut plant-based meat alternative,” says Chris Bryson, New School Foods’ founder and CEO. “Unlike products like ground beef or flaked canned tuna, whole-cut refers to how about two thirds of meat is purchased in the grocery store — like a steak or filet of fish. If we don’t have plant-based alternatives for whole-cut meats, we haven’t tackled the bigger part of the problem.” This product appeals to consumers who have chosen to stop eating meat for environmental reasons, but who still desire the taste, texture, and overall experience of eating a meat-like product.

The supercluster helped us go from the lab all the way to manufacturing and commercialization, with lots
of introductions and relationship-building along the way.

Chris Bryson, New School Foods’ founder and CEO

New School Foods started with a salmon alternative, as the team noticed the seafood category was under-addressed. Besides focusing only on taste and price, the company also focused on how its salmon alternative looks, cooks, and flakes. To achieve this, it partnered with leading food science universities to develop novel processing and scaffolding technologies that deliver a number of firsts for the meat alternative industry. This partnership and innovation were made possible in large part thanks to Protein Industries Canada’s co-investment.

The power of partnership

Thanks to its proprietary platform for creating whole-cut meat alternatives and unique market offering, which is currently being tested and fine-tuned by chefs, New School Foods is one of the Protein Industries Canada partners that’s directly making an impact on Canada’s net-zero goals.

“We’re just getting started,” says Bryson. “Protein Industries Canada’s funding is going to allow us to develop all kinds of whole-cut products. We’re very excited about the new technology we’ve developed.” 

Another partnership is with Lucent BioSciences, an organization that’s supporting sustainable agriculture through upcycling and waste reduction.

“Our mission is to develop sustainable crop nutrition products that work better and cost less while also improving soil health and sequestering carbon,” says Jason McNamee, co-founder of Lucent BioSciences. “That’s the product we’re bringing to market, Soileos, and we’re doing it via whole seed utilization.”

Through their processing method, Lucent BioSciences is able to make use of the parts of crops that traditionally go to waste during the protein ingredient development process. It’s a project that’s brought environmental benefits to nearly every link in the value chain.

Protein Industries Canada’s support was invaluable to Lucent BioSciences. “The supercluster helped us go from the lab all the way to manufacturing and commercialization, with lots of introductions and relationship-building along the way,” says McNamee.

Powerful impact

Protein Industries Canada is also focused on tracking their project partners’ impacts in reducing GHG emissions. “We’re developing a consortium of companies to fund and support a measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) data-tracking tool,” says Greuel. “One of the challenges we have in the food system is figuring out how to track, measure, and report emissions throughout the entire lifecycle of a crop. While crop production starts on farms and includes emissions from crop inputs and production, we have to consider the emissions as the product moves throughout the entire value chain, including fuel and transportation. The new MRV tool will look at the movement of commodities throughout that value chain and measure the emissions reduction at each step.”

With so many advances underway, the future of the plant-based food industry is bright — and Protein Industries Canada is leading the way. 

Learn more at proteinindustriescanada.ca.

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Rob Stephens

Principal Advisor, Kite Creator

There’s no sustainable future without new resources. And if it can’t be grown, it has to be mined. So what does ‘sustainable mining’ even mean? Kite Creator is catalyzing answers.

As we collectively work to reshape our global society into something sustainable, it is easy to focus only on the most straightforwardly green technologies, behaviours, and enterprises.  Renewable energy, water conservation, recycling. Realistically, however, we simply cannot conserve and recycle our way to a sustainable future. The path to net zero runs straight through a busy intersection of absolutely critical industries long avoided by environmentally-minded investors as ‘dirty.’

“The reality is that, even if we recycled every bit of material that’s been mined in the last 2,000 years, we would still fall dramatically short of the metals we need to enable the net zero transition,” says Kari LaMotte, CEO of natural resource venture catalyst firm Kite Creator. “Trying to recycle or deconsume our way there is not actually a sustainable decision. Mining is a necessary partner. And what makes this interesting is that mining is indeed a laggard industry in terms of sustainability, with a lot of low-hanging fruit ripe for innovation.”

Bringing Generational Responsibility to Resource Extraction

LaMotte places emphasis on the Haudenosaunee Seventh Generation Principle, which asks that decisions we make today be not for our own benefit alone, but also for the good of those living seven generations in the future. Mining has historically been a very now-centric endeavour, but LaMotte believes it is possible chart a path forward such that, seven generations hence, our descendants will look back with gratitude on our stewardship.

“There are conversations happening now about decolonizing the mining model,” says Rob Stephens, Principal Advisor at Kite Creator. “About doing something other than bringing capital in, taking resources out, and leaving people with a hole in the ground. People are asking how we can meet our needs now without compromising the needs of future generations.”

It starts with the sheer scale of the potential for sustainability innovation within the industry. “Breaking rocks, for example, uses about 1.3% of the world’s electricity,” says Stephens. “And the mills are only about 5% to 10% efficient.”

Converting this gap into savings depends on innovative solutions like those developed by Minesense in Vancouver, who are putting X-ray fluorescence sensors right in the buckets of power shovels, allowing real-time analysis of the elemental composition of mined materials. This not only improves cost efficiency by millions of dollars per day, it also critically reduces the emissions from waste material being sent to the mills. It is a massive win, but it has not been an easy innovation to realize.

No Impact without Investment

“Intelligent systems like these take a long time and a lot of capital to develop,” says Stephens. “They require multiple iterations, and the venture studio model aims to streamline that. This is very directed development.” Investment in transformative ideas like Minesense is Kite Creator’s raison d’être. And it is arguably the purest form of ‘impact investing’ there is. “Impact investors who care deeply about making a positive change in the world—particularly on climate—often have a big X drawn over mining as an industry,” says LaMotte. “And, yes, we do need to reduce our consumption, dramatically, but it’s also time that we lean in to the opportunity these challenging industries represent. There is tremendous room for investment to make real change here.”

Learn how Kite is driving a sustainable future at kitecreator.com.

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With fires and extreme weather events becoming more common, the effects of climate change are becoming clear to Canadians. More than ever, we must take aggressive action to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Our federal government has set ambitious net-zero emissions goals. One of the best ways to achieve this is to continue investing in renewable energy that is reliable and utilizes proven technology. On this score, waterpower is the winner.

All a hydro plant needs to operate is water, something Canada has in abundance. Wind and solar only produce when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining. In Canada, waterpower already provides more than 60 per cent of our electricity supply, with tens of thousands of megawatts of potential.

Reliable and clean energy 

WaterPower Canada, the country’s waterpower industry association, is a leading advocate for responsible development and use of hydropower to meet our electricity needs in a sustainable manner. 

“Hydro generation is a natural complement to other renewable generation,” says Gilbert Bennett, President, WaterPower Canada. “But hydro has unique capabilities that other renewables don’t, and these capabilities are essential for delivering reliable service to customers.” 

With water in the reservoir, waterpower can be counted on to deliver reliable power, filling the gap when wind and solar cannot generate the power required by customers. During periods of low demand, hydro generation can reduce production and store energy for later use. Reservoir storage gives waterpower operators the ability to adjust production to meet customers’ needs and to accommodate variations in rain and snowfall from one year to the next. The storage capability available with hydropower is far greater than can be provided by batteries. 

Waterpower is the backstop for other renewables, and this capability will be more important in the future as utilities add more variable renewable generation to the grid.

Bennett adds that most Canadians understand the need to move to a renewable future, and successfully doing so means that we need to use all non-emitting technologies to get there. “Our path to net zero will be defined by a portfolio of generation alternatives based on reliability, economic, and environmental considerations. Wind and solar, nuclear, and of course, hydropower all have a role in getting us there,” he says. 

Hydropower will lead our path to net zero, learn more at waterpowercanada.ca.

Hydroelectric resources are fast responding and flexible — allowing grid operators to reliably meet changing customer demands

Energy storage in hydropower reservoirs is Canada’s

big blue battery

which is essential to integrating increasing contributions from Canada’s abundant wind and solar energy

Canadian waterpower has one of the lowest

life cycle
greenhouse
gas emission

intensities of all
electricity sources.

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Biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) are a proven climate solution, with nearly 300 projects across Canada already preventing more than eight Mt CO₂e of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (equal to 1,780,242 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles!) from reaching the atmosphere every year. They also produce a total of 22 petajoules (PJ) of low-carbon energy – the equivalent of 14 large hydro dams or 440,000,000 m³ of solar panels.

Unfortunately, Canada is only tapping about 13% of its available biogas & RNG potential. With the right mix of policy and investment, this untouched capacity could provide a significant boost to the country’s climate goals. But what is biogas & RNG?

Production begins with the treatment of residuals from agricultural, municipal and industrial organics – everything from livestock manure to household green bin materials to restaurant food leftovers. These materials are collected and broken down through a process called anaerobic digestion, which is the breakdown of organic materials without the presence of oxygen. Biogas captured during this process can then be used to heat, generate electricity, or be upgraded into RNG and used in existing natural gas infrastructure.

Anaerobic digestion facilities also prevent methane (a dangerous GHG) from reaching the atmosphere. In Canada, methane emissions from landfills accounted for 3.1% of the country’s GHGs in 2019.¹ Meanwhile, agricultural waste, including from animal manure and crop residues, is responsible for 4% of Canada’s methane emissions.

Unfortunately, Canada’s waste potential is being well…wasted. A 2020 study commissioned by Natural Resources Canada calculates that less than one third of easily available landfill gas is being utilized.² And it’s estimated that we’re tapping as little as 1.3% of available agricultural biogas & RNG feedstock.

So how can biogas & RNG help move Canada along the path to net zero? Here are just a few of the benefits.

1. Clean Energy Production

When biogas & RNG systems recover methane emissions, they not only destroy it, it’s also put to use, resulting in the production of low-carbon energy. This energy then replaces fossil fuel-based energy for electricity, heating and transportation systems, resulting in additional GHG reductions.

2. Economic Growth

The industry is already delivering economic benefits by driving private investment, generating green jobs, and spurring new businesses in almost every part of the country. With the right policies in place, in a best-case scenario biogas & RNG could:

• Create 19,900 full time equivalent jobs by 2030, the vast majority (96%) of which are related to biogas & RNG development in the agriculture sector.

• Lead to almost $2.2 billion in private investment, mostly originating from development in the agriculture sector. It also means more than $5 billion in annual GDP compared with just $1.2 billion under current renewable energy policies.

3. GHG and Methane Abatement

Biogas & RNG projects could cut more than 16.5% of Canada’s current methane emissions all on their own. When added to the targeted cuts from the oil and gas sector, biogas & RNG could help Canada achieve a 44.5% reduction in total methane emissions.

In 2021, Canada formally ratcheted up its initial 2030 GHG reduction goals from 30% to 40-45%. The right mix of policies could allow biogas & RNG to deliver 26.7 Mt CO₂e in emissions reduction by 2030. This would provide a critical building block in filling the 66 Mt CO₂e gap between Canada’s 2030 goals and what current climate plans are able to deliver.

Citations
1 . Government of Canada, (2021). National Inventory Report 1990–2019: Greenhouse gas sources and sinks in Canada – Canada’s submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Part 2.
2 . Stephen J, et al, (2020). Renewable Natural Gas (Biomethane) Feedstock Potential in Canada. Torchlight BioResources.

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The countdown to 2030 is on. Countries around the world are racing to bring home the jobs, investment, and security brought about by a low-carbon economy, and Canada is no exception. The Canadian commitment to a net-zero future was enshrined in law in June 2021 through the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act.

Canada’s Emissions Goals

This Act lays out the country’s emissions targets of 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, and net-zero by 2050. Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan describes current and future measures being put into action in order to meet these goals, including a detailed sector-by-sector road map that identifies sector-specific measures and strategies for emissions reduction.

Corporate Canada’s Role in Climate Resilience

Companies operating in Canada have an outsized role to play in Canada’s net-zero journey – and stand to reap many of the benefits of the transition to a low-carbon economy. Canada’s clean energy sector alone is predicted to see an almost 50% increase in jobs between 2020 and 2030, and companies focused on tackling climate change outperformed their peers on a global scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. Climate resilience and business resilience are intricately intertwined. This only becomes more true as countries strengthen climate laws, and as consumer demand shifts further towards climate-conscious products and services.

The Complexity of Achieving Net-Zero

Yet the pursuit of net-zero is no trivial matter. Such a fundamental shift in our way of doing business demands an unprecedented level of private sector mobilization and collaboration. Companies across Canada are facing this challenge head-on, from the trailblazers looking to share their experience and network with like-minded peers, to companies of all sizes seeking guidance and solidarity at the start of their climate journeys. Organizations like the United Nations Global Compact seek to amplify and support this action, giving business what it needs to help Canada reach its net-zero aspirations.

United Nations Global Compact: Amplifying Business Action

The UN Global Compact, initiated in 2000 by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, is the world’s leading corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiative. Drawing businesses globally to champion universal principles in Human Rights, Labour, the Environment, and Anti-Corruption, the Compact has representation in over 165 countries with more than 23,000 Participants. As the Canadian Local Network, UN Global Compact Network Canada emerged to support Canadian organizations in their efforts to uphold the Ten Principles and actualize the Global Goals. By nurturing collaboration among diverse stakeholders, the Network Canada serves as a beacon, enhancing the Canadian private sector’s capacity to adopt sustainable business practices and drive the sustainable development agenda.

Focusing on Climate Change: SBTi’s Role

Climate change remains a focal point for the UN Global Compact. In collaboration with CDP, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), UN Global Compact co-founded the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to guide companies on greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, ensuring alignment with the critical 1.5°C threshold. This initiative accentuates the need for corporate action to counter the looming impacts of global warming, ensuring targets are firmly rooted in contemporary climate science.

Climate Ambition Accelerator

Canadian organizations who join the UN Global Compact Network Canada gain access to more than just a roster of peers committed to enacting positive change in the world. UN Global Compact Network Canada offers a range of environmental resources and programming. These include access to an online Academy of courses on diverse Environmental, Social, and Governance topics; and programmes like the Climate Ambition Accelerator, a six-month learning intensive designed to equip companies with the knowledge and skills they need to set science-based emissions reduction targets. Open to all Participants of the UN Global Compact, the accelerator aims to scale up credible climate action across companies of all sizes, sectors, and regions. Participants gain access to global best practices, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, on-demand training, and more.

Outside of the Climate Ambition Accelerator, Canadian network participants can participate in a range of other environmental programming, including peer learning groups, working groups, and the aforementioned Academy, which offers live or on-demand sessions covering insights and best practices from world-class leaders, changemakers, and practitioners on today’s most pressing sustainability issues. For those who want to move beyond environmental activities, too, the other UN Global Compact pillars are ready at hand with their own courses and programming.

Enagage with the World’s Foremost Initiative on Corporate Sustainability

Meeting Canada’s climate objectives demands proactive corporate involvement, ensuring businesses prosper in a transitioning low-carbon economy. Pledge your commitment to the Ten Principles and contribute to our collective journey towards a net-zero future. Discover here.

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Canada has set ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. How does the regulation of clean electricity play a central role in achieving these targets, and what specific strategies are being pursued to transition the energy sector?

Clean electricity generation is a cornerstone of a sustainable future. Could you provide an overview of the key regulations and policies that are driving the shift toward cleaner energy sources within Canada’s electricity sector?

Renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydroelectric power are vital components of Canada’s clean electricity mix. What measures are in place to incentivize investment in these technologies and promote their integration into the grid?

The shift to clean electricity generation can have far-reaching economic impacts. Can you discuss how clean electricity regulations are not only contributing to environmental goals but also fostering economic growth and job creation across Canada?

Energy storage technologies are pivotal for harnessing the full potential of renewable sources. What initiatives are being undertaken to advance energy storage solutions and enable a more stable and resilient clean electricity grid?

Technological innovation is driving advancements in clean energy production and consumption. How is the government fostering innovation within the electricity sector, and what role do research and development initiatives play in achieving clean energy goals?

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What is the role of cleantech innovation in the journey toward achieving net-zero emissions? How does it fit into the broader strategy for addressing climate change?

As we work toward a sustainable future, collaboration between government, industry and research institutions is crucial. How is your ministry fostering partnerships to accelerate the development and deployment of cleantech solutions?

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Nouveau Monde Graphite is leading the local production of natural graphite, the most in-demand lithium-ion battery material.

Deployment of renewable energies and electric vehicle (EV) adoption — in Canada, the government has mandated that all new passenger vehicles and light trucks sold after 2035 be EVs — are driving exponential demand growth for a mineral that might have gone unnoticed in past decades: natural graphite. Graphite is fundamental to every lithium-ion battery underpinning these zero-emission solutions — for every tonne of lithium, 1.5 tonnes of graphite are required. The exponential growth in demand for natural graphite, which is expected to reach over 500 per cent through 2035 — the strongest increase of all key battery materials — means that North America desperately needs to improve its supply of graphite, which is currently controlled by China.

This is a great opportunity for Canadian company Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG). Projected to be North America’s largest producer providing a localized and carbon-neutral alternative to the Chinese supply of natural graphite, it’s leading the way in the production of this important battery material to power a greener future.

Powering the clean energy transition  

While electrification has gained momentum across a number of transportation and heavy industry segments, helping carve emissions at the source and further driving demand for battery materials, the mining industry has not kept up.

“From 2012 to 2022, the production of natural graphite has only just fluctuated between 1.2 and 1.3 million tonnes per annum while demand projections increased to 3.4 million tonnes per annum for the anode market alone,” says Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President, and CEO of NMG. 

Our technological and commercialization program led to the signing last year of an offtake and strategic partnership with Panasonic Energy.

Over the same period, NMG has blossomed from an exploration junior to an active mining and advanced manufacturing company developing what’s planned to be North America’s largest, fully integrated natural graphite production, from ore to battery materials. The company’s vertically integrated business model caters to the clean energy transition — providing active anode materials to power the batteries needed for not just EVs but also renewable energy storage, cleantech, and consumer electronics.

A forward-looking business strategy 

NMG is actively developing responsible mining and advanced manufacturing projects to supply the global economy with carbon-neutral anode material. Based in Québec, the company is focused on the Matawinie Mine and the Bécancour Battery Material Plant, located in the battery valley, and is planning the Uatnan Mining Project.

China’s continued dominance of the global production, its heavy carbon footprint, new Western policies seeking to encourage the localization of sources and a booming North American market all compound into favorable perspectives for NMG.

The company’s ore-to-battery-material production model, high-quality graphite-based solutions, proprietary technologies, and scalable development plan are being noticed and sought after.

“Our technological and commercialization program led to the signing last year of an offtake and strategic partnership with Panasonic Energy,” says Desaulniers. “And discussions advanced, and continue to, with other leading battery/EV manufacturers wanting to secure volumes.”

NMG’s business strategy is also underpinned by a mobilized and diverse team of nearly 110 employees, clean hydroelectricity powering its operations, and a resolute environmental, social, and governance (ESG) mindset.

An enviable ESG profile

NMG’s internal ESG compass drives everything it does.

Using natural graphite, NMG produces active anode material for lithium-ion batteries in a carbon-neutral way, with the utmost respect for the environment and the communities involved. The company’s enviable ESG profile covers a range of issues, including responsible mining, diversity and inclusion, environmental management, Indigenous partnership, biodiversity leadership, and responsibility toward its supply chain.

“From the company’s inception, I’ve laid a foundation of integrity, environmental stewardship, and innovation,” says Desaulniers. “The commitment of going all-electric at our Matawinie Mine thanks to our agreement with Caterpillar, the promotion of proactive engagement with First Nations and communities, the adoption of novel technologies in refining, the design of bold environmental initiatives, and the enlisting of strategic investors and customers who share our vision are as many examples of how we transpose our values into action.”

Creating social and environmental value while driving the transition to a greener future is part of what NMG aspires to do. As the energy transition forges forward, it’s important to recognize that it’s powered by mining. And companies like NMG are leading the way in a responsible, sustainable way. 

Learn more at NMG.com.

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Arlene Strom

Chief Sustainability Officer, Suncor

2023 marks the release of Suncor’s 28th Report on Sustainability and 7th Climate Report, underscoring the company’s longstanding commitment to transparently provide progress on its environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts.

Every year Suncor discloses its performance through two comprehensive publications – its annual Report on Sustainability and Climate Report.

“There is an increasing focus on these reports, particularly from our financial partners including investors, bankers and insurers. They want to know about our performance, our ambition and our plans for a low-carbon future,” says Rich Kruger, President and Chief Executive Officer at Suncor.

Accountability to ESG commitments 

The Report on Sustainability and the Climate Report are must-reads to better understand Suncor’s dedication towards a more sustainable future. The Report on Sustainability provides detailed data and context on its ESG performance in 19 areas. It includes year-over-year data charting performance in those areas. Suncor’s Climate Report reflects its plans, performance and progress on its strategy for the decarbonization of its core business and expanding its energy offerings.

There is an increasing focus on these reports, particularly from our financial partners including investors, bankers and insurers.

Suncor is committed to sustainability leadership and positioning itself to succeed in a low carbon future. The company aims to be a net-zero company by 2050 and has set a goal to achieve 10 megatonnes of annual emissions reductions by 2030 across its value chain. This year, the company’s Climate Report describes how several components that anchor these plans are taking shape – including their carbon capture and storage projects and how the company plans to succeed through collective and Suncor-specific action.

“Suncor’s sustainability disclosure reflects our willingness to be held accountable for our performance in areas of significant importance to stakeholders and communities,” says Arlene Strom, Chief Sustainability Officer at Suncor.

2022 ESG Highlights 

94% water recycle rate at our mining and in situ operations

1 million tree and shrub seedlings planted

$3.1 billion spent with Indigenous-owned businesses representing 20% of our overall spending of procured goods and services

$40 million contributed to community, charitable and non-profit groups

105,000 volunteer hours by employees in their communities and $6.2 million employee donations to community organizations

10% committed from our operating budget to low-carbon investments

Learn more at suncor.com.

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