Ten years ago, during the dawn of the modern all-electric vehicle with the launch of the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S in quick succession, executives from both companies tacitly admitted that despite key EV advantages in smoothness, zero emissions, cost of fueling and even being able to remote start in one’s warm garage, there were also two extra challenges for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in cold climates: driving range, and overall charging speeds.

These days, longer range batteries, quicker overall charging speeds and more plug-in vehicle options have helped to make winter driving much easier and a realistic option for many drivers, current EV owners and others. But many areas in Canada are still well behind in DC quick charging options, which help especially with those two winter issues.

Most automakers have now declared themselves committed to a zero emissions future for their vehicles, some more enthusiastically than others, prompted by countries such as Canada that have mandated such measures. This is slated to occur by 2035 in Canada, but as early as 2025 (or earlier) in Norway, the runaway global market leader in electric vehicle sales. With 64.2 percent of the entire new vehicle market in Norway consisting of BEVs in 2021 (roughly 92 percent of new vehicle sales if you include plug-in hybrids and hybrid sales to the end of November 2021), Norway is an oil-rich nation that should be a model for Canada that even countries with serious winter weather can embrace modern EV technology.

A study of the early Norwegian EV market found that installing public quick chargers helped increase the adoption of BEVs by roughly 200 percent over five years, by addressing the range issue in both urban and inter-city travel, with the addition of quick charging points every 50 km along major highways. And momentum seems to be building in this direction in Canada as well, after the provinces of Quebec and BC were also early to establish quick charging public networks in those provinces early on, helping to drive BEV adoption in those provinces, along with rebates and more recently ZEV mandates as well.

Electric vehicle drivers in Ontario were super excited to learn in early December that its popular network of ONroute highway stops would finally receive long-promised quick charging capabilities in 2022, as part of the Ivy Charging Network. Ivy is a joint venture between Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation (OPG), which will install and operate quick chargers of up to 150 kW speeds as early as the end of January, with 17 planned to be operational by the summer road trip season, and 20 by the end of 2022. These will cover some of the busiest stretches of highway on the continent, along the 401 and 400 north-south routes.

Such DC quick chargers will very much help with the inter-city travel that has traditionally been more of a challenge for EVs, especially in the winter, as will longer-range batteries and better thermal management systems in modern EVs. Where highway quick charging won’t help nearly as much is with urban drivers who don’t have access to a garage or a regular parking spot with overnight charging abilities.

It’s these drivers that would most benefit from more urban charging capabilities – as would all who work or live in cities, through lower pollution and climate-changing emissions. This could involve simple new 110-volt outlets in street lamps, more street-side Level 2 (240-volt) chargers, or more downtown DC quick charging (480 volts, or Level 3), such as Tesla offers with its Superchargers. 

The success of Tesla is undoubtedly in large part due to its Supercharger network, which is both urban and inter-urban, but unfortunately not nearly as built out in Canada as in the US. If Canada is to successfully reach its goal of all zero emissions consumer vehicles in Canada by 2035, with all the health and climate benefits, more charging commitments in all areas of the country are needed.

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What exactly is energy storage technology?

Energy storage technology captures energy produced and stores it for later use. Energy is stored through a variety of technologies including, but not limited to, pumped hydro, batteries, compressed air, hydrogen storage and thermal storage. The ability to store energy for later use allows increased regulation of the amount of power supplied to an energy system and contributes to the overall resilience of the power grid.

Why do we need energy storage?

Energy storage is flexible and can act as a generation, transmission, or distribution asset – sometimes in a single resource. Energy storage assets can augment any number of resources in an energy system. While energy storage is a great complement to the intermittent generation of renewable assets, it can also respond to fluctuations in grid demand, helping meet peaks in demand, and reducing the need for generators to increase production. Low-cost energy can be stored to supply the additional energy needed during these high-cost peaks, which in addition to increasing the energy available, reduces costs for consumers. Energy storage is also able to serve as a backup if power generation is interrupted, augmenting an energy system’s reliability and resilience, and helping to reduce the environmental impacts of increased energy demands.

How is energy storage useful on a grid scale?

Energy storage’s flexibility and its ability to complement existing systems, offer a range of benefits at the grid level. It improves the overall efficiency of the operation of the grid, helps meet high-cost demand during peak periods, and reduces grid congestion, which can cause damage to the grid. The ability to store this excess energy until it is needed also reduces the need to build additional power generation assets if existing transmission infrastructure may be hard-pressed to meet increases or changes in demand. Energy storage can solve this problem by storing the energy (possibly even sited near the generation source) and moving the energy to where it is needed prior to periods of congestion. Energy Storage also tends to gain less public opposition than more visible powerlines or other power generation projects.

What can we expect to see in terms of innovation in storage technology in the next 5-10 years?

Because energy storage tends to still be categorized as an “emerging technology,” an argument could be made that all energy storage technologies and applications are innovative. However, in the next five to ten years, as the costs of energy storage systems continue to decrease, it’s likely there will be a greater prevalence of all energy storage technologies. It’s possible in that time frame we might also see different battery storage chemistry, or different mechanical storage solutions, such as technologies harnessing kinetic or gravitational energy. Hydrogen storage options are also generating a lot of interest currently, which could present some interesting and innovative energy storage solutions in the coming years. Another area of interest that is ripe for innovation is long-duration energy storage (LDES), energy storage technologies that hold energy for longer periods of time, upwards of 24 hours or more. The great thing about energy storage in terms of innovation is that as ready as many technologies are to be incorporated into existing grids, the solutions today are just the beginning. It’s an area that is ripe for growth and innovation for a long time to come.

What actions have been taken by industry and government stakeholders to advance energy storage technologies in Canada? What more needs to be done?

The provinces in Canada that are ahead of the game (Ontario and Alberta) have taken steps to review existing legislation and regulation, in consultation with industry stakeholders, to identify barriers to the incorporation of energy storage and have started taking steps to remove those barriers. There continue to be conversations surrounding the timelines these provinces have laid out to fully enable energy storage, but they do have a plan or road map in place that provides a line of sight to advance energy storage in their jurisdiction. Other provinces could certainly look to these leading jurisdictions to support the development of similar road maps for their own provinces. In terms of the federal government, federal funding opportunities or guidance could be compelling levers to assist in that task. In terms of energy storage development for Canada, it’s less that more needs to be done and more that the processes being undertaken need to move faster because the energy storage industry is ready to meet the growing needs of Canada’s energy grids and to help Canada meet its net-zero goals!

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As Canada electrifies its economy, solar is ready to rapidly transform underutilized spaces into distributed energy infrastructure.

Globally, solar power provides the lowest cost of energy in history. It is a mature, commercialized technology that is available today – no future breakthroughs or government grants required. Electrification is inevitable. Now is the time to elevate our clean energy standards in Canada. Solar is ready.

For businesses, solar is an opportunity to further monetize existing development assets. Solar is also a visible way to demonstrate corporate social responsibility and connect with clientele who share their sustainable values. Most investments in technology are deflationary. Solar is bankable. With a lifetime far longer than its return on investment, today’s solar drives the net cost of energy down, providing energy rates that are lower now, and for the next 30 years.

Solar power is highly adaptable, easily integrating into developed spaces. Unlike the construction of new centralized power plants, solar is rapidly installed anywhere, at any scale. As a distributed energy resource (DER), solar avoids the expense of long-distance transmission, producing electricity where it is needed. This decentralization of energy not only stabilizes energy costs, it minimizes urban sprawl by maximizing our use of space.

Solar transforms our cities

There is an abundance of urban space that is not being used to its full potential. Rooftops and parking lots are underutilized and can be made productive. Solar transforms them into distributed power plants. By empowering us to rethink how and where we generate electricity, solar is an essential ingredient in the energy mix for a cleaner, electrified future.

Rooftop solar installations built on existing structures have already enabled early adopters to generate up to 100 percent of their electricity and beyond, with many exporting surplus energy to the grid.

Solar canopies that cover parking lots provide benefits that go beyond power generation. They provide shelter from inclement weather, shade in summer, and snow cover in winter. It is infrastructure at human scale that enhances the urban experience.

Achieving Canada’s energy transition

In Canada, renewables generate 70 percent of our electricity. They are already major sources of our energy. Despite advancements in energy efficiency, our energy demand continues to grow, doubling in only 40 years. Distributed solar is one pillar in closing the gap to complete our energy transition, powering the electrification of transportation and heating.

Installing solar into urban spaces enables an agile, bottom-up response to transforming our energy infrastructure. Solar empowers communities and businesses to act now to fight climate change, drive down their long-term energy costs, and supply local economic returns. It is a new form of infrastructure that addresses rising capital costs and operating expenses.

Solar has the power to transform.

Innovative design

At VCT Group, we develop innovative solar products that productively transform space.

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Corporate decarbonization can be a long and complicated process, but Amp helps its clients become leaders in the push to net-zero.

The transition to a low-carbon global economy is increasing the corporate demand for power purchase agreements (PPAs) as organizations seek to reduce emissions and secure their long-term energy costs. As one of Canada’s leading renewable energy developers, Amp’s vision and technological innovations are reshaping traditional sustainability strategies and helping corporations realize their clean energy future.

Forging a new era in Canadian renewables

Steve Schaefer has been with Amp since its inception in 2009 and now serves as Senior Vice President of Origination and Head of Canadian Operations. Schaefer and his team have developed over 130MW of renewable energy across over 550 projects, primarily in the form of feed-in tariff contracts supplied by solar and, more recently, hybrid solar plus battery storage assets.

“The genesis of our commercial and industrial (C&I) strategy is to solve the challenges associated with C&I clients achieving their environmental sustainability targets by providing the most beneficial solutions,” says Schaefer. “This is why Amp is now a top-tier PPA provider globally.”

With decarbonization being new territory for many C&I organizations, Amp’s initial role focuses primarily on education, data collection, and strategic planning.

“More and more C&I organizations are making ambitious net-zero commitments, but they don’t always know where to start,” says Schaefer. “That’s exactly where we come in.”

A holistic approach to decarbonization

Amp has evolved from supplying clean energy solutions to complete decarbonization strategies. In the increasingly competitive renewable energy sector, one of Amp’s key differentiators is its holistic approach to C&I energy transitions.

“Many organizations have taken small steps in the decarbonization space to date, but have now either generated their own net-zero target or had one imposed upon them,” says Schaefer. “Decarbonization doesn’t rely on one single pillar. The only way to reach these goals is through a holistic approach.”

Amp’s unique approach will include combining renewable generation with battery storage and its proprietary digital energy platform, Amp X. “We’re now integrating and unifying real asset development with Amp X, combining supply and demand through a digital platform with a single optimization engine,” says Schaefer. “We will be taking all the energy nodes, whether they’re consumption, generation, or both combined with storage, and providing the unique capability to optimize behind the meter.”

Unlocking energy flexibility with Amp X

The development and evolution of Amp X has been a revelation in the integrated energy solutions space. Working in conjunction with renewable energy and storage assets, Amp X is designed to unlock new levels of optimization and flexibility, enabling C&I customers to potentially generate new revenue streams via participation in energy markets.

Amp is also rapidly establishing itself as a global leader in the energy storage space, with an expanding portfolio of standalone assets and hybridized systems pairing batteries with solar or wind. In addition to extending the penetration of renewable generation, energy storage is emerging as an effective way to reduce peak energy demand.

Amid the rapid progress of Canada’s C&I decarbonization efforts, Schaefer is excited by the scale of the opportunities that lie ahead. “It’s breathtaking to see how many organizations are making that net-zero pledge, and my team and I are excited to support our C&I partners in achieving this vision,” he says.

The post Enabling Commercial and Industrial Decarbonization with Amp appeared first on HiveInnovates.

shopfsc.ca helps consumers stand for forests.

Nearly 400 million hectares of forest stretch across Canada, which is home to 10 percent of the world’s woodland. Still, our national canopy is threatened and consistently at risk: since the turn of the century, this country’s tree cover has plummeted 11 percent — or by 44 million hectares, according to Global Forest Watch.

The news cycle demonstrates in real-time our close relationship with forests. There is annual, serious wildfire activity in BC searing the landscape of many communities, and the summer of 2021 was no exception. In northwestern Ontario, smoke from forest fires hung as far south as Toronto, dropping air quality and visibility all along the way.

Walls of flame get the attention, but in truth stakeholders that range from activists to corporations have been sounding the alarm bell on deforestation in the name of urban growth, industry, and agriculture for decades. When we hear about this, it’s usually in the spectre of something newsworthy, like RCMP officers recently shutting down old-growth protests in the forests of Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island — a scene set to become the biggest act of civil disobedience in Canada’s history.

At stake is the loss of diverse wildlife, Indigenous communities, and carbon storage that helps avert the climate crisis. Protecting our forests is a role that isn’t exclusive to activist organizations, government agencies, or eco-conscious corporations. It’s a role any consumer can accept, with their wallet and with their choices. In an economy-driven society, that role is second to none.

FSC stands for forests

In Canada and around the world, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) protects animal habitats, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, workers’ rights, and areas of environmental or cultural importance.

To that end, it has set a strict national standard for responsible forest management that any forestry company must meet in order to be FSC-certified. In this process, companies must demonstrate they’re preserving caribou habitat, working collaboratively with local Indigenous Peoples, acting in a socially responsible manner, and prioritizing high conservation values — biological, ecological, social, or cultural values of outstanding significance ­— among other requirements.

In this meticulous process, FSC tracks fibre from certified forests along the entire supply chain all the way to the store — where consumers are then empowered to be part of the sustainability solution by selecting wood, paper, and other forest products bearing the FSC label.

These labels provide consumers with an assurance that the products are made from responsible sources and have been verified to meet FSC’s strict environmental and social standards.

In fact, FSC Canada’s national forest management standard is this country’s sole forest certification system to be supported by top environmental organizations including the World Wildlife Fund Canada, the David Suzuki Foundation, and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association.

The FSC label can be found on millions of products that range from toilet paper, books, and furniture to shoes and musical instruments. The consumer experience is often a rushed one, so to make sustainable purchasing even easier, Canadians can now find FSC certified products online at shopfsc.ca. It’s home to a growing list of companies proudly showcasing their FSC-certified products, including Pottery Barn, Lululemon, Hunter Boots, Allbirds, and more.

Find FSC certified products online at shopfsc.ca or learn more about FSC and its approach to sustainable forestry at ca.fsc.org.

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From September 19-25, 2021, Canadians from coast to coast to coast are invited to recognize National Forest Week (NFW).

This annual national campaign will bring organizations and Canadians from different walks of life together to celebrate forests and our rich forest heritage, one of Canada’s most valuable and renewable resources.

This year’s theme “Our Forests – Continually Giving”, highlights how Canada’s diverse forests are connected to our everyday lives. The impact of forests and forestry is far reaching. Our forests play a vital role in providing clean water, air and rich biodiversity. They also provide economic opportunities and support communities across Canada. Trees and forests offer a variety of products, social and health benefits, provide critical ecological functions and play an important cultural role for Indigenous communities.

As Canada is home to 347 million hectares of forest (38% of total land area)¹, the importance of our forested ecosystems cannot be understated.

From the oxygen trees produce, to helping control floods, cleaning our water and air, and supporting Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy, forests help keep our environment healthy and strong.

Forests also have a role in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Given the carbon sequestering capacities of trees and their ability to yield bioenergy, forests have and will continue playing a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Without strong and healthy forests, our lives would look very different. Canada is a world-leader in sustainable forest management, protecting and conserving our forests through science-based decision making and strict laws and standards. Forest practitioners and professionals work every day to ensure our urban and rural forests are sustainably managed and remain resilient through a changing climate.

“Forests are more important now than ever, serving as a beacon of renewal, resilience and hope for the future,” states CIF-IFC Executive Director, Mark Pearson. “Sustainable forest management practices are critical to ensure thriving forests across Canada.” 

The ways in which forests provide a variety of products, social, cultural, and health benefits, and critical ecological functions are highlighted in our NFW daily sub themes:

There are many ways that Canadians can participate in NFW including: following the daily sub- themes on CIF-IFC’s social media channels, organizing or participating in a tree plant, exploring a forest near their home, or by learning more about forests and sustainable forest management.

Stay connected by using the #NationalForestWeek hashtag and share your stories, events, and photos with us at: [email protected] or tag us/follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Formed in 1908, the CIF-IFC is the national voice of forest practitioners and many others with an interest in forestry and forests. The Institute strives to provide national leadership, promote competence, and foster public awareness of Canadian and international forestry/forest issues.

¹The State of Canada’s Forests. Annual Report 2020. 2020. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Ottawa. 88 p.

The post Canada’s Diverse Forests Are Connected To Our Everyday Lives appeared first on HiveInnovates.

In a year when COVID-19 again dominated much of the news, events in BC inextricably pulled public attention to the province’s forests.

In a year when COVID-19 again dominated much of the news, events in BC inextricably pulled public attention to the province’s forests. Wildfires scorched much of BC’s Interior, leaving people fearing the loss of life, home, and livelihood. The province moved toward shared decision-making with Indigenous peoples, a much-needed but complex change to forest management. Pending forest policy changes also left people wondering about the security of jobs in many rural communities. And old growth protests, originating on Vancouver Island, exposed passionate division between urban and rural residents, young and old, Indigenous Peoples, and even among the registered forest professionals charged with caring for forests throughout BC.

Sometimes forestry isn’t about trees, it’s about people. Nearly every British Columbian holds values about the forest — be they spiritual, environmental, or economic. When forest activities run counter to people’s values, emotions run high, fingers are pointed, and blame is dispensed.

Planning and caring for healthy, sustainable forests is the role of registered forest professionals. Like dentists, engineers, accountants, and doctors, forest professionals are regulated. BC’s registered forest professionals have university degrees or college diplomas, completed a two-year articling process, pass a series of licensure examinations, and follow professional standards and codes.

Forest professionals, however, don’t have a single, monolithic view on forest management or how we use forests. They have a broad range of opinions, based on science, training, and practical experience.

Given the complexity of old-growth forests, it’s natural that forest professionals have differing opinions. But the debate around old growth isn’t truly about the science and the practice of professional forestry — it’s about the choices the landowner has made about how, and for what purpose, forests are used.

With 94 percent of BC’s forested land publicly owned, the provincial government has a responsibility to understand what the public wants from its forests and to set priorities for the use and management of that forest land. Regardless of their personal views or those of their employer, forest professionals are required to follow the law, adhere to public forest policies, and keep public interest paramount when making recommendations or decisions around forest management.

Determining what BC forests will or won’t be used for isn’t a small or simple task. There are a multitude of voices clamoring to have their preferred solutions imposed by governments. How do governments balance different values and demands? Which should be prioritized?

A growing number of British Columbians want the use of forests to reflect their current and future interests, regardless of past use. That’s fair — priorities should be reset as societal values evolve. But forests are complex ecosystems. Decisions made today can have unintended consequences in the future. And therein lies the challenge.

Governments are responsible for setting the rules and policies that reflect society’s desires for BC’s forests today. And the informed voices of registered forest professionals are integral in helping public and government decision-makers alike understand the ecological consequences of whatever policies are introduced to meet those desires.

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Forests are renewable, reliable, regenerative, and restorative. They also store carbon, help protect wildlife, and sustain communities by enabling diverse career opportunities and supporting mental and physical well-being. 

But not everyone knows, or understands, all the environmental, social, and economic values forests provide for our communities.

Project Learning Tree Canada’s (PLT Canada) Forest Literacy Framework is a free, bilingual resource that helps increase people’s understanding of forests – and the importance of sustainable forest management – and empowers them to take actions that benefit forests and people. PLT Canada is an initiative of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

Forest concept themes

The Forest Literacy Framework offers 100 forest concepts, organized into four themes:

Hot topics

Another way readers can learn about forest concepts is through the Forest Literacy Framework‘s connections to hot topics:

A sixth topic is also under development. Indigenous People and Connections to the Land will explore how Indigenous Peoples are leaders in sustainable forest management and place-based traditional knowledge.

Why is forest literacy important?

By gaining forest literacy, people gain the tools and knowledge to keep our forests sustained for generations to come, while still enjoying the environmental, social, and economic benefits of our forests.

From climate change, to water quality, to biodiversity, well-managed forests provide viable solutions to many of the world’s most important sustainability challenges. PLT Canada’s free bilingual resource provides a framework for those who educate young people (in formal and nonformal settings, like parents, teachers, caregivers, and more) and those who work in Canada’s green sector to teach about forests and how we can become advocates for them.

A guide to teaching and learning about forests

The Forest Literacy Framework is a tool you can use to educate people of all ages on the importance of our forests and sustainable forest management. Why do you think forests matter?

The post Why Do Forests Matter? appeared first on HiveInnovates.

The effects of climate change can be seen across the country in droughts, insect outbreaks, floods, increased wildfire intensity, and melting glacial ice. In an effort to slow the warming of the earth’s surface, Canada has committed to reducing the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Closely related to climate change is the earth’s natural carbon cycle.

The carbon cycle refers to the continuous transfer of carbon from land and water to the atmosphere and living things. Forests are a vital part of this cycle, both storing and releasing carbon in a dynamic process of growth, decay, and renewal.

The challenge for the forest industry is to remove 30 megatonnes of CO2 per year by 2030, representing 13% of Canada’s overall target.

“There exists a perspective that is held by many that forest fires are solely the result of climate change and not the result of forest preservation and fire suppression,” says Bob Fleet, Vice President of Environment and Forestry at Tolko Industries Ltd. “Although the release of carbon is inevitable during a forest fire, it’s important to remember that this process is part of a natural cycle that’s necessary to help rejuvenate our forests over time.”

Canada’s forests are a vital global ecosystem, absorbing tremendous amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), and an important renewable resource that contributes to our economy. Carbon is stored in wood fibre products, with storage prolonged through the recovery and recycling of forest products. As Canada faces the challenge of reducing GHGs, maintaining healthy, vibrant forests and furthering the use of wood-derived products will be important in the transition to a greener, low-carbon economy.

Tolko’s role in mitigating climate change

Sustainable forest management practices, leading-edge manufacturing facilities, and the ongoing development of innovative wood products lay the foundation of Tolko’s commitment to mitigating climate change. Tolko helped shape the collective forest industry’s commitment to fighting climate change through the development of the Forest Product Association of Canada’s “30 by 30” Climate Change Challenge in 2016. The challenge for the forest industry is to remove 30 megatonnes of CO2 per year by 2030, representing 13 percent of Canada’s overall target.

Supporting sustainable forest management

Proactive forest management is an important tool to mitigate and combat climate change. Tolko is committed to sustainable forest management that follows strict regulatory systems, environmental standards, and continuous monitoring.

“Sustainable forestry practices maintain the long-term health of forest ecosystems for present and future generations,” says Fleet. “Tolko’s practices, such as the use of new technology in forest inventories, continuous research, prompt reforestation, support of Indigenous partnerships, and harvest planning imitating natural forest ecosystems, all support sustainable management.”

Tolko forests are certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) standard, an independent third-party certification that demonstrates the rigorous level of planning that’s involved to harvest and ensure successful reforestation of the forests it manages. SFI-certified forests and products are powerful tools to achieve shared goals such as fighting climate change, reducing waste, conservation, fostering biodiversity, educating future generations, and sustainable economic development. SFI standards are recognized and accepted by governments and customers around the world. The SFI Forest Management Standard requires a number of practices with direct climate benefits, such as ensuring forests remain as forests, requiring harvested areas to be promptly regenerated, and requiring practices that reduce the likelihood of wildfire or damaging invasive species.

At Tolko, research on the state of the forest and its evolution help shape the company’s understanding and informs its management strategies. In Saskatchewan, for example, ecosystem-based forest management is implemented by mimicking natural forest patterns in harvest plans. Careful planning and harvest play an important role in how forest blocks regenerate. Regeneration strategy not only includes replanting, but also allowing trees such as aspen, pine, and poplar to regenerate naturally. Deciduous forests successfully regenerate naturally through suckering in the Meadow Lake, Slave Lake, and High Prairie regions.

In Alberta, Tolko is using state-of-the-art technology and satellite imagery to capture real-time forest metrics such as tree species, height, and volume. These data help predict future forests, discover climate change impacts, and understand the dynamic forest ecosystems landscape. Healthy forests maintain their ecological and carbon functions, which are essential to providing long-term ecosystem, economic, and social benefits achieved through proper forest management.

Leading the way with modern manufacturing facilities

Over the past five years, Tolko has undertaken several initiatives to reduce its emissions through facility modernization and clean energy systems, such as:

Innovative wood products

Wooden buildings store more carbon than competing products. Tolko’s innovative engineered wood products allow architects, engineers, and builders to maximize their use of wood in new ways. Building more with sustainably managed wood can deliver significant emissions reductions.

Additions to Tolko’s engineered wood portfolio include Athabasca Division’s new rip line to produce laminated strand lumber and Heffley Creek Division’s engineered parallel-laminated veneer product. Both provide a consistent high-strength wood option for the industrial sector.

Tolko’s Soda Creek Division recovers short-length lumber produced in the sawmill from logs that would otherwise be left in the forest. This lumber is converted into a highly sought-after finger jointed stud product. To help mitigate climate change, Tolko is committed to building leading-edge manufacturing facilities, promoting wood products as viable building options, and supporting science-based forest management.

About Tolko

Tolko Industries Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of forest products for customers around the world, including lumber, plywood and veneer, oriented strand board, co-products, biomass power, and a growing number of specialty wood products. It holds third-party certification on the forestlands it sustainably manages in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan and plays an active role in the communities where its employees live and work.

The post Protecting Canada’s Forests: Reducing Our Carbon Footprint appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Canada’s forests are under constant change. For example, we have seen the devastating impacts of wildfire and insect outbreaks across the country.

Climate change has presented an additional layer of challenges. While protection of untouched wilderness is an appealing notion to some, in reality, there is no such thing in Canada. Forest succession and renewal is a natural process which ensures our forests remain healthy over time.

The impacts of a changing climate have applied a new reality across all forests and ecosystems. To mitigate and adapt to these challenges, we must have tools available to manage these threats. We must collectively encourage, support, and expand the sustainable management of our working forests to ensure their continued protection.

While forests are commonly viewed as part of natural climate solutions, people often forget that forests can be large emitters and sources of carbon dioxide. For example, in 2017, British Columbia’s greenhouse gas emissions from forest fires were 176 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, more than 2.5 times the total emissions for B.C. that year. Through the sustainable harvesting of forest products, that carbon can be locked up in valuable wood products, displace more carbon-intensive materials such as concrete or steel, and generate low-carbon biomass energy. Sustainable forest management is an essential part of the climate solution.

Our forests and wildlife have adapted to a cycle of natural disturbances, such as fire, that has maintained ecological integrity over millennia. Sustainable forest management in Ontario aims to emulate these natural disturbances while protecting individual social, economic, and environmental values. Looking across Canada, Ontario is in a unique and enviable position. Our robust legal framework and long history of successfully managing and renewing forests have resulted in a healthy and abundant natural resource. As demand for sustainable products increases, Ontario is strategically positioned to capitalize on this enormous opportunity.

A study commissioned by the United Nations indicates that global demand for forest products is expected to increase by more than 30% by 2030. Consumers have realized that forest products are critical to a sustainable bioeconomy. This presents an incredible opportunity to Indigenous, non-Indigenous, northern, and rural communities across Ontario who depend on a healthy and prosperous forest industry. All of this can be achieved through the active management of our public forests.

The concept of “protection,” i.e., leaving forests in a preserved state forever, is a misconception. Historically, the philosophy of nature being something that required human protection stems from the concept of saving natural areas for those in urban populations to travel to on the weekends to escape city life. Given the realities of today, this is an outdated perspective. Although there are certain sensitive or special areas that merit special consideration, I believe it is time we collectively rethink what “protection” means and how we can achieve it through active, adaptive, and sustainable forest management.

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