Oliver Forster

The US EPA is carrying out a consultation, looking into unlocking the ability to share whole building data through the Energy Star Portfolio Manager. Although this is a US initiative, it has the potential to influence efforts in Canada. They are engaging on two key questions: Could you tell me what your needs are for receiving whole-building energy data? What is the importance of whole-building energy data for your organization? The link to engage is below: https://lnkd.in/gmu_tGMM

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The errors and bad judgement displayed by the Parliamentary Budget Office on their analysis of the carbon tax are so egregious and self serving that we must now question all of the analysis and conclusions made by that organization. This is not the behaviour of an effective fiscal watchdog and infact should initiate a deeper investigation of the deficiencies with that office https://lnkd.in/g9NH9rmW

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#Biodiversity is a vital component of #Canada's journey to #climate #resiliency and #NetZero. Our article, co-authored by Ashoke and myself, advocating this message and providing a synthesis of science policy options, is now published in the Canadian Science Policy Centre. Read here: https://lnkd.in/dskNmGf2 And while you are there, do read the 5 other fantastic articles on #building sectors, #climaterisk, #decarbonization, #ESG and #youth empowerment.

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An excellent breakdown by Navius Research, Inc and Canadian Climate Institute / Institut climatique du Canada of the impact of emissions reduction policies throughout Canada. Their research provides that, "by 2030, all existing climate policies in Canada combined will prevent 226 megatonnes of carbon pollution—roughly equal to the total annual emissions of Ontario and Quebec. In other words, without the various climate policies provincial, territorial, and federal governments have legislated to date, Canada’s emissions would be more than 40 percent higher in 2030 than they are currently on track to be." Source: https://lnkd.in/eg8b5w4w #Decarbonization #EmissionsPolicy #CarbonTrade

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Crafting the future: Our meticulously prepared treaty text sets the stage for swift and decisive action, enabling us to forge a robust treaty that effectively combats plastic pollution. Let's make this happen!

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Huge thanks to GreenBiz Group and LaRonda Peterson for giving me the platform to talk write about my report. I love how you’ve framed it:   “The founding CEO of Verra explores how carbon markets — already a crucial tool in our climate toolbox — can catalyze the global shift to a green economy.”   The article can be read here: https://lnkd.in/duZ87Wve   And a link to my report is in the comments.   #CarbonTransitionTool #VoluntaryCarbonMarket #CarbonCredits

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The INC-4 meeting in Ottawa last month was incredibly insightful. From my meetings with other organisations that are helping to develop solutions to end plastic pollution to observing negotiators debate the finer points of the future global instrument, it is evident that we are all seized by a common understanding that the current take-make-dispose linear economy is not sustainable and that we need to think circular. And no matter where you look, solutions to help accelerate the transition into a circular economy already exist and more are coming. But not everyone knows and we need to do something about that.     I was pleased that we were able to add to the existing knowledge about these solutions and engage in meaningful conversations with many country delegations during our time in Ottawa through our solutions showcase “Circularity in Action, Solutions for Change”.    From solutions and programmes that our members are undertaking to what innovative start-ups such as 900.care are doing to promote a zero-waste lifestyle to our own projects like “CASH IT!” with the ASASE Foundation in Ghana, Yalla Return with Nadeera in Dubai, and the JingSu programme with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in China, we were able to demonstrate what is already being done to help end plastic pollution in the environment.     My colleagues and I look forward to sharing more of our knowledge and what we have learnt over the past few years about these plastic circularity solutions.     Watch our Solutions Showcase video here: https://lnkd.in/ehahdnNH     #circulareconomy #endplasticwaste #collaboration #CatalysingImpact  #Solutionsforchange  

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The impact of AI on climate isn't being talked about enough. It's huge. Yes, AI holds the key to unlock solutions at scale but from what I'm reading, this is happening at a far slower rate than the quickly escalating negative impacts. This Corporate Knights article is written from a Canadian perspective, but is a great explainer if you want to know more about this subject. Happy reading! https://lnkd.in/d3m-wznD. 🌎

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It's a big news day in Canadian climate finance! 1. Today, 55+ climate organisations from across Canada call on the government to exclude all fossil fuel projects from the proposed Canadian Taxonomy of Sustainable Finance (this is like a label for what counts as a sustainable investment). There will also be some material on why gas should DEFINITELY not be labelled as a sustainable investment. Watch this space 👀👀 See our letter: https://lnkd.in/efqtZ63P 2. After weeks of pressure from climate experts, and over 6000 letters sent by members of the public, the Senate Banking committee has resumed studying the incredible Climate-Aligned Finance Act. Finance experts from across the world endorse this bill, yet the Senate committee (chaired by a former oil company director) has failed to study this bill. You can watch the expert Julie Segal testify today here: https://lnkd.in/ebnCgV77 I promise the taxonomy is not as boring as it sounds! We rebranded it as a sustainable investment label, because the taxonomy PR really dropped the ball on naming it. You can read my breakdown on why it really matters here: https://lnkd.in/eT9ufuap #cliamtefinance #CAFA

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Pondering this week’s Greenwash of the Week over a snack attack, which led me to dive back into the theme of specificity and substantiation. On the front of this pack of crisps (sorry, I’m still too British to call it a chip), the Natural Chip Co advertises ‘renewable electricity’. Wanting to know more, I turned over the pack, looking for information. Nothing. I then looked up the Natural Chip Co brand page, and the Sustainability page on the Snackbrands Australia website. Nothing. Social media channels? Nothing. Sustainability report? 404 error page 😬 Given the relative complexity of the food manufacturing process, I’m not sure it’s enough to just say ‘renewable electricity’ if you’re looking to leverage it as a differentiator. Electric agricultural machines? Renewably powered packing plants? Renewably powered packaging printers? How many sites? What proportion of total electricity used is renewable? 1% or 100%? I’m sure few people consider this level of detail when all they’re after is a crunchy snack to go with a nice cold beer. But for the split second of time you spend choosing a brand, you might be swayed by a little icon like this advertising a product’s ’green credentials’. I don’t doubt the Natural Chip Co uses renewable electricity, but I’d like to be confident this isn’t being overstated in a bid to get me to choose the product. A consumer should be able to easily find more information to back up any claim made on packaging (without needing to proactively check 4 different channels). Extrapolate this out to several other FMCG goods you find in the supermarket, and we’re reminded of the scale of the greenwashing problem. It’s a murky snack landscape out there. Keen to hear your thoughts - have you seen anything similar on other products recently? Or any examples of brands substantiating their hero claims effectively on packaging to provide the consumer a robust shortcut? #sustainability #greenwashing #greenwashoftheweek

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Hey Everyone! What a hectic two weeks in the Scope 3 industry. On Tuesday April 9th, 2024, the Board of Trustees for the SBTi released a statement supporting the use of environmental attribute certificates to address Scope 3 emissions targets.  This announcement has sent shockwaves through the carbon finance industry, with reactions ranging from applause to condemnation. Some have applauded the announcement— arguing that without the use of environmental attribute certificates, many corporations will not be able to attain their 2030 SBTi Targets. Meanwhile, others have remarked that the inclusion of carbon credits to attain Scope 3 Targets would materially degrade the integrity of the SBTs, putting the momentum toward a true mitigation hierarchy at risk. Needless to say, the limited information from the announcement has left its consequences wide open for interpretation and scenario-building; and has resulted in a back and forth between key stakeholders further complicating messaging. With all this in mind, I was curious to take an opportunity to explore what could be a constructive pathway forward IF environmental attribute certificate use is permitted. The VCMI Scope 3 Flexibility Claims proposal makes some interesting suggestions, which I see as potential minimum requirements to safeguard the integrity of the mitigation hierarchy in the context of available use of environmental certificates. 1. An approved SBT Target that covers Scope 1, 2 and 3, with clearly demonstrated progress toward such targets; 2. A limitation on the use of non-supply chain linked credits to 50% of the company’s annual Scope 3 emissions in the year it’s making the claim; & 3. Sunsetting the use of non-supply chain linked credits where the use of credits must decline year over year and last no longer than 10 years. In addition to these requirements, I would add: 1. That any ‘environmental attributes certificates’ should be third-party certified, in line with the GHG Protocol requirements and ICVCM Core Carbon Principles; & 2. The use of credits should be limited to industries with significant reduction requirements (>40%) resulting from FLAG activities; which have fundamental barriers to 2030 target achievement due to the sequestration timeframe required for nature based solutions associated with any investments made from this point through 2030. The above requirements would ensure that: 1. Companies are still required to make investments now to address Scope 3 needs once the sunset period phases out certificate use within 10 years; but 2. It allows such companies to still maintain 2030 targets despite fundamental timeframe delivery barriers associated with some supply chain linked investments types. I am curious, what do others think?

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When #WorldEnvironmentalDay, Canadian Environmental Week & your birthday all collide, it’s time to think about environmental wishes for the next year. 🎂 If I were granted three wishes, I’d ask to: ♻ Change what we do: we need to accelerate the shift to sustainable practices across all major industries—energy, transport, manufacturing, and more. We need more solar and wind energy, EVs & sustainable fuels, embrace circularity over single-use, etc. 🌲 🌊 Protect what we’ve got: our forests, lands, seas, rivers and soils. All need investment, restoration and guardianship.   🌬 Reverse what we’ve done (finishing with the biggest & boldest wish of all!): to see the carbon in the air trend downward versus upwards. Just 41 short years ago, the carbon count was 342 ppm. Today, it’s over 427 ppm. Perhaps I’m chasing a unicorn here, but I remain hopeful while blowing out candles on a delicious toffee cheesecake: we’re all part of #GenerationRestoration & together, we can do this! 👊 🌍

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'Many major toilet paper companies are destroying Canada’s boreal forests' is a shocking headline when looking at the environmental impact of toilet roll. Should something most of use use daily (and often without paying too much thought to) contribute to habitat and biodiversity loss? There are a number of different materials that can be used in toilet paper manufacture which have less environmental harm. A short blog - and links to a socially responsible (as well as environmentally responsible) company at https://lnkd.in/eKwK4v39

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#INC4 #PlasticTreaty Recommended read by Planet Tracker on INC4 in Ottawa 👇 Five main considerations:  1.   Are upstream petrochemical producers in scope?  2.   Will hazardous chemicals be called out? 3.   Will there be product restrictions? 4.   Who will finance the transition?  5.   Will the final treaty text be mandatory or voluntary? https://lnkd.in/eiuHXb5z

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I presented on this BC Climate Emergency Campaign Connecting BC: Public transit and the transition to zero emission transportation webinar with Marc Lee of CCPA BC. Check out the video if you want to learn more about the CCPA / BC Federation of Labour Connecting BC report, and the BC CEC's transportation work. On May 9, 2024, the BC Climate Emergency Campaign and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) held a free webinar on Connecting BC: a 10-year vision for public transit throughout BC. In collaboration with the BC Federation of Labour, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has published Connecting BC: a 10-year vision for public transit throughout BC. In this webinar, report author Marc Lee discusses the highlights of this 10-year transit investment plan that outlines a path to make transit affordable, accessible, inclusive, carbon-zero and a great experience for users across the province. Transportation planner and BC Climate Emergency Campaign transportation working group lead Eric Doherty discuss the significant overlaps between Connecting BC and the BC Climate Emergency Campaign’s efforts to accelerate the transition to zero emission transportation. This working group is particularly focused on ensuring all levels of government take effective action to meet BC’s ambitious vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) reduction target. About the speakers: Marc Lee is a Senior Economist with the British Columbia office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Marc led the CCPA's Climate Justice Project (CJP), and continues to write about climate and energy policy, strategies for affordable housing, federal and provincial budgets and economic trends. Eric Doherty is a transportation planning consultant who specializes in improving community health and accessibility, as well as reducing climate pollution. More information about Eric and Ecopath Planning is available at www.ecoplanning.ca. Testimonial #1: Sharon, Let's Ride BC – Testimonial #2: Anjali, Transit For Teens –Testimonial #3: Shantal, wheelchair user and advocate https://lnkd.in/gTFCnEc5 #publictransport #publictransit #BRT #climateaction #climatejustice

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Today, the US Federal departments and offices have issued the statement and associated principles on voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) which is based on the belief the meaningful role #VCMs can and should play in facilitating GHG emissions reductions and removals, and eventually acting as a critical tool in the climate action toolkit to limit the global warming to 1.5 °C.  The statement further reinforces that with right incentives and guardrails in place, VCMs holds potential to become a significant channel for mobilizing much needed private capital in support of the energy transition.  Such developments paves the way for high-functioning VCMs that creates meaningful economic opportunities for carbon project investors, and connect buyers to high-quality, cost-effective emissions reductions and removals credits, ensuring that one credit truly represents one tonne of carbon dioxide (or its equivalent) reduced or removed from the atmosphere, beyond what would have otherwise occurred. Read more at https://lnkd.in/guRsSvrZ At #GEVernova, achieving #decarbonization along with electrification is more than our mission. It’s a mindset that drives every aspect of our functionality.   #GEVernovaCarbonManagement services, plays a critical role in achieving our decarbonization mission and create solutions for our customers to help unlock GHG emission mitigation to meet #netzero targets and #sustainabilitygoals. We provide assessments and tools beneficial in navigating the complexities of #energytransition pathways to arrive at the most optimised actionable outcome.  Find out more about our #GEVernovaCarbonManagement services at https://lnkd.in/gvfWN2KD  

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Check out my latest BLOG for SUEZ UK on all things #plastic - policy, performance and positive outcomes.... i take a closer look at the UN Global Plastics Treaty, UK packaging policy changes & increasing media coverage, highlighting the challenges and progress being made towards reducing plastic waste and improving recycling systems. Read the blog here: https://bit.ly/3WyiRWQ

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The use of #naturenabasedsolutions for #climateimpacts is necessary and we need to see it sooner rather than later #ditchfossilfuels

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Couldn't agree more! Ecologically managed grid corridors can: 🦔 Boost local #biodiversity 🗺 Connect fragmented species populations & restore #ecosystems at scale 👨‍🌾 Create economic benefits for local landowners (think grazing, farming, bee-keeping, orchards, enviro. subsidies etc.!) 👫 Improve public perception of necessary grid infrastructure & 💶 Bring down costs for grid operators in the long-term! To learn more about the potential of 'Integrated Vegetation Management' #IVM, check out our recent report & contact me to join our Working Group! Report 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6McVEsQ 👉 liam@renewables-grid.eu

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