A new low carbon innovation centre aimed at accelerating urban climate action is coming to Metro Vancouver. Simon Fraser University’s Renewable Cities program at the Morris. J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, along with key strategic partners—WCS Engagement + Planning, Rhiza Capital and Lidstone & Company—will support the development of the Metro Vancouver Zero Emission Innovation Centre, which is expected to launch in September 2021.
Over the next eight months, the team will lead stakeholder engagement and strategic planning to establish and launch the Centre. The team combines expertise in nonprofit start-ups, impact investing, governance and community climate action, and will tap into diverse public, private, post-secondary, financial and First Nations interests from across the region to set up the new entity.
The team consists of:
- Alex Boston, Executive Director of Renewable Cities
- Cheeying Ho, Executive Director of WCS Engagement + Planning
- Brian Smith, CEO of Rhiza Capital
- Don Lidstone, Managing Partner of Lidstone & Company
- Brad Doff, Project Manager for Renewable Cities
With strategic advisors:
- Shauna Sylvester, Executive Director of Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and Co-Founder of SFU Public Square
- Darcy Riddell, BC Program Director for MakeWay (formerly Tides Canada)
- Peter Ladner, former Vancouver city councillor, Metro Vancouver vice-chair and business owner
Advisors with the City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, BC Government and the private sector will also help guide development.
Metro Vancouver ZEIC is one of seven Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) centres, a partnership between Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. The Centre will be funded through a $21.7 million endowment from the federal government (Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Infrastructure Canada), which will be used to identify, finance and scale up local climate solutions, such as building retrofits and electrification of transportation. The Metro Vancouver Zero Emission Innovation Centre will seek to partner with other levels of government, non-profit organizations and the private sector to maximize impact and leverage the endowment, investing in initiatives that drive deep carbon reductions and good financial returns.
For more information on the Metro Vancouver Zero Emission Innovation Centre, please contact Project Manager Brad Doff.
Original release found at renewablecities.ca
