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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT - SUSTAINABLE WATERLOO
Minister Kent made this proc-
lamation as the United Nations
Conference of Parties 17 in Dur-
ban, South Africa wrapped up
and on the heels of the announce-
ment of the Durban Platform.
Under the Durban Platform,
countries agreed to be part of a
future legally binding treaty to
address climate change. The
terms of the yet-to-be-created
treaty are to be def ined by 2015
and take effect in 2020, meaning
that signif icant international ac-
tion on climate change is still at
least another eight years off.
A COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH
Minister Kent blames the
withdrawal from Kyoto on an
“incompetent Liberal govern-
ment” for recklessly signing an
agreement for which they had no
plan to achieve - a clear demon-
stration that Canada’s own
response to climate change is too
mired in politics to result in any
signif icant action.
The lack of political will to take
real action on climate change
means it is up to Canadian
communities to f ind ways to
combat the global warming that
we have helped to create. Water-
loo Region in Ontario is doing
just that.
Waterloo Region is home to
almost 535,000 people. Located
about 100 kilometres west of
Toronto, Waterloo Region is
comprised
of
twin
cities
Kitchener and Waterloo, along
with the city of Cambridge and
townships of Woolwich, Wilmot,
Wellesley and North Dumfries. It
is one of the fastest-growing
areas in Ontario and is expected
to reach a total population of
729,000 by 2031.
With the help of a non-prof it
organization called Sustainable
Waterloo Region, organizations
in Waterloo Region are leading
the charge and providing a great
example of what can be achieved
through true community engage-
ment.
Founded in 2008, Sustainable
Waterloo Region is a not-for-
prof it that advances the
environmental sustainability of
organizations across Waterloo
Region through collaboration.
The current work of Sustainable
Waterloo Region is focused on
the Regional Carbon Initiative
(RCI), which supports voluntary
target setting and reductions of
carbon emissions in organiza-
tions across Waterloo Region.
Through the RCI, more than
40 organizations are working to
reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions, including Deloitte,
Ernst & Young, and the
Mennonite Central Committee.
“Our members understand that
not only is sustainability good
for the environment, but it’s also
good for business,” says Mike
Morrice, founder and Executive
Director of Sustainable Waterloo
Region. RCI members have made
commitments to reduce carbon
emissions by 42,848 tonnes over
the next 10 years, and some have
committed to reducing their
emissions by 100%.
BEYOND GREEN BRANDING
The RCI goes beyond green
branding to help organizations
substantiate their environmental
strategies. All RCI services
enable organizations to make
real reductions in their GHG
emissions against a def ined
baseline and move to more
“
Our members understand that not only
is sustainability good for the environment,
but it ’s also good for business”