Media Release             

By: Gavin Pitchford

Canada’s Top Sustainability Award releases list of Top Sustainability Projects

completed across Canada over the past 2 years

First Ever Tie for “Project of the Year” as chosen by in-person gathering of Clean50 Sustainability Leaders

Toronto, October 3 2023 – Two of 24 innovative sustainability projects recognized with a “2024 Clean50 Top Project” Award were declared “The 2024 Top Project of the Year” after a confidential vote by over 145 Clean50 sustainability leaders resulted in a tie.  The vote came at the conclusion of the 13th annual “Clean50 Summit”, a full-day, in-person gathering held September 28th.      

Following the full list of 2024 Clean50 individual leaders announced last week, the full list of the 2024 Clean50 Top Projects was announced today by Clean50 Executive Director Gavin Pitchford, and follows below. Pitchford called the awardees “remarkable Innovators driving major impacts in every region of Canada”.  Both 2024 “Projects of the Year” come from Vancouver, BC.

“PaRx: Canada’s National Nature Prescription Program” was started by the BC Parks Foundation and Dr. Melissa Lem to encourage family physicians to prescribe spending time in nature to patients, and has since been adopted in other countries, while in Canada, over 11,000 doctors have registered to offer the “spend time in nature” prescriptions, clinically proven to reduce stress, improve fitness and cut the health care demands of patients.

The “leləm̓ Village Passive Energy Project” was completed by SHARC Energy in conjunction with the Musqueam Capital Corporation, with the goal of generating very low cost, passive thermal energy extracted from sewage, for the next 7 generations, delivered to 1,250 residential units spread over 1.2 million square feet in 17 buildings across 22 acres in Vancouver.  80% of the thermal energy needs of the community are met by the system, reducing utility costs to as little as $20.00 / month.

Other 2024 Top Project award winners announced today include such diverse efforts as third place finisher Enwave Energy’s district energy partnership with a developer to generate net-zero energy for 312 homes in the City of Markham, the Groupe PureSphera led project to recover 99.9% of all the refrigerants from end-of-life refrigerators and air-conditioners in Quebec, and creation of a “Solar Kit for Farmers”, completed by the Smart Energy Company in New Brunswick.

Clean50 Top Projects were selected from over 100 nominees, based on their innovation, their ability to inspire other Canadians to imitate, but mostly based on their climate-action impact.

The full list and details of Canada’s 2024 Clean50Top Projects, appears below, and more details as well as the 2024 Clean50 individual honourees, Clean50 Emerging Leaders and Lifetime Achievement Honourees can be found on the Clean50 website: www.clean50.com/ 

Media contact:          Gavin Pitchford         gpitchford@deltamanagement.com

416-925-2005 / 774-330-6606           https://www.clean50.com

Clean50 TOP PROJECT AWARDS for 2022

(Presented alphabetically by submitting proponent)

Selection Criteria:  Projects are selected based on criteria that prioritizes “five I’s”: Impact, Innovation, Inspiring, Informative, and able to be Imitated.  Once nominated, project proponents respond to a detailed form to identify their process and results.  Details at https://clean50.com/projects

Most honourees have agreed to be interviewed, and the Clean50 team are pleased to facilitate this.

  • “Accelerating the successful deployment of MHD EVs”“ (7 Gen – Vancouver)
  • “Clean Energy Improvement Program”“ (Alberta Municipalities – Edmonton)
  • “PaRx: Canada’s National Nature Prescription Program”“ (BC Parks Foundation – Vancouver)
  • “Halocarbon-free, energy efficient computer room cooling”“ (Bell Canada, Carnot Refrigeration – Montreal)
  • “Canada’s first Sustainable Aviation Fuels Roadmap”“ (Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels, The Transition Accelerator, The Energy Futures Lab – Montreal, Calgary, across Canada)
  • “CBSR Sustainable Procurement Fellowship Program”“ (CBSR, HP, Shift & Build, Sustainability Advantage – Toronto)
  • “Centre for Community Energy Transformation”“ (Centre for Community Energy Transformation, City of Brampton, City of Mississauga, Town of Caledon, Region of Peel – Brampton, Mississauga, Caledon)
  • “City’s Pilot Retrofit turned World-Class Model of Sustainability”“ (City of Toronto, Ecosystem Energy Services, City of Toronto, Ecosystem Energy Services – Toronto) 
  • “Green Roads™ Initiative”“ (Cypher Environmental Ltd., B2Gold – Winnipeg)
  • “MPV2 Net Zero Townhome Community” (The Daniels Corporation – Toronto)
  • “Scaling EcoSchools Certification Platform for K-12 Schools” (EcoSchools Canada – Toronto)
  • “Springwater Residential Geoexchange Community “ (Enwave – Toronto & Markham) 
  • “GHG reduction and circular economy from Fridges”“ (Groupe PureSphera – Montreal)
  • “NetZero Dairy: LOIS creates Methane Avoidance”“ (Livestock Water Recycling, 3 Degrees Group, Saskatoon)
  • “Landmark arts centre pushes boundaries of sustainable design” (Humber College, Diamond Schmitt Architects – Toronto)
  • “Building Decarbonization Modelling Tool” (KingSett Capital – Toronto)
  • “Top Emitters Engagement” (Mackenzie Investments – Toronto)
  • “Operation Circularity” (Mondetta – Winnipeg)
  • “The Next Step & Clean Economy Partnership Project” (Natural Step Canada   Smart Prosperity Institute – x-Canada)
  • “Scaling Seaforestation in the Pacific North West” (Ocean Wise, Canadian Kelp Resources – Vancouver) 
  • “leləm̓ Village Passive Energy Project” (SHARC Energy, Musqueam Capital Corporation – Vancouver)
  • “Shediac Smart Energy Community Project” (Siemens Canada, NB Power – Shediac, NB)
  • “Solar Farm Kit for Farmers” (Smart Energy Company, The McCrea Farms – New Brunswick)
  • “Climate Change: Observe. Plan. Adapt.” (Stevens Solutions & Design, 3D Wave Design – Halifax)