The Clean50 Special Awards
.
.
Sustainable Procurement Award
This award recognizes demonstrated leadership in sustainable procurement – valuing things such as energy use and total cost of ownership as well as GHG impacts, over considering just the initial price.
Jennifer Harper & Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics
With a keen eye on how suppliers’ GHG emissions impact Cheekbone’s results, and constantly seeking better solutions, in addition to eliminating packaging, Jenn also validates suppliers’ environmental performance. And, as they take back used makeup containers, Cheekbone also ensures that they source materials that be re-filled and stand up to being used multiple times, or can be more easily recycled.
Runner up: Diana Virgovicova & Xatoms
.
.
.
Net Zero Action Plan Award
Everyone has a net-zero goal for 2050 – the award recognizes the net-zero plan with the best short term objectives, with action underway and an achievable plan to make serious progress by 2030.
Jamie Bonham & NEI
NEI has made a commitment under the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative for 100% of financed emissions in material sectors to reach net zero or net-zero aligned by 2040, with interim targets for 2025 (70% of investees are net zero or under engagement to get there) and 2030 (90%). Recognizing that simply selling the high emissions assets would simply move the problems to someone else’s balance sheet, Jamie and team have sought to engage and drive action within investees–and now 45% of the portfolio is either net zero or under engagement to get there.
.
.
Steven Meyers (left), Derek Ellis (right), & Province of PEI
With significant influence from Steven, the Government of PEI committed to being net zero by 2040 – The province has thus far displaced 35% of home-heating oil use through a Free Heat Pump Program and moved 19% of the baseload electricity requirements to residential solar generation through the Home Rooftop Solar Program.
.
.
.
.
Runners up: Rachel Guthrie & EDC; Jason Scherr & Port of Prince Rupert
.
.
.
TELUS Community Service Award
The TELUS Community Service Award recognizes Clean50 honourees who keep giving after their work day is done.
Jason Scherr
Jason serves on the Prince Rupert Chamber of Commerce, most recently as Past President and President, the Prince Rupert Rugby Club, with a focus on the development of the youth, indigenous and women’s programs, and as a member of the Board of the North Coast Ecology Centre Society, working to create a future permanent centre to advance knowledge and experience of the region’s ecology to residents and visitors.
Runners Up: Rachel Guthrie, Ian Moran, Ben Patton, Leigh Pearson, Meghan Sherwin
.
.
.
..
.
.
GHG Reductions Champion Award
This award recognizes demonstrated leadership in ACTUAL and measurable GHG reductions.
Terry Hickey, Colleen Dix, Geoff Pegg (left to right), & Telus
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
TELUS used new processes to measurably reduce fleet use, improved the energy efficiency in their buildings, and renewable energy power purchase agreements to cut emissions by 19% over the last two years, while simultaneously adding employees and infrastructure through the acquisition of two new companies and increasing revenue – also by 19%. Net TELUS GHGs per $billion in revenue dropped by almost 32% over two years.
.
.
.
Co-operators Community Resilience Award
The Co-operators Award for Community Resilience recognizes the Clean50 Honouree whose efforts are helping to reduce the impacts of climate change by taking action to help Canadian communities build resilience in the face of the rising risks posed by a rapidly changing climate.
Mike Savage & Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM)
Delivering over $18 million annually for climate initiatives, the HRM “build back better” program increases resilience by upsizing culverts, using more resilient materials, upgrading stormwater management capacities, and investing in green infrastructure and naturalization initiatives. The estimated return on investment is $15 in future averted losses for every $1 spent proactively.
HRM has also updated coastal extreme water level and flood hazard mapping to inform more stringent coastal setbacks, provided funding for hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to determine flood extents and mechanisms, as well as the development of design options for flood mitigation in priority areas. A “Resiliency Retrofit Program” in partnership with the Clean Foundation helped 20 homeowners to increase their homes resiliency to flooding including free flood prevention retrofits.
Runner up: Dan Kutcher & Summerside, PEI
.
.
.
Energy Industry Emerging Leader Award
This award is sponsored by 2024 Clean50 Honouree, Alectra senior executive Geri Yin, who is passionate in pursuing transformative innovations in energy transition, and keen to promote and help us recognize rising stars in the energy industry who demonstrate innovative thinking and take initiatives to advance a cleaner, more resilient grid.
Mihskakwan James Harper & NRStor
Still in his twenties, over the past two years, Mihskakwan James has secured a $50M grant for the Oneida Energy Storage Project which will reduce grid emissions by 4.1 million tonnes of CO2e through avoided natural gas generation. He led the development of a clean microgrid project in Arviat, combining wind, solar, and storage to cut diesel reliance by over 50%, offering multi-generational economic benefits. And from that created a Microgrid Toolkit to empower remote communities to self-develop clean energy projects, enhancing energy sovereignty. Additionally, he raised funds and organized the 2022 SevenGen Summit, bringing together over 200 Indigenous youth to learn about leading the clean energy future, fostering the next generation of clean energy leaders.
