CivicAction’s Greening Greater Toronto’s first annual Race to Reduce Awards had that extra spark. The Race encouraged thousands of companies to better manage their energy use and environmental impact. Office building landlords and tenants participated in the Race to Reduce smart energy office challenge. As a result, they reduced their buildings’ energy use, very smart.

Thomas Edison was a genius. He still holds the record of submitted patents. And he believed whole-heartedly that “some skills are better learned by doing while others simply by understanding”. If Edison was alive today he would understand the need to reduce the damage that we are doing to our planet, Earth. But it does not take a genius to realize that.

As a human race we would probably find things rather difficult without the Earth, so it makes good sense to try to make it last. Controlling and reducing energy consumption makes sense. It enables you to reduce costs. It is like a tornado. You want to hang on to what you have. You do not want to see everything go. But the more energy consumed, the greater the risk of energy price increases and supply shortages.

The Race challenged Toronto region landlords and tenants from office buildings of all types, sizes and ages to publicly commit to work together to reduce energy use in their buildings. The aim was (is) to improve air quality in the Toronto region and achieve sustained carbon emission reductions in the office-building sector. That sector contributes 20% of the region’s carbon emissions.

“The inaugural Race to Reduce Awards event celebrated some of the region’s best examples of landlord and tenant collaboration to achieve energy and financial savings,” said Linda Mantia, Head, Enterprise Services and Chief Procurement Officer at RBC and voluntary Co-Chair of Greening Greater Toronto and its Commercial Building Energy Leadership Council. “The entries we received are a real testament to how we can reduce our collective energy footprint, and they give us confidence that we will achieve our goal of reducing our collective energy use by ten per cent over the Race’s four years.”

It is a great example of how a market driven initiative can support public policy goals. The Race supports the Ontario government’s timeline for energy conservation targets. The good news keeps getting better. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) have signed an agreement that will create a common platform for measuring and assessing the energy performance of commercial buildings in both countries.

“Energy benchmarking is an important aspect of an effective strategy to improve energy efficiency in buildings, because what gets measured gets done,” said the Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources. “This agreement is another example of how we are working with the U.S., through the Clean Energy Dialogue, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.”

Benchmarking commercial buildings is a growing United States trend that is coming here. Benchmarking is embraced as a point of entry into strategic energy management and is being undertaken by thousands of commercial enterprises each year. California became the first state to make benchmarking mandatory and require disclosure of commercial building data to tenants, buyers and lenders. It is mandatory in Washington D.C., Austin, Texas, New York, New York, Seattle, Washington, and San Francisco, California.

Canada’s new national energy benchmarking tool is a smart solution based on the EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool. Available in 2013, the new tool will use information about building characteristics as well as Canadian national survey data to benchmark energy consumption, costs, operational practices, and provide commercial owners and managers with a blueprint for continuous improvement.

Photo Credit: Rob Sinclair

The world needs innovation; the kind of innovation that creates great products; the kind of innovation that creates a better world – the world we all want to live in. Few cities in the world can compete with New York for diversity. 520 miles of shoreline – more than Chicago, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle combined. The city is embraced by two powerful tidal rivers the Hudson and the East River. It has two major bays, Long Island Sound and the Atlantic.

But as the mayor, Michael Bloomberg once said: “At some point in our history, we literally and figuratively turned our back on the waterfront.” He is determined that New York reconnect with its water. New York faces daunting days ahead.

“The water is the connective tissue of this place – we see it as our sixth borough,” said Amanda Burden, the city’s chief planner. “The ambition is to make New York City once again one of the world’s great harbor cities and to reclaim the water as a part of New Yorkers everyday lives.”

Dockside Green is a continent away, on the Pacific Ocean in Victoria British Columbia in an entirely different world. A LEED® ND Platinum project, it is created around the principles of smart growth, green building and sustainable community design in harmony with nature. It is the heart stopping eco community the world is talking about. A showpiece of sustainable design and technology, Dockside Green is a mixed use harbourfront community based on shared values and innovative amenities that help create a true sense of community, of belonging.

Just how different is Dockside Green? Dockside’s vision is for a socially vibrant, ecologically restorative, economically sound and just community. In the first place, it tied for the world record for the most points ever achieved under the LEED® Platinum rating system in the new building category. This award winning development includes residential, live/work, retail, office, light industrial uses and extensive public play areas and cultural centres.

Eventually, it will include 26 buildings totalling 1.3 million square feet, and be home to about 2,500 people in three neighbourhoods – Dockside Wharf to start, followed by Dockside Commons and Dockside Village. “We believe in the building and growth of communities,” said Kelly O’Brian, Operations and Marketing manager with developer Vancity. “With that comes a responsibility to ensure all aspects of a holistic approach to development are considered and given equal billing. Dockside Green is a triple bottom line development with shared focus on economic, environmental and social goals.”

Dockside was the first development in North America to attempt a master-planned community to this scale with such a strong focus on sustainability. Anytime you are a leader in an industry you will run into roadblocks and learn lessons along the way…you’re cutting the path. For example in our first phase Synergy we opted to include motion sensor lighting in common areas, bathrooms and closets. While this worked well in the common areas an issue arose with this lighting in the bathrooms and closets with the lights turning off while the room is occupied or turning on repeatedly if the sensor was activated by a pet.

Due to the constant overuse and unsuitable ballast installation the lights often failed. We remedied this situation with replacing all the sensors with standard light switches in each suite. It was costly, but because it was an issue related to design we therefore felt it was our responsibility to bear the entire cost of the remediation. And yet, O’Brian said, “Keeping with the Triple Bottom Line theme having some or all of the below factors in the mix makes for a profitable, community-supported sustainable development… We strongly believe in placing equal value on each of the triple bottom line principles – each initiative (environmental, social, economic) balance/boost the other. Having a social, environmental and economic ‘conscience’ has been, in our experience, a proven recipe for success.”

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

- Charles Dickens

For American cities, it seems these are the best of times and these are the worst of times. “Cities,” some social critics contend “are obsolete. Cities are now a reminder that the country has lost its edge. In the United States it seemed for a time that cities were on the verge of obsolescence–being replaced as the centers of culture and economic growth by the sprawling suburb.

Denial and shallowness are not worthy of what Socrates called “the examined life.” Our capacity for self-delusion is strong. That is to say, we are always at least part of the problem. Sooner or later we will walk right into whatever we have been trying to avoid. Cities are changing their focus to streets that serve everyone, young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or wheelchair user, transit user or shopkeeper.

Whatever the images in your mind, realize that we cannot continue to design our cities to block out the intrusions of the natural world. If we hope to transform our cities, we must build better cities – not using more controls, taller fences, or through effective leadership but through people willing to change – to become sustainable. Building a better city means moving beyond addressing issues in the same old way; to work together.

A new attitude, a new awareness is growing, and all over the country. Sustainability cannot happen at the global scale– that is far too vast to be knowable or controllable. It is the scale of the city capable of addressing the many urban architectural, social, economic, political and other imbalances besetting the modern world and simultaneously the smallest scale at which such problems can be meaningfully resolved.

For nearly twenty years, The Congress for the New Urbanism has promoted the hallmarks of New Urbanism, livable streets arranged in compact, walkable blocks. Their vision: liveable streets populated with a range of housing choices, schools, stores and other nearby destinations reachable by walking, bicycling or transit service.

We cannot allow the future to mimic the past. We need our inner cities and traditional communities to absorb as much of our anticipated growth as possible, to keep the impacts per increment of growth as low as possible. And, to do that, we need cities to be brought back to life with great neighborhoods.

Cities have only just begun to transition to the concept of net-zero, to the place where buildings, cars, factories and homes will be designed not only to generate as much energy as they use but to be infinitely recyclable in as many parts as possible. Embracing knowledge and creating awareness can reshape our lives and make the future more certain.

There are grounds for optimism. Times of stress can create opportunities. After all, we are living at a time when our lives can make a dramatic difference. Some cities are making a comeback. Cities competing for position among their global peers are re-branding themselves. They are becoming breeding grounds for new ideas, new forms of expression, and new waves of economic growth. In a race between what is and what could be, we have to make decisions based on the knowledge that they will affect a generation we will never see. These decisions will include an affirming, human-scaled public realm where appropriately designed buildings define and enliven streets and other public spaces.

The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is the leading organization promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions. Whether it be in brownfields, emerging growth areas, established cities, or small town suburbs, New Urbanism reinforces the character of existing areas in making them walkable, sustainable, and vibrant, revitalizing and energizing communities to their true potential. The principles of New Urbanism are central to making whole regions more livable, coherent and sustainable. Rebuilding neighborhoods, cities, and regions is profoundly interdisciplinary. Community, economics, environment, health and design need to be addressed simultaneously through urban design and planning.

CNU has emerged as the leading voice for the creation of sustainable, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods that provide for better health and economic outcomes. With members in 20 countries and 49 states, and support stemming from the local, federal and international level, our members work hard to promote policies that make cities and towns more engaging, vibrant and livable than ever.

CNU takes a proactive, multi-disciplinary approach to restoring our communities. With a history of forming productive alliances, they stand for the reconfiguration of sprawling suburbs into communities of real neighborhoods and diverse districts, the conservation of natural environments, and the preservation of our built legacy with partners that include the US Department of Housing and Urban Development on Hope VI, the US Environmental Protection Agency on Smart Growth, the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration, and the US Green Building Council and Natural Resources Defense Council in creating the nation’s first rating system for green neighborhoods, the newly released LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND)

CNU regularly draws over 1000 people per year to the Congress it still holds annually. Our annual gatherings bring together members of every field related to development – architects, landscape architects, planners, economists, real estate agents and developers, lawyers, government officials, educators, citizen activists, and students – who discuss issues and craft solutions related to the health and vitality of regions, towns, and neighborhoods.

Contributor Credit: Dennis Walsh is a research facilitator, writer, journalist, connector. Learn more about him … www.walshfuturist.com

WATERLOO, CANADA – Japan’s experience sets an example for other nations facing tough standards set by the Kyoto Protocol, finds new research released this month from the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).

In CIGI’s newest Working Paper, Green Japan: Managing the Intersection of National Politics and Global Environmentalism, CIGI Senior Fellow Carin Holroyd reviews Japanese government policies and initiatives that are enabling the country to meet targets set by the Kyoto Protocol. Measures discussed in the paper include initiatives to combat global warming, production and use of low emission technologies, recycling laws, and “Eco Towns.”

The Kyoto Protocol established firm guidelines for greenhouse gas emissions to decrease the impacts of global warming on the environment. Canada and other signatories acknowledged the need to change their national policies. Many governments, however, have treated the Protocol as an aspirational document, providing a guideline and targets to be balanced against national economic and social realities.

Japan, on the other hand, has taken the guidelines seriously. Dr. Holroyd’s paper provides a detailed description of the many government programs launched in that country with considerable support from the population.

According to Dr. Holroyd, Japan has been successful in moving toward a sustainable environment through a combination of national, governmental leadership and a commitment to public engagement. Rather than focusing on punitive restrictions and costly regulations, Japan has emphasized changes in behavior that can be taken by every person, family, company and community. This position has drawn support from business and citizens.

Dr. Holroyd notes that Japan’s government has been proactive in adopting new, environmentally-friendly technologies and that this in turn has encouraged the private sector to undertake “green” product, service and process development, examples of which are described in her study. Japan’s corporate sector is becoming more environmentally conscious and is discovering new business opportunities in the process.

In Japan, academic, government and commercial research scientists have all been mobilized to develop solutions to environmental challenges, the paper states.

The amount of carbon dioxide emissions by GDP of Japan is the least among major industrialized countries in the world and public transportation accounts for 47% of all movements of people in Japan. The country emerged as a global environmental leader after the oil shocks of the 1970s, and has pursued a reliance on clean energy, particularly nuclear power, resulting in a number of major reclamations projects and conservation measures.

“International protocols are the primary currency of global governance,” argues Dr. Holroyd. “Japan’s approach to environmental protection and awareness is worthy of study because it demonstrates that the effort of a single government can bring the imperatives of Kyoto Protocol to bear on the national scene and provide a measure of guidance to other national seeking to tackle the same challenge.”

For more information and to download this and other CIGI Working Papers, please visit: http://www.cigionline.org/publications.

The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is a think tank that addresses international governance challenges and provides informed advice to decision-makers on multilateral governance issues. CIGI supports research initiatives by recognized experts and promising academics; forms networks that link world-class minds across disciplines; informs and shapes dialogue among scholars, opinion leaders, key policy-makers and the concerned public; and builds capacity by supporting excellence in policy-related scholarship. CIGI was founded in 2002 by Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM (Research In Motion), and collaborates with and gratefully acknowledges support from a number of strategic partners, in particular the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. For more information, please visit www.cigionline.org.

The MIR project – conceived by Pitt and a group of experts in New Orleans – is a large-scale redevelopment project for affordable housing that incorporates innovative design to be stronger, safer, and environmentally friendly. MIR’s goal is to construct 150 homes in the low-income neighborhood of New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, the area hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina in which more than 80 percent of homes were completely destroyed by flood waters. The name comes from a former resident’s plea to help “make this right.” Groundbreaking is scheduled for January 8, 2008.

The MIR core team is a partnership between William McDonough + Partners, a world leader in environmental architecture; Cherokee Gives Back Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Cherokee, a firm that specializes in remediation and sustainable redevelopment of environmentally impaired properties; Graft, an international leading architecture firm that collaborates with Brad Pitt on projects around the world; and the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, a charitable institution established to aid humanitarian causes around the world.

A key aspect of the project is its ability to be replicated. MIR is developing a panelization system in which structural insulated panels (SIPs) common to all designs are constructed and stored off site. This standardized system will maximize efficiency and minimize cost, allowing the housing design to be replicated throughout the neighborhood as well as promoting a new universal paradigm of affordable, environmentally responsible home design.

Alcoa Foundation will also support a community-based artistic event in New Orleans designed to raise MIR project funding on a broad scale. The “Make It Right Art Installation Project”—held from December 2, 2007, through January 8, 2008, and symbolically located at the site of the Industrial Canal levee break—is intended to raise local, regional, and national awareness of the issue and maximize overall fundraising to help MIR extend homebuilding benefits beyond the initial goal of rebuilding 150 homes.

More details about MIR can be found at www.makeitrightnola.org

About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world’s leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa’s businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components including flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, Alcoa also markets Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, structures and building systems. The company has 116,000 employees in 44 countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.

About Alcoa Foundation

Alcoa Foundation is a separately constituted nonprofit U.S. corporate foundation with assets of approximately $534 million. The second largest asset-based corporate foundation in the United States, its mission is to actively invest in the quality of life in Alcoa communities worldwide. Throughout its history, the Foundation has been a source of positive community change and enhancement, with nearly $437 million invested since 1952.

The Foundation’s grants address global and local needs in over 30 countries by partnering with Alcoa communities around the world to make a difference. Global and local grantmaking is responsive to the needs and aspirations of Alcoa communities and marshals the combined expertise, energies, and values of Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation to provide a world-class standard of excellence in corporate citizenship.

In 2006, Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation invested a combined total of $42.3 million in community programs in 32 countries, focusing on four areas of excellence: conservation and sustainability, global education and workplace skills, business and community partnerships, and safe and healthy children and families.

In addition to grantmaking, Alcoa Foundation offers two employee programs to encourage volunteerism. Bravo! recognizes individual employees who spend a minimum of 50 hours per calendar year doing volunteer work for an approved nonprofit/non-governmental organization; in recognition of the employee’s effort, Alcoa contributes $250 to the nonprofit organization. ACTION (Alcoans Coming Together In Our Neighborhoods) recognizes the team efforts of at least five Alcoa employees who spend a minimum of four hours on a community service project for a local nonprofit/non-governmental organization; in recognition of the team’s effort, Alcoa contributes either $1,500 or $3,000 to the nonprofit organization, depending on the size of the team.

For more information, visit www.alcoa.com, under Community.

The prestigious international awards for liveable communities are backed by the United Nations Environment Program and focus on the management of the environment and leadership in the enhancement of quality of life.

Oshawa participated in the final stage of LivCom’s Whole City Awards 2007 held in Westminster, London on November 22-26. Oshawa is one of nine finalists in their category and competed against communities from Australia, Canada, England, Hungary, Japan, Spain and the United States.

“I am so very proud of our city,” said Mayor John Gray. “To compete on a global stage and win a gold award at these highly esteemed international awards is a testament to the dedication, ongoing commitment and achievements of the City of Oshawa and our community.”

An international panel of world-renowned judges listened to presentations from more than 50 countries over three days. Oshawa’s delegation included Mayor John Gray, Development Services Commissioner Tom Hodgins and Manager of Parks, Bill Slute.

The Oshawa delegation delivered an impactful and comprehensive multi-media presentation. A video featured two local student ambassadors who provided a virtual tour of Oshawa through the eyes of our youth. The PowerPoint presentation that followed contained over 350 engaging photos which further showcased the community. It also highlighted the City’s dedication and success with respect to the judging criteria: enhancement of the landscape, heritage management, environmentally sensitive practices, community sustainability, healthy lifestyles and planning for the future.

For more details about the awards, visit www.livcomawards.com. For more information about the City of Oshawa, visit www.oshawa.ca.