TRCA’s Partners in Project Green program is launching a Circular Economy Leaders Consortium, in partnership with TELUS
March 28, 2022 – Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) Partners in Project Green (PPG) program is launching a Circular Economy Leaders Consortium (CEC) in partnership with TELUS. The CEC will launch March 29, 2022, with a focus on facilities waste management.
The CEC will provide an opportunity for collaboration by engaging with an exclusive group of sustainability professionals to advance the circular economy. Unlike the linear economy, the circular business model is a different way of doing business. It minimizes waste and helps keep materials in use through better collection, reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling.
PPG waste management tour at a GTA textile recycling facility.
PPG is launching the CEC to build on the success of current programming and establish a robust platform for the business community to be leaders in climate action through waste management. The CEC seeks to meet the following objectives:
Promote leadership and collaboration among sustainability professionals
Share best practices and innovative technologies in facilities waste management and operations and identify opportunities for continuous improvement
Facilitate education and actions that support waste reduction and diversion through waste prevention, extending the life of materials and resource recovery
Facilitate collective projects among members of the consortium to maximize positive impacts
“TELUS is committed to achieving zero waste by 2030. We are applying circular economy principles by developing new systems that minimize waste generation, reuse materials, and maximize diversion of waste to landfill. We look forward to working collaboratively with other industry leaders committed to driving circular economy.” — Geoffrey Pegg, Director, Sustainability and Environment, TELUS
“The circular economy is an important pillar in the fight against climate change. By reducing material extraction, and manufacturing and disposal activities, we can cut emissions along the entire supply chain and help reach Canada’s Net Zero Goals. PPG looks forward to supporting the Founding Members of the Circular Economy Leaders Consortium in reaching their facility waste reduction and diversion goals advancing circularity and climate action across the business community.” — Darryl Gray, Director, Education and Training, TRCA
Key Facts:
Through its programming, PPG plays an integral role in empowering member companies to achieve measurable sustainability achievements. Between 2013-2020, PPG’s Energy Leaders Consortium has implemented more than 450 conservation projects that annually saved:
128,000 eMWh of energy
670 million litres of water
30 million in utility costs
Members of PPG’s Energy Leaders Consortium participate in a facility tour
PPG’s Waste management programming has diverted 20,565 tonnes of material from landfill.
The Circular Innovation Council, Circular Economy Leadership Canada (CELC), the Circular Opportunity Innovation Launchpad (COIL), and others are supporting the initiative as advisors. The CEC Advisory Team will provide expert guidance on the CEC program design.
Founding Members include Air Canada, City of Mississauga, Longo’s, TELUS, University Health Network, Velcro Companies, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Woodbine Entertainment.
The Founding Members will demonstrate circular economy thought leadership and lead a contingent of sustainable industry professionals seeking to achieve measurable waste prevention and diversion goals, focused on facility management and operations.
About Partners in Project Green Initiated by Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), PPG is a community of leaders advancing environmental action and economic prosperity across the GTA. Comprised of businesses, government, institutions and utilities, PPG works to collectively advance social and environmental sustainability through knowledge sharing, technology and infrastructure implementation, and network building. PPG helps businesses lower operational costs while integrating environmental and social responsibility into their business models and works in partnership with our municipalities to advance sustainability in the region.
About Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) With more than 60 years of experience, TRCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities in Ontario, created to safeguard and enhance the health and well-being of <span data-trca-tooltip="
Watershed
The entire area of land whose runoff water, sediments and dissolved materials (nutrients and contaminants) drain into a lake, river, creek, or estuary. Its boundary can be located on the ground by connecting all the highest points of the area around the river, stream or creek, where water starts to flow when there is rain. It is not man-made and it does not respect political boundaries.” class=”glossary-term”>watershed communities through the protection and <span data-trca-tooltip="
Restoration
To repair or re-establish functioning ecosystems; the process of altering a site to establish a defined, native, historic ecosystem; the goal is to emulate the structure, function, diversity and dynamics of a specified ecosystem.” class=”glossary-term”>restoration of the natural environment and the <span data-trca-tooltip="
ecological services
Ecological services are defined as the overall benefits to humans arising from a functioning healthy ecosystem, which includes improved water quality and quantity, air quality, soil stabilization, flood mitigation, balanced hydrologic regimes, biological processes and biodiversity. Ultimately, the streams in TRCA’s watersheds run into Lake Ontario and have a direct influence on the water quality and habitat along the waterfront.” class=”glossary-term”>ecological services the environment provides. More than five million people live within TRCA-managed watersheds, and many others work in and visit destinations across the jurisdiction. These nine watersheds, plus their collective Lake Ontario waterfront shorelines, span six upper-tier and 15 lower-tier municipalities. Some of Canada’s largest and fastest growing municipalities, including Toronto, Markham and Vaughan, are located entirely within TRCA’s jurisdiction.
About TELUS TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with $17 billion in annual revenue and 17 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video, and security. Our social purpose is to leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to drive social change and enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. The numerous, sustained accolades TELUS has earned over the years from independent, industry-leading network insight firms showcase the strength and speed of TELUS’ global-leading networks, reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to the people, resources and information that make our lives better.
TELUS Health is Canada’s leader in digital health technology, improving access to health and wellness services and revolutionizing the flow of health information across the continuum of care. TELUS Agriculture provides innovative digital solutions throughout the agriculture value chain, supporting better food outcomes from improved agri-business data insights and processes. TELUS International (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital customer experience innovator that designs, builds, and delivers next-generation solutions, including AI and content management, for global and disruptive brands across high-growth industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, ecommerce and FinTech, healthcare, and travel and hospitality. TELUS and TELUS International operate in 25+ countries around the world.
Driven by our determination and vision to connect all citizens for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired TELUS, our team members and retirees to contribute more than $900 million and 1.8 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world. Together, let’s make the future friendly.
OTTAWA – The parliamentary budget officer says the federal government likely failed to keep its deficit below its promised $40 billion cap in the last fiscal year.
However the PBO also projects in its latest economic and fiscal outlook today that weak economic growth this year will begin to rebound in 2025.
The budget watchdog estimates in its report that the federal government posted a $46.8 billion deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland pledged a year ago to keep the deficit capped at $40 billion and in her spring budget said the deficit for 2023-24 stayed in line with that promise.
The final tally of the last year’s deficit will be confirmed when the government publishes its annual public accounts report this fall.
The PBO says economic growth will remain tepid this year but will rebound in 2025 as the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts stimulate spending and business investment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the level of food insecurity increased in 2022 as inflation hit peak levels.
In a report using data from the Canadian community health survey, the agency says 15.6 per cent of households experienced some level of food insecurity in 2022 after being relatively stable from 2017 to 2021.
The reading was up from 9.6 per cent in 2017 and 11.6 per cent in 2018.
Statistics Canada says the prevalence of household food insecurity was slightly lower and stable during the pandemic years as it fell to 8.5 per cent in the fall of 2020 and 9.1 per cent in 2021.
In addition to an increase in the prevalence of food insecurity in 2022, the agency says there was an increase in the severity as more households reported moderate or severe food insecurity.
It also noted an increase in the number of Canadians living in moderately or severely food insecure households was also seen in the Canadian income survey data collected in the first half of 2023.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct 16, 2024.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales in August fell to their lowest level since January 2022 as sales in the primary metal and petroleum and coal product subsectors fell.
The agency says manufacturing sales fell 1.3 per cent to $69.4 billion in August, after rising 1.1 per cent in July.
The drop came as sales in the primary metal subsector dropped 6.4 per cent to $5.3 billion in August, on lower prices and lower volumes.
Sales in the petroleum and coal product subsector fell 3.7 per cent to $7.8 billion in August on lower prices.
Meanwhile, sales of aerospace products and parts rose 7.3 per cent to $2.7 billion in August and wood product sales increased 3.8 per cent to $3.1 billion.
Overall manufacturing sales in constant dollars fell 0.8 per cent in August.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
