E-News Summer 2022
As summer progresses, our Circular Economy, Energy, Transportation, and Water teams continue their hard work to tackle pollution.
This newsletter highlights key initiatives that Pollution Probe is currently spearheading, including:
- Successfully advocating against the Ottawa St. Laurent pipeline project.
- Supporting the installation of EV charging infrastructure and the adoption of electric school buses.
- Nutrient recovery and reuse opportunities in Ontario: mapping the phosphorus economy.
- Advocating for the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes
Read on to get the latest on these exciting projects and more.
Make sure to join us in person on November 22nd for our 2022 Conference & Gala where we will reflect on environmental achievements, ongoing challenges, and what needs to be done to keep environmental issues top of mind in an uncertain world.
– Christopher Hilkene, Chief Executive Officer
We are pleased to announce that preparations for the 2022 Conference & Gala are underway. We will be hosting the gala in-person at the Bluma Appel Salon in the Toronto Reference Library on November 22nd, 2022.
Canada is an international leader in research, technology, and environmental sustainability. As the country moves towards a net-zero, circular economy, exciting progress is being made to transition to a green future. Innovative partnerships and diverse perspectives are critical to address environmental challenges in our rapidly changing world.
Join us for a day of reflection on environmental achievements, ongoing challenges, and what needs to be done to keep environmental issues at the forefront in an uncertain world.
For more information and updates on the 2022 Conference & Gala, head over to our Gala page.
Circular Economy: Phosphorus is a non-renewable and non-substitutable resource with a wide range of applications, including as a component of agricultural fertilizer and some consumer products. When found in excess in soil or water, phosphorus contributes to a range of negative environmental impacts. Too much phosphorus can produce dense populations or overgrowth of algae (often referred to as algal blooms or harmful algal blooms) that can adversely impact drinking water supplies and have significant harmful effects on supporting ecosystems. Pollution Probe released the first provincial study of how phosphorus is used and its movement through Ontario’s economy….
Energy: Not all our work is in the public eye, and we often work behind the scenes advancing community interests and reducing emissions from our energy systems. This season as a part of our Energy program, Pollution Probe was part of a group at the Ontario Energy Board, the energy regulatory, that successfully advocated against a $123.7-million proposed gas pipeline…
Transportation: In June, Pollution Probe released a report detailing findings from a first-of-its-kind national survey of EV owners on their experiences using public charging infrastructure. The report was profiled by national and local news media outlets and was shared with thousands of EV owners and stakeholders across the country. The findings and recommendations from this effort will influence policies and best practices on EV charging station deployment for years to come….
Water: The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River make up about one-fifth of the world’s surface freshwater. The lakes border two countries, and within those two countries, eight American states and one Canadian province. In recognition of the importance of our Great Lakes, Pollution Probe co-hosted Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Day on the Hill on May 30th, 2022, in Ottawa.…
Pollution Probe aims to engage all Canadians on environmental issues that are critically important to act on over the next decade.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Mapping the flow of phosphorus in Ontario's economy
Phosphorus is a non-renewable and non-substitutable resource with a wide range of applications, including as a component of agricultural fertilizer and some consumer products. When found in excess in soil or water, phosphorus contributes to a range of negative environmental impacts. Too much phosphorus can produce dense populations or overgrowth of algae (often referred to as algal blooms or harmful algal blooms) that can adversely impact drinking water supplies and have significant harmful effects on supporting ecosystems. Nutrient pollution has been described as one of the most widespread, expensive, and challenging environmental issues to address.
In 2021, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) provided funding for Pollution Probe to lead the first provincial study of how phosphorus is used and its movement through Ontario’s economy, in collaboration with academic experts and their teams from Université Laval, McGill University, and the University of Waterloo’s Water Institute. Better understanding the flow of phosphorus is a critical first step for informing further discussions about the important role nutrient recovery and reuse can play in effectively managing phosphorus and contributing to a circular economy. This initial study will also serve as a template for similar studies in other regions across Canada.
Pollution Probe’s report offers insight into where phosphorus losses may occur, which is particularly important for those parts of the province experiencing considerable environmental challenges related to nutrient pollution (e.g., Lake Erie). It also highlights practical examples of the feasibility of nutrient recovery and reuse solutions, and points to opportunities for policy frameworks to play a role in technology adoption in support of the circular economy and economic growth, the management of recovered resources, and protection of the environment.
The report is the first step in the development of a Canadian Nutrient Recovery and Reuse platform, supported by regional hubs across the country that will act as local communities of practice. The platform will contribute to growing and strengthening a nutrient recovery and reuse economy that is reflective of the unique Canadian environmental, economic, and social challenges associated with nutrient management.
ENERGY
Pollution Probe successfully advocates against $123.7M gas pipeline replacement
Not all our work is in the public eye, and we often work behind the scenes advancing community interests and reducing emissions from our energy systems. This season, as a part of our Energy program, Pollution Probe was part of a group at the Ontario Energy Board, the energy regulator that successfully advocated against a $123.7-million proposed gas pipeline replacement project in Ottawa, the St. Laurent pipeline. This decision has sent ripples throughout the province’s energy sector, as this is the first pipeline project that the Ontario Energy Board has rejected on the grounds that the city of Ottawa expects to emit less greenhouse gas in the future.
Pollution Probe regularly intervenes at the Ontario Energy Board, and elsewhere, where we can help provide new perspectives and information so that the best decisions can be made.
TRANSPORTATION
Supporting new EV charging stations, calculating the climate impacts of teleworking, and driving adoption of electric school buses
In June, Pollution Probe released a report detailing findings from a first-of-its-kind national survey of EV owners on their experiences using public charging infrastructure. The report was profiled by national and local news media outlets and shared with thousands of EV owners and stakeholders across the country. The findings and recommendations from this effort will influence policies and best practices on EV charging station deployment for years to come. Probe also hopes to conduct similar surveys in future years, to keep tabs on what is and isn’t working well from the perspective of Canadian EV owners.
Pollution Probe continues to serve as one of the third-party delivery organizations providing funding through Natural Resources Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). This funding covers up to 50 per cent of the purchase and installation costs of new EV charging stations at a wide range of eligible locations across the country. In the first half of 2022, Probe’s program supported the installation of roughly 200 new charging stations. Providing more options for public charging has been proven to be one of the best ways to accelerate EV adoption.
Our transportation team is also leading a project on behalf of the City of Toronto that will assess and quantify the climate impacts of teleworking for the City’s more than 30,000 staff. An all-staff commuting and teleworking survey was conducted in June and will provide the data needed to calculate potential GHG benefits from teleworking in the GTHA region. Results will be released publicly in the fall and shared with other municipalities as well as businesses so that workplace modernization efforts can incorporate telework policies that lead to measurable climate benefits.
Our team is also working to advance the adoption of electric school buses (ESBs) in Ontario through the development of a provincial ESB Strategy. This work will gather emerging evidence on the environmental, human health, and economic impacts of ESBs in an Ontario context, and provide actionable advice to leading decision-makers in the sector such as school boards, school bus fleets, bus and battery manufacturers, and government. The Strategy is expected to be finalized and publicly released in the fall. In May, our team published a white paper that highlights the considerations that factor into the strategy itself.
Overall, the thrust of our transportation program continues to be filling knowledge gaps to accelerate efforts to achieve a net-zero national transportation network by 2050. We know this is possible. We also know there are many challenges that need to be overcome to get there. By working collaboratively with all key stakeholder groups, from government, industry, academia, and the public, we are developing and implementing solutions that are aggressive yet practical, ambitious yet achievable, and that will ultimately make Canada a more sustainable, vibrant, and prosperous place to call home.
WATER
Pollution Probe advocates for the implementation of $1B over 10 years to protect large lakes and river systems
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River make up about one-fifth of the world’s surface freshwater. The lakes border two countries, and within those two countries, eight American states and one Canadian province. The region is home to hundreds of rural and urban municipalities, numerous Tribal Governments, First Nations, and Métis communities and more than 3,500 plant and animal species, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Protecting the Great Lakes environment and preventing future issues is vital to the economic, social, and ecological wealth not just of the region, but of the continent.
An evening reception was also held, providing an opportunity to further engage MPs and political staff, including those from the office of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. To support these important discussions, the coalition developed a set of Shared Priorities for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River that highlighted the need for improved binational collaboration, enhanced coordination of domestic freshwater management, increased funding and adequate protections from invasive species, pollution, and other stressors.