June 30, 2016 (Vancouver, B.C.) – The manual for troubleshooting energy challenges has arrived; Vancouver businesses motivated by the City’s vision for a 100 per cent renewable future will benefit from solutions outlined in the Renewable Energy Challenge Outcomes Report. A case study in collaborative brainstorming, the report underscores the drive in local businesses for collective action addressing climate change.
Read the Renewable Energy Challenge Outcomes Report today
“Vancouver businesses play a dual role; they’ll be the most impacted as well as the strongest leaders in the City’s aspiration to becoming completely renewable by 2050,” said Juvarya Veltkamp, the Vancouver Economic Commission’s (VEC) Manager of Green Economy Initiatives. “So we reached out to businesses: ‘Do you see advantages to being a renewable company? What obstacles stand in your way?’ We want to provide the support businesses need to innovate as they take their place in a clean, green economy, and discover new economic models and markets. We want them to prosper while doing good.”
The report summarises the innovative ideas and solutions generated at the Renewable Energy Challenge workshop hosted by the VEC in partnership with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Renewable Cities and CLEAN.
The half-day workshop was held last March at the 2016 Globe Conference and Innovation Expo. It focused on highlighting both renewable energy objectives and obstacles of two cities (New York and Vancouver), representatives from Natural Resources Canada and five local Vancouver organizations: University of British Columbia (UBC), Strathcona Business Improvement Association, FreshTAP logistics, Reshape Strategies and Mills Office Productivity. Dubbed “Challenge Champions,” each organization outlined a key challenge for which they sought solutions from the 100 experts, policy makers and thought leaders that the VEC brought together for the workshop.
“The VEC aims to position Vancouver as a global thought leader by encouraging the development of businesses who exemplify creativity, innovation and sustainability,” said Veltkamp. “We know businesses face common challenges when they set out on a path to be more renewable—we want to nurture these ingenious companies by bringing them together and finding a way to answer their questions.”
Questions in the workshop ran the gamut from “Which renewable fuel will emerge as the low carbon solution for commercial transportation?” to “How does a neighbourhood business association structure a community solar project?”
Participants gathered at roundtables to define the context and parameters of each challenge, brainstorm solutions, and pitch different initiatives and programs back to the group. The overwhelmingly positive response from participants exposed the demand for collaborative solution generation to address complex issues of innovation and efficiency.
“The ideas we hear in these workshops won’t disappear from lack of support,” Veltkamp says. “We have programs like the Green and Digital Demonstration Program (GDDP) and organizations like ClimateSmart who assist in bringing ideas to life as working prototypes. If you’re a business who has a challenge, you can contact us to bring together thought leaders to work on it.”
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About the Vancouver Economic Commission
The Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) works to strengthen the city’s economic future by supporting existing businesses, attracting foreign investment and promoting international trade. The VEC strives to position Vancouver as a globally recognized city for innovative, creative and sustainable business.
Media Contact:
Ingrid Cheung
Vancouver Economic Commission
Tel: 604.868.1990 icheung@vancouvereconomic.com
