Take action on Green Schools!

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READ ON TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT:

NEXT WEEK
ACTION FOR GREEN SCHOOLS
CITY SLOW ON CLIMATE
CITY OF WINNIPEG ADVOCACY
DROUGHT AND MANITOBA HYDRO
FREE BRACE/MCRT COURSERS OFFERED THIS WINTER
MEIA EMERGING ISSUES
MANITOBA WOMEN IN TRADES
PODCAST RECOMMENDATION
SBM MEMBERSHIP

NEXT WEEK

Join the next Lunch and Learn
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION AND DEMOLITION WASTE
November 18th at noon

Did you know that according to Statistics Canada, construction, renovation and demolition waste accounts for about 12% of all solid waste generated in Canada and that only an estimated 16% of construction waste is reclaimed?

In July 2009 the Waste Reduction and Recycling Support (WRARS) Program was established to improve Manitoba's waste diversion rate, encourage sustainable waste management practices and enhance municipal waste diversion activities via a $10 per tonne levy.

Join this talk to hear how the program is working and where it could go in the future.

The City of Winnipeg’s standing policy committee on Property and Development, Heritage and Downtown Development, pushed by groups like Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, ordered a report on how to become more robust when it comes to recycling programs for construction waste such as asphalt, pavement and crushed concrete.

Join this talk to hear about the outcomes of this report and how it might impact you.

Curious to know more about broader challenges and opportunities related to Construction, Renovation and Demolition (CRD) waste diversion?

Join this talk to learn how to identify and pursue opportunities for reducing, recycling and/or diverting construction, renovation and demolition waste.

SPEAKER BIO

Mike Fernandes owns and operates StrategyMakers Consulting Inc. providing strategic advisory and project management support services to governments, public sector agencies, non-profit organizations and small and medium-sized businesses primarily in two areas of specialty: environmental sustainability & organizational strategy, management and leadership.

Over his 25+ year career, Mike has successfully completed numerous projects in a wide range of sectors both within Manitoba and across Canada. Mike holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Economics from the University of Winnipeg, an M.B.A. from the IH Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba, and a “no formal certificate, but plenty of valuable lessons” from the school of running your own small business.

Members get 50% off the ticket price, and tickets are free for students .

Get your ticket now

ACTION FOR GREEN SCHOOLS

Infographic on the case for green schools

In Manitoba, we know how to build sustainable schools. Less than a decade ago, our province designed some of the most energy-efficient schools on the continent. We were viewed as leaders because we were building LEED Gold certified schools.

Schools that are built to a high standard save money over the long run through energy savings and reduced maintenance costs, and improve learning outcomes by letting more natural light into the classroom and increasing fresh air circulation.

Unfortunately, our current provincial government has given up on Green Schools. The province is not even certifying its schools as LEED Silver anymore.

For the first time, SBM has put together a public letter so that you can let your elected officials know that you care about sustainable buildings and schools.

Send a letter to bring back Green Schools now!

Click to easily send a letter to your elected MLA. Please customize the letter as you wish by including more about what motivates you to send this letter to advocate for sustainable schools.

Send your letter now!

CITY SLOW ON CLIMATE

How easy is it to be green in Winnipeg?

CBC wrote an article about how the City is too slow to take action on the climate emergency fight, which included interviews with experts and advocates from Climate Change Connection (Curt Hull), Functional Transit Winnipeg (Brian Pincott), Prairie Climate Centre (Ian J. Mauro) Climate Action Team Manitoba (Dr. Durdana Islam), Manitoba Eco-Network (Glen Koroluk) and SBM (Laura Tyler).

We made a short video summary of the part about buildings.

Check out the short video we made on the buildings section of the article

Read the full story

CITY OF WINNIPEG ADVOCACY

Over the past year, SBM has been meeting with various officials within City Council and the City's administration to discuss how to move forward on building sustainability issues and the Winnipeg Climate Action Plan.

Based on our assessment of the City’s operations, we’ve identified three things that could increase the City’s impact:

The Office of Sustainability (OOS) should report to the highest level possible within the city. This will ensure that a climate action lens is applied to all decision-making. We suggest they report to the Chief Administrative Office (CAO).
To be successful in meeting its climate targets, and to reflect the importance of climate action and other matters of environmental stewardship, the Office of Sustainability needs substantially more personnel and an increased budget.
A Community Advisory Council on sustainability should be created, and a coordinator position should be created within the Office of Sustainability to manage it.

SBM is asking organizations across the city to become signatories to this letter.

If you would like your organization to sign on please reach out to info@sustainablebuildingmanitoba.ca for more information.

DROUGHT AND MANITOBA HYDRO

Manitoba Hydro released its second quarterly report for the first six months of the 2021–22 fiscal year today showing the utility forecasts an approximate $400 million reduction in net export revenues due to the ongoing drought.

The revised forecast continues a trend noted in the Corporation’s first quarter report issued in September. The lack of significant precipitation across much of Manitoba Hydro’s watershed over the past year and lower water flows — water inflows to the southern portion of the system are the lowest in 40 years — have weakened the utility’s ability to generate and sell surplus energy on spot markets in the United States and Canada.

Despite the drought, Manitoba Hydro’s customers can rest assured that their energy needs will be met throughout the winter months when heating loads kick in. The utility is managing its system to maintain energy security and reliability to ensure it can continue to meet all domestic and firm export commitments. This includes purchasing energy at night to conserve water and allow for increased generation during periods of peak demand during the day.

Read the press release

FREE BRACE/MCRT COURSERS OFFERED THIS WINTER

All BRACE courses are being offered for free. Registration is now open for the first course, Climate Change 101, offered on November 4^th.

The Building Regional Adaptation Capacity and Expertise (BRACE) / Manitoba Climate Resilience Training (MCRT) will offer 18 introductory climate change courses for all sectors this winter. These courses will give engineers, planners, geoscientists, Northern businesses, and Indigenous organizations a shared foundation of the most up-to-date climate science information. In the new year, the BRACE/MCRT infrastructure sector will offer three courses of particular interest to engineers, geoscientists, and infrastructure decision-makers:

Infrastructure Climate Risk Assessment and How to Conduct an Assessment Featuring PIEVC
An Introduction to Climate Change through Codes, Standards, and Regulations
Nature-based Infrastructure Solutions to Enhance Resilience

In addition to the above courses, anyone is welcome to take any of the courses led by the other BRACE/MCRT sectors, including:

Core Principles in Climate Change Risk Assessment
Indigenous-led Climate Change Solutions
Communicating Climate Change
Business Continuity Planning and Climate Change
An Introduction to Cost-benefit Analysis

Click here for course details and registration .

MEIA EMERGING ISSUES

Wednesday, November 24
8:00 am – 4:30 pm with a cocktail reception to follow
Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park 1405 St Matthews Ave

Featuring Keynote Speaker Linda Coady, Executive Director of the Pembina Institute, this year’s conference will focus on pathways to a net-zero future, focusing on the following topics:

Environmental Social Governance
Economic and Environmental Recovery
Indigenous Pathways to Sustainability
The Next Generation: Students in Environmental Studies
Local Examples of Net-Zero and Carbon Greenhouse Gas Awareness

SBM MEMBERS GET $25 OFF THE REGULAR PRICE
when registering let them know you're a member!

Conference agenda

MANITOBA WOMEN IN TRADES

Manitoba Women In Trades has announced its second annual conference.

The purpose of this conference is to:

March 16, 2022 (7:30am-4:00pm)

More info

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION

London Sustainable Schools Doorways podcast - Let's Go Zero 2030
44 min

In this episode, host Martin introduces us to an exciting new project called Let's Go Zero 2030 which was launched in November 2020 at the Youth Climate Summit. This national project aims to get UK schools to become net zero by 2030.
Martin gives an overview of Let's Go Zero 2030 and then offers some perspectives. In the final part of the podcast Martin discusses how Proyecto Peru, a project in his own school, will participate in Let's Go Zero and provide case study evidence to the Youth Climate Summit. As part of this, Martin discusses a school food project based on circular economy principles that he has started working on with Martin Morales.

Listen here