Windfall Centre has launched its AI-powered Virtual Home Energy Assessment Tool, vHEAT, reinforcing its unwavering commitment to designing and delivering innovative home energy solutions. The interactive user-friendly tool aims to engage homeowners in monitoring, understanding and getting custom recommendations to improve their home energy efficiency from the comfort of their homes. See full news release.

vHEAT for Durham residents

A new KPMG survey of 350 Canadian business owners and executives, released on Wednesday, July 17 found 56 per cent had seen profits affected last year by extreme weather events made more likely by climate change, whether it was forest fires, flooding or extreme heat. Read the full report.

The good news is that Canada’s climate policies are beginning to work. A new report published on Wednesday, July 3, 'All Together Now: A provincial scorecard on shared responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada' assesses the performance of Canada’s federal and provincial governments against a set of 23 energy and climate policy indicators.

See the scorecard

Canada’s 2023 wildfires caused billions of dollars in property damage, displacing thousands of people from their homes, and spewing air pollution that traveled as far as Europe and China.

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On Friday, June 21, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, welcomed the Royal Assent of Bill C-226 – An Act Respecting the Development of a National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and to Advance Environmental Justice, which was introduced by Elizabeth May, Member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands, British Columbia.

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On Friday, March 15, 2024, the Windfall Centre team had the pleasure of having Member of Parliament, Aurora — Oak Ridges — Richmond Hill, Ontario, Leah Taylor Roy, Member of Parliament for Newmarket — Aurora, Tony Van Bynen, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment & Climate Change, Adam van Koeverden at the Windfall Centre office. During the visit, environmental policies and green retrofits were discussed.

See pictures of the MPs visit

On January, 24, 2024, the Regional Municipality of Durham, in partnership with Windfall Ecology Centre, launched the Durham Greener Buildings Program, a benchmarking and disclosure program that will support building owners participating in the provincial Energy and Water Reporting Benchmarking (EWRB) program by helping them to measure, report and take action on efficiency and conservation opportunities.

Read full news release

Canada is embracing the opportunities of a low-carbon future by passing the Sustainable Jobs Act, Bill C-50. Thanks to this bill, workers and communities impacted by the energy transition will be given the tools they need to succeed in the green economy.

See full media release

The CEOs of Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank, Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia, and CIBC last week reassured members of parliament about their commitment to fighting climate change, but said reducing funding for fossil fuel extraction would take time and more works need to be done to reach net zero emissions.

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Efficiency Canada is hosting a FREE webinar on 'The Windfall Protocol', a groundbreaking blockchain-based project developed by Windfall Ecology Centre, Possibilian, BlockScience, and SuperBenefit. This game-changing infrastructure will facilitate energy efficiency labelling and data sharing for residential and commercial buildings to accelerate building retrofits.

Register for free

On Monday June 3 ,2024, more than $92 million in funding through the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) to support 165 Canadian-led research projects through two initiatives: the 2023 International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, and the 2023 Exploration competition, was announced.

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New figures show Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions jumped for a second straight year, following a pandemic-induced plunge, and have risen back to the level they were before Premier Doug Ford's government came to power.

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Windfall Centre's fundraising rain barrel sale is back again. This year, sales have been extended to Durham Region. Enjoy free home delivery on all rain barrels and accompanying accessories to all of York and Durham Region! A flat fee of $20 will be charged if only accessories are purchased. Delivery begins the week of June 17, 2024

Place your rain barrel order

According to the United Nations, the world is heading toward a gain of nearly 3 degrees of global warming in the next century, even with current climate policies and goals – and researchers say individuals could bear the economic burden. The researchers said financial pain in the short-term is inevitable, even if governments ramp up their efforts to tackle the crisis now.

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The federal budget will include a multi-billion-dollar plan to “solve the housing crisis” by delivering 3.87 million new homes by 2031, but reduce total funding for energy retrofits compared to the former Canada Greener Homes grant program.

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Canadian academic institutions have come together in a landmark effort to collaboratively develop net-zero energy solutions, opportunities and actions in support of a low-carbon economy, climate adaptation and resilience. The Canada’s universities: Action for net zero initiative, organized by Universities Canada, aims to marshal the collective efforts of its member institutions to effectively mitigate and address climate change and its impacts.

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Today, March 14, 2024, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Scott Pearce, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), announced an investment of $9.5 million through the Green Municipal Fund to expand the Clean Foundation's Clean Energy Financing program in Nova Scotia.

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Today, March 11, 2024, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, officially launched Canada's Methane Centre of Excellence and an associated call for proposals for methane emissions measurement and mitigation projects.

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With Canada’s home retrofit industry in chaos, consumers abandoning ship, and emissions in housing still falling far too slowly, two separate sign-on letters are urging Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to restore funding for the popular Canada Greener Homes grant program.

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Change Course, Stand.earth and Canada’s National Observer have launched the first annual Climate Finance Scholarship Contest—an opportunity for young people across Canada to share their voices and visions for climate justice in the financial sector. The Climate Finance Scholarship Contest is open to people aged 18 to 30 in Canada. Submissions deadline Sunday, March 17 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Read more about the contest

Canada has overtaken China for the top spot in BloombergNEF’s (BNEF’s) Global Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Ranking, an annual assessment that rates 30 countries on their potential to build a secure, reliable, and sustainable lithium-ion battery supply chain. This marks the first time China has not claimed the number one position.

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Building on the success of the program and in response to evolving needs, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that the federal government will establish a new phase of the Canada Greener Homes Initiative.

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A federal government source reveals an announcement is expected early this week. Brent Kopperson, the executive director and founder of Windfall Ecology Centre who spoke on the current status of the Greener Homes grant said; "The pausing of the federal program, it's also created a pause on Ontario's provincial program, which is funded by ratepayers, which is unfortunate."

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On Friday, February 2, Environment and Climate Change Canada launched a public engagement process to hear the opinions of Canadians and Indigenous peoples across the country to inform setting Canada's 2035 national greenhouse gas emissions target. This important step is mandated under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act and Canada’s international obligations under the Paris Agreement.

See full news release

The government hopes that the Canada-wide plastics registry will encourage companies to salvage waste plastic and reimburse Canadians and retailers for recycling, CBC News: The National reports. The plan involves tracking everything from food and beverage containers to household appliances, car tires and even clothing.

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