RETScreen is a Clean Energy Management Software system for energy efficiency, renewable energy and co generation project feasibility analysis as well as ongoing energy performance analysis. Learn more HERE. 

For up-to-date Coalition news and resources, visit https://greenhealthcare.ca

We want to hear from you!

Help us shape the next chapter of the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care by providing us with your invaluable input. We have created a 2-minute engagement survey that will help shape some big projects coming up for the Coalition going forward.

Access the survey HERE.

We are pleased to welcome Krishna Akella, the new Manager of Digital Marketing and Online Programs, to our team here at the Coalition. Krishna has a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and also holds an MBA in Marketing and Operations. His prior work experience as a Marketing Specialist at Philips Canada and passion for green health care makes him a wonderful addition to our team. Krishna will be leading the Coalition's digital marketing and will also be involved in multiple projects and duties such as the Green Hospital Scorecard (GHS), Health-Share, online event management, social media management, CRM and marketing communications.

The Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Toronto and Canada Circular Hotspot are pleased to invite you to their latest webinar in the ongoing Making the Circular Economy Real webinar series, Green Health Care: How health care systems will adapt to new challenges by embracing circularity, hosted in association with the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care on Thursday, October 8th at 12:00 PM EDT / 18:00 CET.  

The pandemic has been a shock to many sectors, especially the health care sector, which has diligently sprung into action to test for, work to contain and provide the best care to those with COVID-19. In this 3rd webinar, our panel of experts will share their insights and experiences around how new challenges have an impact on the health care system’s sustainability principles and practices. Clearly, patient care is the primary aim of this sector but as we adapt to the ‘new normal’, is it possible to regain a broader focus on the environment as well?

Register for the webinar HERE.

If you have any questions please contact Marjan Lahuis via email marjan.lahuis@minbuza.nl

Earlier last month in Montreal, FPInnovations announced the successful completion of phase 1 in the development of a safe, locally produced, single-use face mask that is 100 per cent biodegradable. Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) applauds this important milestone which will allow us to create Canadian made Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and reduce waste in our environment. More HERE.

As we continue to make our way through this pandemic, we are learning more and more about it. For instance, we are learning how to treat people who have come down with COVID-19, and we’re also finding out more about the lifespan of coronavirus. Various studies have found that the coronavirus can live on glass for as much as four days; on wood for two days; and even as long as four days on paper. However, these numbers are being called into question. This is because a recent study, published in the medical journal, The Lancet, suggests these early studies were conducted in laboratories using large samples of the virus on test surfaces, but “none of these studies present scenarios akin to real-life situations.” More HERE.

The Coalition team wants to know more about the growing number of energy managers in Canada's health sector with an eye to providing access to enhanced energy management software.

If you are an energy manager in a Canadian hospital or health care organisation, or if your organisation has an energy manager, our project manager would love to hear from you. Please email kent@greenhealthcare.ca to learn more. Thank you.

The Nordic Know-How report series is created to spread knowledge and raise awareness of different sustainability solutions that can be implemented in a hospital and for example improve energy efficiency, lower the climate impact and make health care more sustainable. Previous chapters have focused on nitrous oxide destruction and geothermal energy. This third chapter will focus on Lighting in a hospital environment, the different technologies that are available today and which solutions have proven to be successful in health care facilities. More HERE.

Read the full report HERE.

To be eligible for a project incentive through the Save on Energy Retrofit program, applications must receive pre-approval by December 31, 2020. While the IESO recently announced that deadlines for completion of pre-approved Conservation First Framework projects have been extended, the current deadline for project pre-approvals and project completion dates in the Interim Framework (which began in March 2019) remain unchanged. 

Achieving pre-approval of your project includes the technical review process, which typically takes two to eight weeks to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the project, the completeness of the project application and the responsiveness of the applicant to IESO information requests. Program deadlines can result in an influx of application submissions that may affect review timelines. Since applications have to be pre-approved by December 31, 2020, the IESO recommends that applications be submitted by the end of October to ensure there is sufficient time to obtain pre-approval.  The project must be completed by December 31, 2021.

For certain projects under the prescriptive track with incentives less than $6,000, applicants are encouraged to use fast-track processes where available, in which pre-approval can occur within one or two days. Speak to your Save on Energy representative to see if your project is eligible for the fast-track process. To help you collect necessary documents for your application, please review the pre-project application checklist and other helpful resources on the Save on Energy website.  

If you have questions, please contact your Save on Energy representative, or the Retrofit support at 1-844-303-5542 or retrofit@ieso.ca.

To be eligible for a project incentive through the Save on Energy Process and Systems Upgrade program, projects must be contracted by December 31, 2020. While the IESO recently announced that deadlines for completion of certain Conservation First Framework projects have been extended, the current deadline for project approvals and project completion dates in the Interim Framework (which began in March 2019) remain unchanged. 

Receiving a project incentive approval letter is the result of a technical review process, which could take up to three months, depending on the size and complexity of the project and the completeness of the project application and engineering study. The IESO advises customers to submit applications ASAP to ensure sufficient time for review., The project must be completed and receive an “In-Service Date approval” by December 31, 2022. 

If you have questions, please contact ProcessAndSystemsUpgrades@ieso.ca.

The 2019 EPAR acknowledges and shares stories of the hard work, leadership, and willingness of everyone in the LMHOs to support energy conservation and environmental sustainability. Success for EES team includes seeing the report shared widely, generating conversations around environmental sustainability across the Lower Mainland health organisations, as well as influencing decision making across the organisation and other jurisdictions in Canada. The report can be accessed HERE.

Feedback regarding the report can be sent to any of the following emails: greencare@fraserhealth.ca | greencare@providencehealth.bc.ca | greencare@phsa.ca | greencare@vch.ca.

The Canadian College of Health Leaders is proud to announce that Island Health, formally known as the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA), was named recipient of the 2020 Energy and Environmental Stewardship Award. Island Health is committed to minimizing its environmental impact, in order to support the health of their patients, staff, and communities. Over the past decade, the BC health authority has shown its commitment by advancing energy and environmental stewardship best practices throughout the organisation. More HERE.

The idea of tackling the nationwide problem of food waste can be overwhelming and has many people asking how they can help and what can they do in this regard. During the Waste360 Food Recovery Forum online on Tuesday, September 15, several industry experts were there to help provide some answers. In the session, Advances in Wasted Food Policy and Practices; Using Measurement Tools to Reduce Food Waste and Drive Prevention, representatives from the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Leanpath, and Winnow all shared different ways to measure food waste and increase prevention. More HERE.

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing the University of Manitoba with up to $100,000 for the development of a new Protein Research Strategy and the establishment of a Research Chair to advance the Manitoba Protein Advantage strategy and bridge the gap between Manitoba's research and protein processing sectors. The Protein Research Strategy will enable Manitoba to better capitalize on untapped market potential, investment opportunities and innovation. This strategy will seek broad input, advice and alignment of efforts to identify key research opportunities to enhance the sustainable protein eco-system, which will be critical in positioning Manitoba as a global leader of sustainable protein. More HERE.

The country’s electric vehicle community is feeling buoyant in the wake of the recent Speech from the Throne by the federal Liberal government.

“Canada is starting to align the economy, health and the environment when it comes to transportation,” said Daniel Breton, president and CEO of industry association Electric Mobility Canada. More HERE.

Ford has agreed to build five electric vehicles at its Oakville, Ont., factory, the first starting in 2025, the fifth by 2028. A portion of Ford’s $1.98-billion investment will be spent on its two engine assembly plants in Windsor. Unifor president Jerry Dias, who has been pushing all the major automakers hard to make EV commitments in Canada, calls the agreement a “home run”. More HERE.

Eight nations joined Canada earlier last month in announcing their commitment to the Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero, a pledge to grow zero-emission commercial vehicle manufacturing, infrastructure and deployment domestically and globally. Canada was the first country to make the Drive to Zero pledge last June. Joining it last month were China, Germany, Finland, Japan, Chile, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The Drive to Zero pledge is an initiative of CALSTART, a California-based non-profit and broker for the clean transportation technology industry. More HERE.

The Province of B.C. is launching the CleanBC Organic Infrastructure and Collection Program, which will provide up to $25.7 million, over three years, to communities to develop or expand opportunities to divert organic waste from landfills. The program is meant to enable communities throughout British Columbia to be able to build organic waste processing facilities and implement organic curbside pickup programs, decreasing the amount of organic material going into landfills, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and creating jobs.More HERE.

The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care has the resources you need to help your facility take action on climate change. Learn more HERE.

Tree rings are used by climate scientists to evaluate historical environmental conditions. During lush seasons, tree rings are wide; during times of acute stress, tree rings narrow, and growth is compromised. If the planet was a tree right now, we would be living in a thin dark line. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has prematurely killed more than 929,000 people globally in the space of half a year and has placed significant strain on health care systems. Yet the stressors are just beginning. Over the coming months to years, health care delivery and access to care will be further challenged by extreme weather events from climate change. COVID-19 adds fuel to the fire. Disruptions to health care facilities and evacuations will be compounded by critically ill patients who require mechanical ventilation and the added inefficiencies (and necessity) of pandemic precautions. Several solutions are available to protect communities—both in responding to disasters as well as making sound investments in health care delivery. More HERE.

The Liberals promised during the 2019 election to bring in a law to set five-year targets for curbing emissions all the way to 2050, when the goal is to be at net zero. That means Canada needs to curb its emissions drastically over three decades and ensure any greenhouse gases still being produced can be absorbed rather than remain in the atmosphere. More HERE.

A BIG thank you to www.SaveOnEnergy.ca for their continued financial support for the Ontario Green Health Care Award and the Ontario Energy Behaviour Award

To advance circular economy in Canada we need to focus on collaboration with the public sector organisations, their suppliers and service providers – as well as the private sector and their supply chains – to put circular economy concepts into action. In concert with the WCEFonline, The Circular Innovation Council presents Circular Procurement Virtual Series 2020, a five-part webinar WCEF side event for professionals in public and private procurement functions, facility management, finance, legal, and sustainability, along with vendors and suppliers. It aims to expand knowledge of the circular economy and its benefits; and showcase critical insights and steps to consider along the journey to implementing circular procurement. Learn more and register HERE.

The new virtual Continuing Professional Development learning opportunity focusing on climate emergency is hosted by The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). This full-day event will feature speakers with expertise in both climate change and health. There will be smaller simultaneous workshops to enable participants to delve into areas of special interest and actively participate in discussions. The conference will showcase specific green projects undertaken by participants as well as feature green advertisers.

Oct 30 (Fri)  0800–1700 PDT  

Target audience: physicians and all health care professionals, researchers, students & residents.

Overview: Help fight climate change within your professional health care role. This full-day virtual event will feature speakers with expertise in both climate change and health.

Up to 8.0 Mainpro+/MOC Section 1 credits

Course Webpage  |  Agenda  |  Registration Form

The call for nominations was issued on Sept. 20, 2020 and the nomination period will close on Nov. 30, 2020. Profiles of recent award recipients and details about each award can be found below. More HERE.

#NHFEW is just a couple of weeks away. Start your planning now! Ideas for Posters ... Notices ... Tent Cards ... and more online.

Order CHES Promotional swag for events planned for your facility: Order Form 

#SNIES commence en quelques semaines. Commencez à planifier dès maintenant! Idées d’affiches…d’avis…de chevalets…et plus encore en ligne. Commandez les articles promotionnels de la SCISS pour les événements planifiés dans votre établissement : Bon de commande

Online Registration open for 2020 Webinar Series.  

Wednesday October 21, 2020 - CSA Z317.13-17 Role of the Multi-Disciplinary Team - Pros and Cons

Wednesday November 18, 2020 - Awareness / Update on Med Gas Qualified Operators

Speaker: Roger Holliss

Visit the CHES website for more details as they become available or to register!   

You don't need to be a member of the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES) to take advantage of all Canadian Healthcare Facilities has to offer. Check it out for engaging stories by subject matter experts on topics that matter to health care facility managers and operators. Each quarterly journal is filled with stories from CHES members about what their teams and facilities have done and continue to do to provide safe and welcoming care sites across Canada. For the latest in health care facility management articles, click HERE. To learn more about becoming a member of CHES, please visit www.ches.org

If you have an article to share, contact claret@mediaedge.ca

The current curriculum focuses on new energy requirements under the Ontario Building Code, the Toronto Green Standard, CMHC and ENERGY STAR® for buildings. They also offer intensive training course for energy modeling including using the important eQuest energy modeling system. These classes are available both in standard class formats offered in their training facilities, as well as in customized courses delivered at client work sites. Learn more HERE.

Contact your local organ donation agency and speak to your family about your wishes. You have the power to save and transform lives. Or visit the Government of Canada website to register and donate.

In the interests of public safety, please follow health agency guidelines to help keep us all healthy. For more information and prevention tips, visit the Government of Canada's COVID-19 site HERE.

Click HERE to learn how RETScreen Expert software can help your organisation quickly analyze cost savings, feasibility and emissions reductions.

The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care is Canada’s premier green health care resource network, leading the evolution of green in Canada’s health sector as a national voice and catalyst for environmental change. www.greenhealthcare.ca 

Go to our website at https://greenhealthcare.ca/ for more information and resources focusing on health care and sustainability.