Month: August 2017

For Immediate Release
August 29, 2017

ST. JOHN’S, NL – The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) is encouraging its members to participate in ongoing public consultations and engagement on possible regional governance.

Last week the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment announced the start of public consultations, both in person and online, seeking input to help inform the development of a potential regional government model for the province.

“NEIA has been advocating for regionalized service delivery within Newfoundland and Labrador for some time,” said Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. “We are pleased that this among the province’s priorities and that it is facilitating an open discussion on the topic.” Hanley noted that from the environmental industry’s perspective there would be a number of benefits to accrue from a regional governance model.

“In a regional context, economies of scale can be achieved to improve province-wide delivery of environmental services such as waste management, wastewater management, and water quality,” said Hanley. “The same can be said for setting environmental standards and enforcing them – activities important for the protection of our natural resources but very challenging for communities today to achieve individually and independent of one another.”

Hanley also said that there are economic development opportunities that could accrue from regional governance. “As it stands, the majority of municipalities and communities in the province do not have the capacity to engage in activities to contribute to their own economic development. Thus for organizations like NEIA, we have little ability to interface with communities when opportunities emerge,” Hanley said. “A regional model has the potential to institute a capacity for communities to work reactively – and more importantly proactively – with industry towards growth.”

“There is a significant opportunity to improve environmental outcomes and increase economic activity in Newfoundland and Labrador through regional governance,” said Hanley. “This is an important conversation for our province to be having right now, and we encourage its stakeholders in the green economy to participate.”

More information on the province’s consultation and engagement process can be found at www.EngageNL.ca.

NEIA is a not-for-profit association of businesses that promotes the development of clean technology and the growth of the green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador. NEIA has over 200 members. More information can be found at https://neia.org.

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Media Contact
Kieran Hanley
kieran@neia.org

For Immediate Release
August 16, 2017

ST. JOHN’S, NL – Alex Templeton, a lawyer with McInnes Cooper, has been named Chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association’s Board of Directors.

Alex has been involved with NEIA since 2013, and through his participation on the Board and its committees has been a significant contributor to the organization’s growth and success during that time.

“I’m happy to serve as Chair, to continue working with the Board, the staff and our members towards creating new opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador’s green economy,” said Templeton. “We have a lot of potential when we work together.”

Alex moves to the role from Vice-Chair following the departure of NEIA’s outgoing Chair Lyndsay Haynes. “It was an honour for me to serve as NEIA’s Chair,” said Haynes. “I wish Alex the best of luck in his new role, and look forward to continuing to contribute to the association through as a member and through its committees.”

During his tenure with the Board, Alex has served on NEIA’s Finance and Operations Committee, Organization Development Committee and Policy and Advocacy Committee.

Alex has practiced law in Newfoundland and Labrador since 2007. He maintains a litigation practice focusing on natural resource and energy projects, the environment, regulatory enforcement, privacy and access to information, contracts, insurance and professional liability. He routinely represents private industry in a variety of sectors (oil and gas, energy, mining, insurance, construction, telecommunications), as well as public utilities, advocacy groups and other institutional clients. He has appeared before all levels of court in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as all levels of the Federal Court of Canada and numerous boards and tribunals.

Alex is a member of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Canadian Bar Association, and a graduate of Memorial University and the University of New Brunswick.

“I see our role as one of helping government and industry rationalize economic activity with environmental imperatives. Our province has a storied history of this, but we can certainly learn from the past and use it in unlocking the opportunities of the present and the future,” said Templeton. “NEIA is now in its 25th year of filling this role and we’ve never seen environmental processes and technologies as firmly entrenched in the economic development blueprint as they are now. It’s an exciting time to be involved.”

NEIA is a not-for-profit association of businesses that promotes the development of clean technology and the growth of the green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador. NEIA has over 200 members. More information can be found at https://neia.org.

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Media Contact
Kieran Hanley: kieran@neia.org

For Immediate Release
August 8, 2017

ST. JOHN’S, NL – Following the release of a ‘What We Heard’ document – a compilation of views from industry, academia, government, and community stakeholders on how to support increased innovation in the province – the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) continues to be supportive of the government’s efforts in resetting the business innovation agenda.

“Throughout NEIA’s participation in this engagement process, the top priorities for our members have centered around improved access to innovation supports,” said Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Directory. “It is clear that this message was well received by our government partners.”

Hanley noted that the ‘What We Heard’ document explicitly references an expressed need for more nimble and flexible program delivery. “An agile support framework is important for the environmental sector of business,” said Hanley. “Typically a product, service, or process that reduces environmental effects or risks represents something new – and new ideas are not always compatible with rigid programming.”

Hanley was also pleased to see that the document reflected the pressing need for the government to modernize its procurement policy. “NEIA has been advocating for the reform of procurement regulations for years,” said Hanley. “A modern procurement framework can facilitate the adoption of innovative products and services made right here that could then be exported worldwide.”

Hanley said NEIA’s members are eager to access new innovation programming, and are excited to learn more about InnovateNL – the province’s new single-window for the delivery of innovation programs. “We are looking forward to seeing the province’s new approach to supporting the business innovation agenda in action, and are hoping to see specifics soon.”

NEIA is a not-for-profit association of businesses that promotes the development of clean technology and the growth of the green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador. NEIA has over 200 members. More information can be found at https://neia.org.

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Media Contact:
Kieran Hanley
kieran@neia.org