On behalf of econext, I would like to wish our members and partners a Happy New Year.
Our team is already off to the races on what is sure to be a big year for the green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador. I’d like to highlight a few of the things that we will be up to in Q1 of this year.
On the policy front we will busy putting our best foot forward in providing ideas for the provincial government’s development of new climate change action plans, and responding to the federal government’s planned emissions cap for the oil and gas industry (which, among other things, we believe has the potential to create new carbon offsets opportunities for our province). We are also in the beginning stages of exploring innovative approaches to regulatory frameworks to help enable efficient processes that are also highly effective in protecting the environment.
We have two ideathons in the works for the Winter across the province, and will be helping SMEs to understand why they should be thinking about ESG and how they can get started developing strategies through a new course that we have developed. We have two exciting webinars within the next two weeks – one on the 11th about Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean technology tax credit, and another on the 16th highlighting clean technologies coming from Iceland.
We are on the heels of facilitating a series of technology demonstrations of our members’ capabilities at The Launch, and will as a result have some exciting footage to share with the world about the cleantech expertise that Newfoundland and Labrador has as it relates to the ocean. Related to all of that, we are helping students explore careers in the green and blue economies and facilitating internships and co-op placements… contact us if you’re interested in hosting!
Meanwhile we are doing some exciting work related to skills and training for the clean energy industry, and finishing our work developing net zero pathways for our offshore oil and gas industry.
This is just the tip of iceberg of what we expect will be a banner year for econext; we have an incredible team in place which I know is going to have a very tangible impact on accelerating clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2024.
These folks are going to be busy and through 2023 we planted many seeds that we expect to sprout in the months ahead. Stay tuned.
Indeed, Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean growth future really began to take shape in 2023. Even since my last note in July, there has been a long list of developments that will help shape activity in the province 2024 and long after. From the release of critical minerals plans provincially and programming nationally, to the advancement of wind-to-hydrogen projects through the province’s crown lands process and the introduction federally of draft legislation for clean hydrogen tax credits, to the launch of a new provincial CCUS Innovation Challenge, to new bilateral energy agreements with other provinces and the federal government… Newfoundland and Labrador is not just well positioned to be a green leader – the train has left the station.
And this is just a sample of some of the developments this past Fall. The speed at which these things is happening can be difficult to keep track of – not to mention to understand how they may create opportunities for your business! econext is here to help. Are you a member and would like to meet with our team to help you explore or identify opportunities? Please get in touch. Whether you want to explore international markets, identify better uses for your waste streams, understand how you should be adapting to climate change, or see how you can become more productive and innovative – we’ve got someone on the team here who can help.
Lastly, but no less important, this year econext is committed to doing a better job of highlighting the successes of our members – either from a business or environmental perspective. So when you’ve accomplished something that you want to share, please send along your good news to us and we will do our part.
Wishing you a successful 2024,
// Kieran Hanley
CEO
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