Category: News Release

NEIA engaging its membership to establish its priorities in pursuing growth for Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean technology and environmental services sector

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
September 3, 2019

(ST. JOHN’S, NL) – The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) is engaging its membership in the months ahead to identify the association’s sector growth priorities.

“The time is now for NEIA to zero in on a number of key priorities with respect to supporting business entrepreneurship, innovation, and acceleration in clean technology and environmental services,” says Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director.

Noting that a series of public/private strategies relating to the province’s key industries have been developed and published within the past 24 months, Hanley says that there is a wealth of information readily available that can be drawn upon to inform strategy.

“From oil and gas, to forestry, to mining, to aquaculture, to technology – we have an excellent sense as to where these industries are going and what clean technologies can be developed and applied to fuel their growth.” Hanley says this is in addition to federal and provincial commitments around climate change and clean growth, and major investments into the ecosystem including the creation of Canada’s Oceans Supercluster.

“In the weeks and months ahead, as we analyze all the information available to us, we will be consulting with our members on our findings and for advice on how to move forward.” Hanley says this process will be instrumental in NEIA’s engagement with its partners and ecosystem stakeholders in the pursuit of identified priorities.

“There is enormous global momentum and demand relating to clean growth, and this is a trend that is only going to intensify as time goes on,” says Hanley. “From our sector’s perspective, we need to identify where Newfoundland and Labrador can make the greatest contributions to this trend, and what we can do as an association to support that.”

Hanley says members should keep an eye to NEIA’s newsletter for surveys, and on their inboxes for direct communications. Interested members can contact NEIA directly with their ideas at www.neia.org/contact.

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.

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Media Contact:
Kieran Hanley
kieran@neia.org

NEIA partnering with Provincial and Federal governments in the delivery of training materials tailored to the climate change needs of NL industries

Posted on by kieran

“The economic and environmental sustainability of Newfoundland and Labrador’s primary industries is dependent in part on their ability to understand, identify and adapt to how the changing climate is impacting their operations. The capacity and expertise to do so, developed through this new program, will present new clean growth opportunities for these industries and their respective supply chains. NEIA is looking forward to engaging its government and industry partners in addressing climate change challenges.”

Kieran Hanley
Executive Director, Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA)

Via News Release from Natural Resources Canada:

Delivering Climate Change Training to Newfoundland and Labrador
August 28, 2019 – Ottawa, Ontario – Natural Resources Canada

Communities across the country are feeling the effects of climate change and want to be part of the solution. This is why Canada is investing in adaptation measures that will prepare communities and industries to tackle the impacts of climate change and deliver a more resilient future.

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced an investment of more than $900,000 for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to deliver training to address climate change challenges across the province.

This investment will go towards the development and delivery of training materials tailored to the specific needs of five key sectors: fisheries, forestry, agriculture, tourism and mining. Training activities will focus on climate change education and awareness, risks and opportunities through workshops, webinars and hands-on engagement activities.

With a total value of $1.9 million, the Building Adaptation Capacity in Key Economic Sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador project also received support from the provincial government and industry partners, including the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA).

This project is funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Building Regional Adaptation Capacity and Expertise (BRACE) program, which works directly with provinces to deliver projects that include training, internships and knowledge-sharing activities. Knowledge and tools on climate change adaptation exist, but the capacity to use them is limited. The BRACE program addresses this critical barrier.

Today’s announcement contributes to the objectives of the Adaptation and Resilience pillar of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. It does so by building the knowledge and capacity needed to make informed decisions about how best to address the impacts of our changing climate.

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Quotes

“This project will provide targeted sectors across Newfoundland and Labrador with the tools and training necessary to adapt to a changing climate. Our government is proud to support projects such as this, which will directly benefit local communities.”
The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi
Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources
 
“As part of our five-year Climate Change Action Plan, we are working to build capacity among industry and organizations. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is providing approximately $700,000 for this project. We’ve been working with stakeholders to identify key adaptation priorities within various sectors and incorporate this information into planning and decision-making to reduce risks of the effects of climate change.”
The Honourable Lisa Dempster
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment

“The economic and environmental sustainability of Newfoundland and Labrador’s primary industries is dependent in part on their ability to understand, identify and adapt to how the changing climate is impacting their operations. The capacity and expertise to do so, developed through this new program, will present new clean growth opportunities for these industries and their respective supply chains. NEIA is looking forward to engaging its government and industry partners in addressing climate change challenges.”
Kieran Hanley
Executive Director, Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA)

Associated Links

Contacts
Natural Resources Canada
Media Relations
343-292-6100
NRCan.media_relations-media_relations.RNCan@canada.ca

Vanessa Adams
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Natural Resources
343-543-7645
Vanessa.Adams@canada.ca

NEIA selected to provide training and support for Newfoundland and Labrador municipalities to explore and pursue greenhouse gas emissions reductions

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
July 24, 2019

(ST. JOHN’S, NL) – The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) has been granted funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to work with six municipalities across the province to help them explore and pursue greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) reductions opportunities.

“Most of Newfoundland and Labrador’s communities get their electricity from an energy grid that will soon be 98% renewable,” say Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. “The low-hanging fruit when it comes to GHG reductions in other jurisdictions – things like renewable energy and energy efficiency – do not have the same impact in this province.” Hanley said that the project will help establish strategies for municipalities to achieve GHG reductions within an existing clean energy context.

The grant, part of ‘Transition 2050’ – an initiative offered through FCM’s Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP) – will allow six municipalities to participate in the program: Baie Verte, Bauline, Paradise, Port aux Basques, Stephenville, and Torbay. NEIA is one of thirteen organizations across Canada that has been selected to build a network of communities and support them as they develop long-term plans and projects contributing to a low carbon transition by 2050 in alignment with the target date as set out by the Paris Agreement.

Related information:

Participating municipalities will undertake commitments to emissions reductions through peer learning, strategic planning and operational implementation, while leveraging lessons learned from communities facing similar challenges. “We expect the approaches that emerge from this project to be transferable to other communities across the province,” said Hanley. “NEIA is looking forward to working with these six municipalities in the pursuit of sustainable, clean growth for Newfoundland and Labrador.”

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

NEIA aims to advance Newfoundland and Labrador’s innovation ecosystem during 2019’s Innovation Week

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
May 7, 2019

(ST. JOHN’S, NL) – The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) facilitated and contributed to a number of initiatives during 2019’s Innovation Week that it hopes will contribute to the evolution of the province’s innovation ecosystem.

“Innovation is essential from an environmental perspective, particularly in Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. Hanley says that the province faces issues providing services in areas like waste management, transportation, wastewater, and more because of its small, relatively isolated, and often remote populations. “New and creative ideas are needed to develop the unique solutions we need to address these challenges, and novel technologies are required to advance our economy sustainably in our key industries – from energy to mining to aquaculture to forestry.”

“We know that the innovative capacity of an economy is a critical factor in the productivity, competitiveness, and growth prospects of its firms,” says Hanley, “and that is why Innovation Week is so important; it reminds us of the importance of pursuing innovation.” Hanley says that Newfoundland and Labrador scores low when compared to other jurisdictions on innovation indicators, and that all stakeholders needs to support one another to develop a greater collective understanding of what innovative is and how we can pursue it.

Click here to watch a video clip from the launch of Innovation Week from NTV

For its part, NEIA participated in four events during Innovation Week. On Tuesday in partnership with the Genesis Centre, YMCA Enterprise, and the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship, NEIA helped facilitate training for new mentors. “As the startup ecosystem grows, our entrepreneurs need business and technical advice from those with experience and success in order to reach their potential,” says Hanley.

On Wednesday, NEIA held its Cleantech Innovation Connector, which matched private sector environmental challenges with research expertise within the province. “Our private sector in Newfoundland and Labrador does not invest as much as it should into research and development, and so by uncovering challenges and encouraging engagement with academia we are hoping to stimulate innovative activity one business at a time,” says Hanley. Wednesday also featured NEIA’s Cleantech Co-Working Day – an opportunity for its members to work in a casual setting that promoted networking and discussion, and a luncheon open to businesses in all industries featuring a presentation from Innovative Solutions Canada.

“Innovation does not take place in isolation,” says Hanley, noting that it is often a product of collaborative efforts. “And that’s one of the real values of Innovation Week – different stakeholders and organizations coming together to create something greater than just the sum of its parts. Thanks to our friends at NATI for all of their work in facilitating this initiative again this year.”

Innovation Week brings together Newfoundland and Labrador’s business community, youth, and public and private partners through a variety of events to inspire participants to create opportunities and accelerate innovation in the province. Taking place April 29 – May 3, Innovation Week is an initiative driven by NATI (http://www.nati.net). More details on Innovation Week can be found on its website at https://innovationweek.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

NEIA pleased with climate change challenge program announcement

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
March 15, 2019

ST. JOHN’S, NL: The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) is pleased with the announcement of a provincial Climate Change Challenge Program.

Through a joint funding arrangement between the Federal and Provincial Governments, businesses, municipalities, and others can access funding to undertake projects that result in measurable greenhouse gas reductions.

“When new costs are applied to business operations in the form of carbon pricing, it is important that financial mechanisms are in place to help the private sector transition to a lower-carbon economy,” said Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. “This program is a positive step in addressing this need, and we commend the federal and provincial governments for their work in its establishment.”

“We look forward to working with our members and partners to identify and pursue projects that not only reduce GHG emissions, but also help grow the province’s environmental sector and green economy,” said Hanley, noting that NEIA’s membership provides a variety of products and services that can assist project proponents in their efforts.

RELATED:

“Just last month, NEIA released its Clean Technology and Environmental Services Directory. This resource will help both the public and private sectors engage local businesses that can facilitate greenhouse gas reductions and clean growth.”

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Clean Technology and Environmental Services Directory – link

More information on the Climate Change Challenge Program announcement can be found here:
https://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2019/exec/0315n01.aspx

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 http:// www.neia.org.

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Media Contact:
Kieran Hanley
kieran@neia.org

NEIA congratulates the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on the release of its Climate Change Action Plan

Posted on by kieran

Industry ready to respond to environmental challenges, opportunities

For Immediate Release
March 1, 2019

CORNER BROOK, NL: The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) is congratulating the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on the release of its Climate Change Action Plan.

“It is important that government explicitly outlines its climate change priorities, as it has done today,” said Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. “Knowing the environmental challenges and opportunities that the province is focusing on… allows the private sector to respond in-kind.”

Hanley says that NEIA’s membership provides a variety of products and services that can assist the province in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change. “This week NEIA released its Clean Technology and Environmental Services Directory,” said Hanley. “This resource will help both the public and private sectors engage local businesses that can facilitate greenhouse gas reductions and clean growth.”

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Clean Technology and Environmental Services Directory – link

RELATED:

NEIA members were very engaged in the development of the climate change action plan, noted Hanley. “NEIA launched an industry engagement campaign in 2016, which culminated in a comprehensive series of recommendations for the provincial government to consider,” said Hanley.

“We know that years of hard work by our public sector has gone in to this plan; NEIA looks forward to studying the result, and is eagerly anticipating more information on programming available to help businesses thrive in the lower-carbon economy.”

RELATED:

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

NEIA creates publication to increase innovative capacity of Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean technology and environmental services sector

Posted on by kieran

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Clean Technology and Environmental Services Directory – link

For Immediate Release
February 26, 2019

(ST. JOHN’S, NL) – After more than a year in development, the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) has published its Clean Technology and Environmental Services Directory. The directory quantifies the capabilities of the province’s private sector and research and development assets relating to clean technology and environment, and is the first step in framing the sector’s innovation ecosystem.

“NEIA set out to produce this directory for three reasons,” said Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. “First, we wanted to provide local decision makers in both the public and private sector with easy-to-access information on the products and services available from local business.” Hanley said that is important that firms from Newfoundland and Labrador have every opportunity to benefit from local projects and initiatives.

“Second, NEIA will use this directory to create a greater awareness of the sector-at-large and the individual capabilities of those within it throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and target international markets.” Hanley noted that the interest in and demand for clean technologies and environmental services is rapidly growing worldwide. “It is estimated that the global market for clean technologies will grow to $2.5 trillion by 2022, up from $1.1 trillion in 2012, and so the development, application, and export of clean technology presents an enormous opportunity for Newfoundland and Labrador businesses.” Hanley said that NEIA has partnerships throughout Canada and in priority international markets that will respond well to the directory – and put it to good use.

Download the Directory

“Finally we wanted to create a tool for cleantech innovators to find local resources and partners,” said Hanley. The directory is intended to connect entrepreneurs, intrapreneurial firms, and researchers with interests in clean technology and the environment. “While the directory will do much to promote the local products and services readily available, we hope it also contributes to increased collaboration within the clean technology community – which in turn can lead to more economic activity and innovation.”

“This directory will be continuously refined,” said Hanley. “NEIA’s team has worked hard over the past year to identify capabilities throughout the province, but inevitably some will have been missed.” Hanley said he hopes that the existence of the directory will help flesh out those in the ecosystem with products or services that could be considered clean technologies. “There’s opportunity for these firms, but to help them we need to know them.”

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Clean Technology and Environmental Services Directory can be accessed online at www.CleanTechNL.ca where print copies can also be requested.

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

NEIA exploring clean technology and green economy opportunities in Western Newfoundland at workshop in Corner Brook

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
February 20, 2019

(ST. JOHN’S, NL) – On February 28th, 2019 the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) is hosting CleanTechWest, a workshop exploring clean technology and green technology business opportunities specific to the west coast of Newfoundland.

“It is estimated that the global market for clean technologies will grow to $2.5 trillion by 2022,” says Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. Hanley says that this growth represents enormous opportunities for the development, application, and export of clean technology products, services, and expertise for the province.

“The intent of this workshop is to learn from one another about opportunities and interests specific to Western Newfoundland, and grow the community of stakeholders interested in sustainable clean economic growth,” says Hanley.

The CleanTechWest workshop focuses on three themes: renewable energy, waste management and value from waste, and the forestry sector. “These are areas where NEIA sees opportunity specific to the region,” says Hanley, pointing to a provincial government commitment to develop a renewable energy plan, emerging ideas and initiatives to address both residential and industrial waste, and the recently released Forestry Sector Work Plan. “Many of the action items from this plan are related to sustainability, climate change, the environment, and clean technology,” notes Hanley, “and we are going to zero in on these actions to see what role industry can play.”

RELATED:

“Western Newfoundland has developed unique environmental research expertise through its academic institutions, and this aligns well with the opportunities that we see,” says Hanley. “We are looking forward to engaging green economy stakeholders at CleanTechWest – from industry, to academia, to government – to share challenges, ideas, and initiatives to see where there may be opportunities for partnership and collaboration.”

More information on the CleanTechWest workshop, and registration details, can be found at https://neia.org/cleantechwest/. 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

NEIA looks forward to partnering on the implementation of new provincial forestry sector work plan

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
February 7, 2019

ST. JOHN’s (NL) – On January 28, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and forestry sector stakeholders released a work plan for the forestry industry to support economic growth and foster private sector job creation. The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) is looking forward to the plan’s implementation.

“NEIA has contributed on behalf of its membership throughout the development of this work plan,” says Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. “We are a partner on a number of the action items agreed upon by government, industry, and academia.”

Hanley says that many of the opportunities facing Newfoundland and Labrador’s forestry sector are related to clean technology and the environment. “From the adoption of biofuel technologies, to the development of low-carbon building products, to finding efficiencies through reducing greenhouse gas emissions and finding value from organic wastes, there is significant room for green economic growth within our forestry sector.”

Hanley says this presents opportunity for entrepreneurs and innovative firms in the province. “In addition, the forestry sector is going to require the expertise of our members to address challenges around climate change, sustainable resource management, and the emerging low-carbon economy.”

NEIA is working closely with the Newfoundland and Labrador Forestry Industry Association (NLFIA) on a number of pursuits of mutual interest. “We look forward to working with the NLFIA towards the implementation of this work plan; a strong forestry sector provides opportunities for the development and application of clean technologies – and vice versa.”

Download the Plan

Click here to download the forestry sector work plan, or view it interactively below.
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

NEIA soliciting project ideas for clean technology and environmental initiatives from businesses, municipalities, and other organizations

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2019

(ST. JOHN’S, NL) – The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) is encouraging organizations to engage it with their clean technology and environmental project ideas.

“There are a number of funding opportunities available right now from a variety of sources to support clean growth activities,” says Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. “NEIA can help organizations understand what these opportunities are and assist them in making the connections necessary to pursue funding.”

Hanley says that supports exist for a wide number of initiatives. “Businesses of all sizes, municipalities, and other organizations can avail of funding, and pursuits can range from the research and development of new technologies and processes, to piloting new products or services, to the adoption of existing technologies.”

Clean technology can be defined as being products, processes, or services that improve on environmental performance (e.g. improving efficiency, reducing wastes, and/or mitigating the environmental risks of business activity). “Cleantech can be applied in any industry – from mining, to the fisheries, to energy, to manufacturing,” says Hanley. “There is a real interest to support cleantech development and adoption throughout the economy to help reduce environmental impacts.”

Hanley says there are also programs available to support projects that are more ‘environmental’ in scope, with the primary purpose of enhancing the natural environment. “A particular focus is on projects that can lead to a quantifiable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” says Hanley.

NEIA’s mandate is to support the development of clean technology and the growth of the green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador. Hanley says that NEIA can increase ‘green’ activity by brokering relationships to connect potential projects with funding sources. “If we don’t know what potential projects are out there, we can’t help,” says Hanley. “Through this open call we hope to be able to engage with businesses, municipalities, and other organizations to contribute to a wave of clean growth initiatives.”

Proponents can contact Hanley directly at kieran@neia.org with their projects.

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