CLIMATE CHANGE 1.0 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Roadmap to Decarbonization

Co-written by Marie Cresswell, President and Tim Cresswell, CEO, Thomas Cole Inc.

As the globe transforms to carbon zero a well-thought-out GHG roadmap is the key to arriving at your destination point. This should not only include a sequence of technologies and the financial roadmap to fund the decarbonization journey there are four pillars worth considering to complete the journey.

The four pillars are:

Education Plan
Stakeholder Plan
Facility Plan
Financial Plan

Education Plan – learning framework design to support new student curriculum, experiential learning associated with STEAM, dual credit, SHSM programs and student co-op possibilities. Our education partners work with the Boards educational team representative to design and deliver the program.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Plan – transforming school facilities to lower carbon is more than building system retrofits and system replacements, there are human elements to this transformation. It’s within this Stakeholder engagement is a customized approach driven and created by all stakeholders involved. Our goal is to uncover what is important to the learning community as it relates to facilities, facility improvements, lower carbon, facility quality and sustainability then ensure that everyone has ‘ownership’ in the outcomes.

The engagement framework embraces all learning community participants, students, teachers/profs, principals, staff and parents to determine the important issues and level of engagement the organization’s community wishes to place focus on. The engagement process is a continuous conversation to measure progress and align, refine and design required adjustments to the strategic direction for the program with inclusiveness and outreach to the community at its core. We’re in this together to reach a common goal.

A Program communication plan is designed to determine the variety of communication strategies and vehicles required to keep all stakeholders up to date and informed and planned events to celebrate program success.

Facilities Plan – the facilities plan is a methodical approach to carbon neutrality. To reach carbon neutral the plan focuses on deep retrofits to reduce energy and carbon waste associated with current building systems. The next process is the development of renewable energy micro-grids. Micro-grids generally are a variety of technologies associated with solar, geo thermal and battery storage. To fund these projects the alternatives are via energy saved and an EPC mechanism or a Power Purchase Agreement. The approach is through partnerships to determine the best value for money.

Financial Plan – The main financial goal is to use as few capital dollars from your annual budget to transform to carbon zero. Taking a page from the European model, we use energy saved from conservation and optimization to pay for the required financial investment to fund conservation and optimization, end result, extract energy and GHG waste from building systems. Out in time when these investments are retired keep the cashflow in play from energy saved and direct to the third step conversion to carbon zero. In addition to using energy saved, leverage energy made from the green plant assets to pay for the capital investment to transform to carbon zero. Utilizing energy saved and energy made is a 20-25 year investment pathway to carbon zero.

We can help facilitate the most affordable and effective path to net zero. We align the best partners in class to deliver the four pillars of an effective greenhouse gas roadmap; measure and deliver the results, help you meet your goals all while providing experiential learning and positive PR and community engagement.

Tim Cresswell

CEO, Thomas Cole Inc.

Co-Founder, Climate Change Leaders

416-993-9167

https://www.cleanerairforschools.com