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The Falcon Trails resort in Manitoba transitioned from basic environmental protection to a strategic business model centered on sustainability. By rebranding off-grid accommodations as "eco cabins" and utilizing Manitoba Hydro rebates for solar panels and energy efficiency, the resort leveraged its environmental efforts for competitive marketing. The business also implemented an Environmentalist-in-Residence program to further reduce its footprint through textile repurposing and mending.

The AquaHacking Lake Winnipeg 2020 Challenge, hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Aqua Forum, engaged 472 youth and 19 teams to address critical water issues. Five finalist teams were awarded seed funding and incubation spots at North Forge Technology Exchange for solutions targeting microplastics, agricultural runoff, eutrophication, and drinking water quality in remote communities.

The report evaluates floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) as a nature-based solution for eutrophication in shallow lakes. Through primary research at the IISD-Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) and a case study of Pelican Lake, Manitoba, the study demonstrates that FTWs—particularly those using cattails—effectively sequester phosphorus and nitrogen. While plant biomass contributes to nutrient removal, the report emphasizes that the microbial biofilm on roots provides up to 80% of the total treatment. For Pelican Lake, the study estimates that 5% surface coverage could reduce total phosphorus levels by 10% to 50%, though FTWs must be combined with watershed-level strategies to meet provincial water quality standards.

The report details IISD's Bioeconomy project (2017-2019) focusing on harvesting unconventional biomass from water retention sites and roadside ditches in Manitoba. It argues that this practice removes phosphorus to protect Lake Winnipeg, improves habitat health, and provides a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels or a means of soil carbon sequestration. The document analyzes harvesting methods, the shift from bioenergy to livestock bedding and compost, and evaluates global and North American carbon market verification methodologies to identify frameworks suitable for these watershed management activities.

The Lake Winnipeg Foundation and the International Institute for Sustainable Development argue that phosphorus from undertreated sewage is driving toxic algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg. They identify the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) as the largest point source of phosphorus for the lake and the fourth largest phosphorus polluter among Canadian wastewater facilities. While a full plant upgrade is planned, it is estimated to cost $1.8 billion and will not begin for at least 10 years. The authors propose a $5 million interim retrofit that could be implemented quickly to reduce the plant's phosphorus contribution by 70%.

The Advancing Natural Infrastructure in Canada forum highlighted the role of natural infrastructure (NI)—managed natural systems like plants, soil, and wetlands—in addressing climate change risks and infrastructure gaps. The forum identified critical needs for scaling NI, including dedicated funding, performance metrics, public sector accounting for natural assets, and improved guidance for planning and implementation.

The report outlines the value of natural infrastructure (NI) in Canada for climate adaptation, specifically for flood and drought mitigation. It identifies significant barriers in federal funding programs, such as the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) and the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF), including high funding thresholds and restrictions on private land eligibility. The document explores innovative financing mechanisms like green bonds and insurance-linked resilience bonds, while emphasizing the need for natural asset accounting in public sector financial statements to incentivize municipal protection of NI.

The review of 30 local plans in Manitoba reveals a significant gap in explicit climate change adaptation planning. Only seven plans explicitly considered adaptation, with the majority of documents failing to reference specific climate projections or establish dedicated adaptation actions. While flood risks are universally acknowledged, drought and other climate-related hazards receive minimal attention. The report recommends that the Province of Manitoba integrate adaptation considerations into planning templates and collaborate with climate service centres to provide municipalities with local projection data.

In a speech to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan discusses the intersection of trade, sustainability, innovation, and climate change. He warns that protectionism and the potential end of NAFTA would increase costs and emissions, while highlighting the growth of the global green goods and services market. Vaughan emphasizes the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 'Winnipeg PEG' model for community-based sustainability reporting, which IISD aims to replicate globally. He also notes the rise of climate-related financial risk disclosure and the necessity of integrating environmental and economic goals to ensure long-term competitiveness.

The document evaluates the performance of Canadian cities against SDG 8, focusing on GDP per capita, labour productivity, median income, unemployment, and youth unemployment. While GDP and median incomes have generally risen, the report highlights persistent gender pay gaps and regional disparities in unemployment, particularly in Prairie cities.

This policy brief develops a metric for 'convenient access' to public transit by combining spatial (distance to stop) and temporal (bus frequency) data. Applying this to Winnipeg, the analysis finds that only 53% of the population has convenient access during peak hours. It further demonstrates that proposed cuts to 22 bus routes would have resulted in 5.6% of residents losing convenient access and 5.54% losing all access to transit. The brief argues that such quantitative monitoring is essential for informing sustainable urban development and evaluating the impact of policy changes on ridership.

The document tracks health and well-being indicators for Canadian cities against UN SDG 3 targets. It finds significant progress in neonatal mortality, chronic disease mortality, smoking rates, and health worker density. However, it notes rising trends in heavy drinking and HIV mortality in specific cities like Regina and Saskatoon, and an overall national increase in suicide and self-inflicted injury mortality, despite declines in several major cities.

The report examines the intersection of urban growth, aging electricity infrastructure, and climate change in Canada, arguing that the deployment of smart grid technologies is essential for decarbonization and grid resiliency. It identifies a significant financing gap for modernization, estimating a need for CAD 350 billion in investment over 20 years. The document outlines four emerging business models—Energy Service Provider, Customer Energy Marketplace, Local Balancing Authority, and Smart City—and notes that their adoption varies by region. It highlights barriers to smart grid deployment, including technical complexity, cyber security risks, and regulatory frameworks that treat smart investments as traditional capital infrastructure. The report concludes by calling for a National Vision on Grid Modernization to coordinate stakeholders and align the energy transition with mid-century climate goals.

The briefing argues that cities are critical for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and presents an IISD tool that uses official Statistics Canada data to monitor SDG indicator trends in 13 major Canadian cities. Because global indicators cannot be directly applied to cities due to data limitations, the initiative identifies 12 specific indicators to track progress from 1995 to 2030. The tool aims to help policy-makers identify performance gaps, assess the feasibility of targets, and facilitate cross-scale coordinated action between municipal, provincial, and federal governments.

The report argues that electrifying heavy-duty vehicles in California can significantly reduce hazardous air pollutants and global warming emissions while creating economic opportunities. It finds that battery and fuel cell electric buses have substantially lower life cycle emissions than diesel or CNG alternatives. The authors highlight that low-income communities and people of color are disproportionately exposed to heavy-duty vehicle pollution. While the sector offers growth in manufacturing, infrastructure, and maintenance, the report emphasizes the need for targeted electrical skills training to make these jobs accessible to underserved populations.

The document argues that climate change increases risks to urban energy and ICT systems through extreme weather and shifting demand patterns. It proposes building resilience through three pillars: robustness (hardening infrastructure via protocols like PIEVC), redundancy (deploying decentralized renewable energy and diverse ICT channels), and resourcefulness (utilizing smart grid technology and emergency roaming). Specific recommendations include adopting the PIEVC protocol for new investments, implementing time-of-use pricing, and encouraging the use of distributed energy storage.

The document outlines how urban transportation infrastructure in Alberta is vulnerable to rising temperatures and extreme weather, such as flooding and heat waves. It argues that resilience can be achieved through 'robustness' (using tools like the PIEVC protocol and green infrastructure), 'redundancy' (diversifying transportation modes and fuel sources), and 'resourcefulness' (engaging citizens via mobile apps and supporting shared mobility). The briefing recommends that Calgary and Edmonton undertake full vulnerability assessments, promote compact urban forms, and implement multi-modal networks to mitigate climate risks.

The document argues that Alberta's cities must move beyond historical climatic patterns to build resilience against more frequent and intense extreme weather events. It emphasizes integrating climate projections into emergency planning, investing in robust and redundant infrastructure, and fostering community resourcefulness through participatory engagement.

The report analyzes the landscape of cosmetic pesticide bans in Canada, evaluating the effectiveness of various provincial and municipal regulatory frameworks. It argues that the most protective laws utilize 'white lists' of approved low-risk pesticides, maintain a broad scope of coverage across all landscaping elements, and combine legal prohibitions with robust public education and enforcement. The document highlights significant gaps in jurisdictions like Alberta and British Columbia, while praising the comprehensive approaches of Ontario and Nova Scotia.

The brochure describes 'Smart-Sourced Fuel Products' as eco-friendly biomass blends created from agricultural residues, wetland plants, grassland plants, and forestry residues. These materials can be processed into pellets, briquettes, cubes, biochar, biogas, and fuel logs for residential, industrial, and commercial heating. The document highlights environmental benefits, such as the capture of phosphorus and nitrogen from cattails to protect Lake Winnipeg, and economic advantages for landowners and municipalities. It notes that Manitoba has an estimated 3 to 5 million tonnes of available biomass annually, plus 3 million tonnes of cattail. Replacing all coal use in Manitoba with biomass is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 200,000 tonnes.