On Thursday, October 10, Climate Positive Energy (CPE) and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) co-hosted the second annual Smart Growth Symposium. This much anticipated in-person event focused on smart and sustainable investments, infrastructure, transportation, energy, and emerging technology.
The sold-out event featured a day of discussions in formats including panels, fireside chats, presentations, and roundtable discussions connecting U of T experts with industry professionals.
Welcoming guests for a day of conversations, OCC President and CEO Daniel Tisch spoke on the importance of the power of collaboration in supporting innovation and inclusive growth, through events such as the co-hosted Smart Growth Symposium.
During opening remarks, Professor Timothy Chan, Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, Strategic Initiatives at the University of Toronto, remarked on the enormous strides that CPE has made in its mission to develop solutions to transform our energy systems and help Canada become a global clean-energy model.
“Universities are an integral part of energy transition,” said Professor Chan. “Part of [CPE’s] work has been championing equitable access to clean energy by ensuring that all communities – regardless of location – have the tools to achieve net-zero emissions.”
Serving underserved communities by bridging the digital divide was a topic explored in keynote fireside chat featuring the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Rogers, and Robyn Gray, Vice-President, Clean Infrastructure at Sussex Strategy Group. The discussion explored how Rogers is advancing sustainability efforts by empowering communities to respond to climate change and connecting people across Canada.
Shatha Qaqish-Clavering, Executive Director of Climate Positive Energy, moderated a session on decarbonizing transportation systems as vital in the movement of goods and people, a contributor for economic growth. Panelists Jake Brockman (Uber Canada), Cheryl Stone (Nieuport Aviation) and Cindy Bailey (Purolator) explored the role of connectivity, sustainable aviation, and last-mile delivery in shaping the future of Ontario’s sustainable transportation networks.
Professor Ali Hooshyar, Technical Lead of the Grid Modernization Centre, moderated a separate discussion on the diverse energy sources needed to meet growing demands. Panelists Guillaume Paradis (Hydro Ottawa), Mike Voll (Stantec), and Andrew Thiele (Bruce Power) explored the challenges, current advancements, and opportunities to adopt innovative and technological infrastructure solutions that strengthen Ontario’s smart energy grid.
Focusing on Ontario leadership of emission reduction efforts in Canada, CPE Academic Director David Sinton chatted with Ontario’s newly appointed Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, the Honourable Sam Oosterhoff. Minister Oosterhoff shed insights on the government’s efforts and programs to support industrial decarbonization, and how emerging technologies are paving the way towards a net-zero future.
An afternoon presentation with Deep Sky CEO Damien Steel showcased how cutting-edge solutions, such as carbon capture technology, are essential to decarbonizing industries and advancing sustainability.
New at this year’s Smart Growth Symposium and based on our guests’ feedback from last year’s event, we invited industry experts and U of T professors to host various “table talks” to encourage and advance conversations focused on different aspects of the net-zero transition. The topics spanned from industry decarbonization and sustainable buildings to greening the life sciences sector and financing the transition. We are pleased that many of our guests enjoyed the table talks and we look forward to future events furthering conversations around the net-zero transition.
Thank you to our co-hosts the Ontario Chamber of Commerce; Lead Partner Toronto Hydro; Presenting Partners Rogers and Uber; Supporting Partners Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Ontario, Air Canada, Bruce Power, and Nieuport Aviation; and contributing partner Waste Connections Canada.
We also extend our gratitude to the following U of T professors and leaders for sharing their academic expertise at the table talks:
- David Sinton
- Murray Thomson
- Daman K. Panesar
- Vladimiros G. Papangelakis
- Lesley Warren
- Andrew Steck
- Samar Sabie
- Seungjae Lee
- Pierre Desrochers
- Christopher E. Lawson
- Ivy Lam
- Charles Trick
- Susan McGeachie
- Matthew Osborne
- Olivier Trescases
- Khandker Nurul Habib
We are also grateful to our dedicated student volunteers for this year’s event:
- Alex Khobod
- Matthew Melkonyan
- Dimas Widjanarko
- Jennie Mai
- Emre Yilmaz
We look forward to hosting future events and opportunities bridging U of T researchers with industry experts across all sectors.
Event Gallery
All photos by Liz Beddall.