Sustainable Business Magazine - Issue 4/20

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SUSTAINABLE ISSUE 04.20 06/19

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

SEGENSOLAR FLOW ANGUILLA MICROSOFT CANADA

COYABA

BEACH RESORT

SNC-LAVALIN HSBC BANK MIDDLE EAST

AFSIA WATERPOWER CANADA ALSO FEATURED THIS ISSUE CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CANTO • PLUS MUCH MORE

S U S TA I N I N G T O M O R R O W. T O D AY

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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SUSTAINABLE

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

SBM Media Ltd - 94B St Benedicts Street Adam & Eve Yard, Norwich NR2 4AB United Kingdom • T: +44 (0) 1603 531 267 Email: info@sustainablebusinessmagazine.net www.sustainablebusinessmagazine.net

Editor:

George Newell

Assistant Editor:

Daniel Baksi

Contributing Writers: Marcus Bonnano

Sustainable Business Magazine is committed to promoting sustainable printing.

This magazine is printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified material and manufactured using environmentally sustainable procedures.

All lithographic printer inks used are vegetable-based.

Liam Pritchett

Ciara Jack

Projects Manager:

Helen Stoneley

Sales Manager:

Jake Curtis

Editorial Executive:

Shaun Peacock

Sales Executive:

Oliver Clegg

Web Administrator: Ashley Hewitt

Welcome to the latest edition of Sustainable Business Magazine.

The past month has seen encouraging news in the global coronavirus pandemic, as Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford announced their respective vaccines had been found to be effective at ranges between 62 and 95%, a critical step in the fight against the virus and the resulting disease which has killed an estimated 1.3 million people and dragged many societies and economies to a near-standstill. The development of these vaccines in under a year – a process which typically would take several years – is a testament to the ability of organizations to swiftly develop innovative, effective solutions to novel problems when there is funding and support available.

If, as we hope, COVID-19 has been largely eradicated from our communities by the end of 2021, one of the lessons we should take from this strange year is that rapid, breakthrough changes to seemingly insurmountable problems are achievable when we cast a wide net.

At time of writing, more than 300 potential coronavirus vaccines are in development. Of these, most will fall short; this is a feature of an effective development process, not a bug.

If we’re serious about the other major challenges facing the world in the 21st century – including social justice and a climate which is changing and becoming more destructive as a result of human activity – then we need to ensure that we continue taking a broad-tent approach to solutions, supporting a wide variety of individuals and organizations with disparate approaches.

This issue of Sustainable Business Magazine sees the launch or continuation of several exciting new series from a few of the organizations around the world which are driving real changes in sustainable business practices. We have pieces from the newly-established Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), WaterPower Canada, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Emirates Green Building Council, and CANTO. From a new LEED-Gold certified office tower in Dubai to the first ever public-private partnership in the hydropower sector in North America, from Anguilla’s largest telecommunications provider to a South African solar wholesaler with an inventive digital system to help customers design new systems, this issue features a range of innovators and envelope-pushers from around the world. We believe these companies and organizations offer a window into a global business landscape which is adaptive, forward-thinking, and increasingly community- and environment-oriented.

We hope you find this issue interesting and inspiring.

The Sustainable Business Magazine Team

CONTENTS ISSUE 04/20 04

Foreword - Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA)

06 Interview - SegenSolar 12 Foreword - WaterPower Canada 14 Interview - SNC Lavalin 20 Foreword - Canadian

Chamber of Commerce

22 Q&A

- Microsoft Canada

26 Foreword - Emirates Green

Building Council

30 Interview - HSBC Bank

Middle East

36 Foreword - CANTO 38 Interview - Flow Anguilla 44 Interview - Coyaba Beach Resort

ISSUE 04/20 FRONT COVER THIS IMAGE IS COURTESY OF MICROSOFT

© SBM Media Ltd 2020. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form for any purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, without prior consent of the publisher.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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FOREWORD: AFSIA

AFRICAN SOLAR A foreword by John van Zuylen, CEO of the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA).

Here in Africa, we have a different landscape for solar than other regions. Solar companies typically spread their activities across several nations, and they often use a mix of business models. For example, companies that previously focused exclusively on utility-scale projects are now also involved with mini-grids and solar home systems.

We established the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) after seeing that there wasn’t any public or private body sharing information about the entire industry across the African continent, despite many years of independent solar projects being developed across the continent.

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DIVERSE MARKET Every country in Africa has its own culture, way of doing things, and rules governing the electricity market. That’s what makes this continent so exciting and provides lots of opportunities. There are large-scale, commercial and industrial (C&I) and residential projects spread across home systems, grids, eco-solar, solar mining, irrigation, even solar cooking.

Take Togo as one example. The industry there has decided to go all-in and tackle all the segments at the same time. They have ongoing developments of several largescale projects and even a massive tender for

317 minigrids. Togo is also innovative when it comes to solar home system solutions, particularly for rural communities, and has a fast-growing C&I segment.

Zimbabwe is also very active right now. That country is really driven by the market: they’ve been faced with power cuts and loadshedding for a long time now, and people realized that building their own standalone systems for providing electricity was the way forward. As a result, there are a lot of private initiatives for the C&I segment. However, the government is also launching a tender for 500 megawatts of solar for the public utility.

There are so many different segments and every country is a little bit different, but the excitement can be felt from industry players as well as from international investors.

JOHN VAN ZUYLEN, CEO OF THE AFRICAN SOLAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (AFSIA).

PLATFORM FOR DIALOGUE Solar has already had big impacts on communities across Africa. Many people who have lived off the grid for years without electricity for even basic lighting are now benefitting from the incredible innovative thinking of solar home systems companies.

This has helped people to live better, and it provides small business opportunities.

A recent study showed that for every 100 solar home systems sold in east Africa, 21 full-time equivalent jobs were freed up.

The biggest challenge in Africa is the problem of financing. Solar is great for providing stable and cheaper electricity, but most of our potential customers simply can’t afford the upfront cost of buying and installing the systems that would actually benefit them. That means we need a financing model that spreads the costs over time. Such models exist for large-scale solar projects but are a real problem for C&I and home systems because there aren’t enough outside investors willing to take this one.

This is something we are trying to work with at AFSIA by creating a platform for more dialogue and a common understanding between both sides of the story. There are plenty of opportunities across Africa for investors, and we believe that AFSIA can connect investors with the right developers. c To learn more about AFSIA, and to apply for membership, visit: http://afsiasolar.com/ SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: SEGENSOLAR

RELIABLE ELECTRICITY FOR SOUTH AFRICA 6 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Chris Radley, Director at SegenSolar (Pty) Ltd, about the importance of clean, reliable energy for residential and business users in South Africa, a comprehensive online portal, and investing in online education.

By Ciara Jack Segen Ltd is the largest solar photovoltaic wholesaler and distributor in the United Kingdom, with a 25% share of the domestic solar market. Named to the Sunday Times Top Track 250 list of leading mid-market private companies for 2020, Segen Ltd was founded in 2005 by current CEO Andy Pegg.

In October 2015, Segen opened their subsidiary in South Africa, SegenSolar (Pty) Ltd. “We opened our office and distribution facility in Randburg in 2015, which is where we’re currently operating from,” says Chris Radley, Director at SegenSolar (Pty) Ltd. “We started with a handful of staff. It was a case of first year setting up the infrastructure, getting the planning and the software sorted. Since then, we’ve seen some nice growth. We opened a general distribution facility in Cape Town in 2017, and now we have got just over 100 people on board to look after the operations locally.”

Today, SegenSolar supplies the South African market with a wide range of solar panels, PV inverters, battery storage systems, and mounting products from manufacturers including Victron Energy, Kodak, Solis, Huawei, Pylon Tech, Freedom Won, Canadian Solar, EP Solar, and Renusol.

SegenSolar also offers customers access to the Segen Portal, which allows customers to design complete solar systems with their ‘Quick Quote’ software, as well as the more detailed ‘Design a PV System’ program.

CONSTANT SUPPLY Mr. Radley is all too aware of the need to find sustainable means of providing power to South Africa. Since 2007, South Africa’s generation capacity has been insufficient to meet demand, and Eskom, the state-owned utility, has implemented periods of load shedding, resulting in rolling blackouts across the country. Solar generation is a cost-effective, clean way of adding capacity to the grid, and when paired with battery technology, can allow homes and businesses to maintain a supply of electricity even during planned grid outages.

“About 85% of our revenue is focused towards the residential customer base, with the remaining part made up by the commercial base,” says Mr. Radley. “We put in a lot of effort to stay informed of local market SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: SEGENSOLAR

PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR ENGINEERING ( PTY ) LTD DESIGNERS OF SOLAR PV SYSTEMS Designers and Manufacturers of electrical balance of system products for residential and commercial Solar PV Systems The items that we design, manufacture and supply include • DC Combiner boxes • DC Protection boxes • ACDBs • Earth Neutral Bridge boxes • Change over units • Battery bank protection and isolation boxes Mike Kirby Email : mike@pvse.co.za Mobile : 0 823 248 845 Alex Lockyer Email : alex@pvse.co.za Mobile : 0 646 581 557

developments. We stay in touch with our customers on a daily basis and use their feedback to research potential new products to meet the future market’s wants and needs.

This is, in our opinion, an extremely valuable process to ensure that our product range stays relevant to the market.”

“In addition, we’ve also seen more energy-efficient products released by the manufacturers, which of course reduces the overall price,” says Mr. Radley. “People are very cost-conscious, and a more efficient product and output definitely contributes to

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a more cost-effective system. The volume of PV installations also scales this phenomenon up. That really helps to make solar budget-friendly.”

SOLAR PORTAL The Segen Portal, which provides convenient access to SegenSolar’s range of products at the click of a button, has been instrumental in improving access to solar PV. “The portal is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says Mr. Radley. “When customers register on that portal, they gain access to

pvse.co.za

a wide range of functionalities, including pricing, stock availability, and the ability to place orders and make payments. They can also use the portal to design systems, create quotes, and we use it to communicate marketing messages. The portal is our main focus for the business. Coupled with the portal is the stock availability, which is a key factor in our service offering. We only promote available stock, and we inventory our stock daily. We continuously update expected time of arrival, so the customers can see when the stock is scheduled to arrive.”

EMBRACING THE FUTURE GoodWe (Stock code: 688930) is a leading, strategically-thinking enterprise which focuses on research and manufacturing of PV Inverters and energy storage solutions.

With an accumulative installation of 16 GW installed in more than 80 countries, GoodWe solar inverters have been largely used in residential and commercial rooftops, industrial and utility scale systems, ranging from 0.7kW to 250 kW. GoodWe inverters offer reliable operation and excellent performance and are well recognized by customer worldwide.

GoodWe’s philosophy is to always create win-win partnerships with customers by identifying and integrating the most advanced components and techniques available, while offering an unparalleled after-sales service.

Technological innovation is GoodWe’s main core competence. With an in-house

R&D team of approx. 200 employees in two R&D centers, GoodWe can offer a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions for residential, commercial and utility scale PV systems, ensuring that performance and quality go hand-inhand across the entire range.

GoodWe and Segen are perfectly aligned with regards to objectives, values and future outlook. Our goal is not only to provide their customers with any inverter solution they need and to cooperate closely with Segen in all matters of after-sales needs and support, but also to carry on training and coaching their sales people and installers on our products.

It is our great pleasure to partner with Segen in South Africa which has proven to be nothing less than a win-win situation, ensuring that our products will be able to reach more customers in this key region.

www.goodwe.com SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: SEGEN SOLAR

“AFSIA ARE DOING EXCELLENT WORK PROMOTING SOLAR ACROSS THE CONTINENT. THEY’VE BUILT A VERY STRONG NETWORK ACROSS AFRICA, AND THEY CONTINUE TO BRING A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE TO THE INDUSTRY.”

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SegenSolar see their most valuable service as helping customers find the most relevant and efficient technology for their specific application. “We offer a wide range of products which are well-researched and good quality, to meet the demands from our customers,” says Mr. Radley. “We state our product and procurement aims, and we ask our suppliers to review their existing product range and to introduce new products to our existing portfolio. We only work with reputable suppliers with a proven track record.”

SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS In 2020, SegenSolar became an early member of the newly-founded African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA). AFSIA advocates for the widespread adoption of solar power across the continent through education, events, and initiatives. “We started the partnership earlier this year, and we already have quite a close-knit community,” says Mr. Radley. “AFSIA are doing excellent work promoting solar across the continent.

They’ve built a very strong network across Africa, and they continue to bring a wealth of knowledge to the industry. We believe it will be a very good relationship for both of us.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic brought large swathes of the world to a standstill, SegenSolar has hosted a series of free webinars for installer customers, offering online training on the Segen Portal and SegenSolar’s range of solar equipment, teaching customers how to install the products correctly. Customers are encouraged to ask questions, preparing them to set up SegenSolar’s systems properly and in such a way to maximize efficiency and energy output. Together, AFSIA and SegenSolar intend to expand these training opportunities, and to offer certification to installers.

“We are looking to bring more solar to this country,” says Mr. Radley. “At the moment, the industry is fast-growing and is alive with potential. We are expanding our existing product range and we are adding new suppliers to our portfolios. Our existing suppliers are bringing out new products, and we are bringing those to our customers. There are continuously new launches and new releases, which we’re very excited about. We already have a strong presence across Southern Africa, and we are looking at ways to expand our footprint even more.

We’re working on several new initiatives at the moment, and we’re hopeful they will bring us benefits into the future.” c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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FOREWORD: WATERPOWER CANADA

WATERPOWERED WaterPower Canada (WPC) is pleased to support Sustainable Business Magazine’s ‘WaterPowered’ series, recognizing the achievements of their members as they develop, innovate, and advance waterpower in Canada.

WaterPower Canada is the national, not-for-profit trade association dedicated to representing the Canadian waterpower industry. We promote the advantages of waterpower and its responsible development in order to meet Canada’s electricity needs sustainably. In order to achieve this goal, WaterPower Canada represents the industry on a national scale in front of a variety of stakeholders, gathers industry data, and leads national research efforts to further the important and irreplaceable role that waterpower plays in Canada. With members from coast-to-coast, WaterPower Canada’s membership not only spans the country but also spans the breadth of the sector. This includes hydropower producers, manufacturers, developers, engineering firms, and other organizations.

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“As the unified voice for the waterpower industry in Canada, our team works tirelessly to ensure that Canadians know about the tremendous benefits associated with waterpower, and that it is our natural asset in the fight against climate change,” says Anne-Raphaëlle Audouin, President & CEO of WaterPower Canada.

What you may not know about Canada is that the rain, snow, and ice that replenishes flowing rivers and streams provides Canadians with more renewable water flow per capita than any other country in the world. This abundance of water has led to an energy mix in which waterpower provides more than 60% of the country’s electricity. This positions Canada as the second largest waterpower generator globally, and ensures its electricity grid is one of the cleanest in the world.

ANNE-RAPHAËLLE AUDOUIN, PRESIDENT & CEO OF WATERPOWER CANADA

But these achievements didn’t happen overnight. They come from a 100+ year history of generating clean electricity from Canada’s most abundant renewable energy resource – flowing water. Canada, already a leader in hydropower generation, has the potential to more than double its current capacity to help meet growing energy demands while supporting clean energy objectives. “I don’t think many people realize that there is still so much untapped waterpower potential in Canada,” says Audouin. “For example, if

only half of Canada’s total undeveloped potential was built and dedicated to powering plug-in electric vehicles, Canada could power its entire current light-duty vehicle fleet, PLUS a full quarter of the current U.S. fleet with clean, renewable, reliable, and affordable hydropower.”

When you think about how much Canada’s waterpower industry has been able to accomplish over the last 100 years, while also considering how much potential still remains, you can see why our country is a hub for global expertise in the hydropower

industry. From the first hydroelectric site in Canada commissioned in 1891, to the more than 500 existing sites that provide the country with clean, renewable waterpower today, Canada truly is a global leader in clean electricity generation.

To learn more about WaterPower Canada and our work, visit https://waterpowercanada.ca/ and join the largest gathering of the Canadian waterpower industry online October 5-9, 2020 by registering at https://conference.waterpowercanada.ca/

“CANADA IS THE SECOND LARGEST WATERPOWER GENERATOR GLOBALLY, AND THIS ENSURES ITS ELECTRICITY GRID IS ONE OF THE CLEANEST IN THE WORLD.”

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INTERVIEW: SNC-LAVALIN

AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY 14 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

By Liam Pritchett Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Dale Clarke, President, Infrastructure Services, and Vinod Batta, Vice President and Chief Technical Officer - Hydro at SNCLavalin, about an innovative hydropower project, sophisticated digital modeling, and the future of sustainable construction.

SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is a fully integrated professional services and project management company headquartered in Canada. SNC-Lavalin provide services ranging from consulting and advisory services through to engineering, project management, and the long-term operation of assets to a variety of industries, including resource extraction (oil, gas, and mining), infrastructure (including clean and nuclear energy and transportation infrastructure), and industrial operations and maintenance, with an additional capital group supporting equity and project financing. Operating in more than 50 countries around the world, and with over 45,000 employees, SNC-Lavalin is one of the largest engineering services companies in Canada, and the world.

“Sustainability has been at the core of our project work for as long as I’ve been here, which is over 24 years now,” says Dale Clarke, President, Infrastructure Services at SNC-Lavalin. “We’ve always strived to protect the environment and to support local communities where we work. We became a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact in 2015, responding to Agenda 2030. In 2018 we appointed Sarah-Jane Stewart as our Global Head of Sustainability who developed our more formal sustainability policy and sustainable business strategy. We identified three of the seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals which aligned most with our business objectives and the priorities of our key SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: SNC-LAVALIN stake- holders, and where we felt we could improve the most over the subsequent five years. These are Goal 7, which is affordable and clean energy; Goal 11, which is sustainable cities and communities; and Goal 13, which is climate action.”

These considerations are particularly crucial for companies, like SNC-Lavalin, working on large infrastructure projects. “Many of our projects will be around for generations,” says Mr. Clarke. “They need to stand the test of time. We talk a lot about low-carbon or net-zero developments and building sustainability into the design stage of projects. We ensure that we are considering those future generations, accommodating population growth and urbanization, demographic shifts, and climate change. We think about how to achieve a low-carbon future and how we increase resource efficiency whilst providing high levels of protection for ecosystems and increasing biodiversity.”

UNDERGROUND POWERHOUSE The John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project was a $1.093 billion project to replace the existing 126MW generating station with a larger and more reliable, earthquake-resistant powerhouse that is

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also more environmentally friendly. The project was undertaken as a public-private partnership – the first ever in the hydropower sector in North America – between BC Hydro, who provided 60% of the capital cost, and SNC-Lavalin, whose capital group provided the remaining 40%.

“The John Hart project is a real showcase project for us,” says Mr. Clarke. “Hydro projects are really at the roots of our company. The unique part of the John Hart project was taking the powerhouse – which is something that would normally be a surface facility – and moving it underground. That was really aimed at reducing the ecological footprint of the project.”

The original John Hart Generating Station, built in 1947, served Vancouver Island

for many years, but by the 2000s the station was deteriorating, affecting the output, and the building and penstocks were deemed unsafe in the event of a moderate earthquake. “The new underground powerhouse minimizes its environmental footprint and is safer in the event of an earthquake,” explains Vinod Batta, Chief Technical Officer, Hydro.

The project itself supported the creation of numerous local community amenities, including improvements to the adjacent Elk Falls BC Provincial Park which provides long- term environmental benefits to the area. “The project made environmental protection a primary driver in design, construction, and operations through several innovations,” says Mr Batta. One innovation included the design

“SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN AT THE CORE OF OUR PROJECT WORK FOR AS LONG AS I’VE BEEN HERE, WHICH IS OVER 24 YEARS NOW”

of a water bypass system, with a maximum discharge of 80 m3/s to keep the downstream river covered with water, allowing for flow continuity in the Campbell River during unplanned shutdowns of generating units. This feature eliminates the risk of dewatering important fish habitat in the river during operations.”

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT “With a project like this, from a sustainability perspective, one of the big issues is related to downstream water releases from dams,” says Mr. Clarke. “Historically, that has not always been as controlled as it is today. Today, we look at the downstream releases of water and what that is doing to fish stocks, riverbank erosion, and all of these aspects that are really critical.”

Included in the John Hart Generating Station Project was a new water bypass facility to provide flow continuity below the generating station designed to protect the downstream fish habitat. The project also saw the removal of three penstocks and the existing station to significantly reduce the project’s environmental footprint. The underground powerhouse design allows

for a narrow tailrace outlet immediately upstream of the existing powerhouse tailrace.

The narrow design and location ensure the river morphology, and fish habitat, remain largely unaffected.

“Two important considerations during design were the integrity of the flow split around First Island, immediately downstream, and of the deep pool located at the outlet of Elk Falls Canyon,” says Mr. Batta.

“Thousands of salmon hold in this pool in late August-September. In addition, the replacement of the three above ground penstocks with a tunnel meant that the penstocks could be removed. The contaminated soils from the creosote covered woodstave section of the penstock were remediated to park- land standards. The corridor is undergoing a regeneration to better fit in with the surrounding forest and park, and we are already happy with the results.”

use 3D spatial technology to create a virtual environment,” says Mr. Clarke. “There was a big digital component to ensure that we could see the placement of the components, check that everything was correct and that the design made sense, before we ever actually executed it in the field. This is something we’re doing more and more, using the concept of ‘digital twins.”

‘Digital twinning’ refers to creating a working digital simulation of a real, physical thing. “During the design stage of any project, we completely develop each project digitally,” says Mr. Clarke. “A 3D model is used to build the project, starting with the topography and including all the various elements of the project. We use a lot of radar systems and drones initially to plot the ground conditions and doing so allows us

MODELING TECHNOLOGY The use of advanced digital technology allowed SNC-Lavalin to model the innovative underground design of the new generating station at the John Hart Generating Station site. “This project was an opportunity to SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: SNC-LAVALIN

“THE PROJECT ALSO HAD A 94% RECYCLE RATE OF CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS AND WASTE, PLUS APPROXIMATELY 3400 TONS OF CARBON BEING ELIMINATED ANNUALLY”

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to look at various scenarios to both optimize the project design and to do so without disturbing the environment in any way. As a company, we are quite advanced with the use of the digital twin concept and are actually moving that even farther forward into the operations phase, meaning we take operational information and also build that into the initial model. In this way, we can actually simulate the operation of the facility. On the power side of our business, we have been doing this sort of work for a long time and have done a lot of engineering up at the Nalcor Muskrat Falls project using 3D systems.”

“Technology assists us when we’re considering all these factors,” says Mr. Clarke.

“It allows a lot more ‘what-if’ scenarios and a lot more design optimization. It allows us to assess a lot more of those things in a much shorter period of time and therefore end up with a cost-effective, efficient design in the end.”

EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS In addition to their work in the hydropower sector, SNC-Lavalin has been involved in several high-profile recent projects with significant achievements in resource and emissions reduction. “We finished construction on the McGill University Health Center in Montreal approximately five years ago, and we are now involved in the operations and maintenance phase,” says Mr. Clarke. “That building won a number of awards and certifications, including LEED Gold, and achieved a 40% reduction in water consumption.

The project also had a 94% recycle rate of construction debris and waste, plus approximately 3400 tons of carbon being eliminated annually.”

In the resources sector, SNC-Lavalin recently worked on the Vale Clean AER project, providing management and EPCM services for Vale’s nickel smelter in Sudbury, Ontario.

“We installed scrubbers and emission reduction systems to tackle sulfur dioxide and dust and metal emissions,” says Mr. Clarke. “We

reduced the sulfur dioxide by 85% and decreased dust and metal by 40%. The whole community up there is going to see a huge benefit in terms of air quality. Once again, we used modern technology to assist us.”

“In the province of Ontario, we are also part of the largest clean energy projects in Canada,” says Mr. Clarke. “The refurbishment of the Darlington and Bruce CANDU nuclear energy stations will provide Ontario with reliable low carbon energy for more than 30 years. We are also working on a metro system in Saudi Arabia, the Eglinton Crosstown in Toronto, and an LRT system through downtown Montreal called REM. These are all great examples of projects that will reduce emissions from vehicles by promoting the use of clean transit options in these major cities.”

BEST OUTCOMES “As we go forward, we plan to continue emphasizing digital technology and be on the leading edge of that,” says Mr. Clarke.

“Strictly from a sustainability perspective, we will be much more proactive as we continue to go forward with our projects, ensuring we create a sustainability-by-design culture and framework within the company. There is an intention up front to reduce or eliminate waste, implement low-carbon and resource efficiency strategies, aim for net-zero emissions construction practices, and continue focusing on providing benefits to the local communities. We will also maximize local procurement wherever possible. We expect to be increasingly selective on the types of projects we pursue, ensuring that they are aligned with our sustainability objectives. Ultimately, our focus is going to be to continue providing exceptional services to our clients as efficiently as possible by utilizing digital technology and project management tools.

We aim to be able to assess design scenarios quickly and efficiently, to provide the best outcome for our clients, the community, and the environment.” c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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FOREWORD: CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CANADIAN INNOVATORS The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is proud to support Sustainable Business Magazine’s ‘Canadian Innovators’ series, recognizing the achievements of the Canadian business community in driving a new, sustainable economy in Canada and around the world.

There have been many sobering lessons from COVID-19. No doubt, as we see the impacts of lockdown fall unevenly across our communities, we are reminded of the need to urgently address inequality through more inclusive growth. As we see nations struggle to convince their citizens to adhere to public health measures, we are reminded of the grave implications of waning public trust in our collective institutions. These lessons will define generations.

Another insight gleaned from the virus is the challenge we face in achieving global 20 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

emission targets. To keep warming at a 1.5 degree scenario, global emissions need to fall by an average of 7.6% each year. As most analysts know, we have yet to come anywhere close to achieving this type of reduction. 2020 will be the exception. It is estimated that global emissions will drop 8% this year. Our success, though unintended, has come at catastrophic and untold economic and social costs. The insight should not go unheeded: if we have only achieved our emission targets through the lockdown of more than a third of the world’s

population, we must begin to recognize the profound entanglement of our economies with our energy supply. The scope of innovation and the scale of implementation in but a few short decades will be without parallel in human history. For Canada, this will require a pathway to net-zero by 2050 that is inclusive of all of Canada’s industries, predictable, and feasible.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has been proud to champion this vision on behalf of Canada’s business community. We have long advocated governments to create public policy that will allow businesses of all sizes to innovate and drive Canada’s transition to a low carbon economy. We recognize that there is no silver bullet when it comes to tackling climate change. As part of our commitment, we have been at the forefront of making a clear place for the important role a revenue-neutral carbon pricing regime can play in giving business the resources to make critical innovations.

We also recognize that while carbon pricing is an important tool, it alone is insufficient. For this reason, we continue to advocate on the importance of finding other ways to drive emission-reducing technologies, such as modernizing infrastructure, incentivizing carbon capture and storage systems, and making further changes to Canada’s regulatory environment to ensure we can lead the transition to a low-carbon economy from an economic position of strength.

As Sustainable Business Magazine readers will see in the features from our members, the task ahead of government is not to lead Canada’s transition to a lower carbon economy; it is to catch up with Canadian industries that are already leading the charge.

The opportunity that the 21st century holds for Canada is far greater than achieving our nationally-determined contribution to the Paris Agreement. Rather, Canada can achieve its own targets and be a leader in the world’s global transition to a lower carbon economy. Canada has almost all the resources it needs to achieve this aim: the technologies, the workforce, the metals, and the energy to be a global leader on climate action. The resources we lack are the political will and clarity of vision from our politicians to effectively seize the opportunities that lie before us. As you will no doubt see in this issue, this has not stopped Canada’s business community from leading the way.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is Canada’s largest business association, representing 200,000 businesses through a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade. Learn more about our work at http://www.chamber.ca/

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Q&A: MICROSOFT CANADA

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

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First of all, can you briefly outline for our readers Microsoft’s intention to become carbon negative by 2030, to remove all the carbon emitted directly or indirectly by Microsoft by 2050, and your $1 billion Climate Innovation Fund?

Microsoft is proud to have been one of the first major companies to be carbon neutral in our operations by reducing our emissions, purchasing renewable energy, and investing in carbon offsets. But as the science and technology has advanced, we realize that’s not good enough and we need to be more ambitious.

Because of this, in January, Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft globally, announced that by 2030 across Microsoft’s entire business, including our supply chain, we will reduce our emissions by more than half and remove more carbon than we emit annually as a company, resulting in a carbon impact that is below net zero. Additionally, Microsoft announced the goal of removing from the environment by 2050 all the carbon Microsoft has emitted either directly or via electricity consumption since it was founded in 1975, and that we are launching a $1 billion climate innovation fund using our own capital to accelerate the development of sustainability solutions, including carbon reduction and removal technologies that will help us and the world become carbon negative.

The Climate Innovation Fund will invest $1 billion of our capital over four years from the original announcement to accelerate the development of environmental sustainability solutions, including carbon reduction and removal technologies, based on the best available science.

What are your planned steps to achieve these ambitious goals, and how will you measure your progress?

Microsoft is committed to achieving these goals in a number of ways, including: • In July 2020, we began expanding our current internal carbon fee to cover our scope 3 emissions, the indirect emissions of activities like the production of the goods purchased and waste.

• We’re empowering suppliers and customers around the world. We will develop and deploy technology to help our suppliers and customers reduce their carbon footprints around the globe. We will also begin to make carbon reduction an explicit aspect of our procurement processes for our supply chain.

• We will be an advocate for greater transparency.

We will support strong industry-wide standards for transparency and reporting on carbon emissions and removal, and we will apply these ourselves in a new, annual environmental sustainability report.

• We will use our voice to support new public policy initiatives to accelerate carbon reduction and removal opportunities. In 2020, we’ve already announced several initiatives as part of our commitment to sustainability, including: • Important commitments to reduce waste in our business and empower our partners and customers to do the same, including a goal to be zero waste by 2030 for our direct waste footprint; the launch of Microsoft Circular Centers at our major datacenters to process hardware onsite for reuse and repurposing; and the elimination of single-use plastics in our packaging by 2025.

• Announced the launch of the Planetary Computer, a new kind of computing platform that uses AI and machine learning to make it easy for anyone in the world to search the state of the planet so they can make smart decisions about managing natural resources – so we can better understand questions around species, biodiversity, and ecosystems that are vital to our health and prosperity.

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Q&A: MICROSOFT CANADA

• Forged innovative new alliances, like our work with Land O’Lakes, which is harnessing the power of cutting edge technologies like Microsoft Azure, edge computing, and AI to pioneer new solutions that solve for some of the most challenging issues in agriculture, helping to increase farmers’ profit potential and encourage more sustainable practices. Together, Microsoft and Land O’Lakes will not only transform the agriculture industry but help businesses evolve to work and operate in a more sustainable way.

This is on top of our AI for Earth program, which awards grants to support projects that use AI to change the way people and organizations monitor, model, and manage Earth’s natural systems.

How is Microsoft Canada participating in this global strategy?

• Global initiatives like our zero-waste commitment and our commitment to make carbon reduction an explicit aspect of our procurement processes for our supply chain will of course apply to Microsoft Canada.

• We have several Canadian AI for Earth grantees, including a PhD candidate from McGill who is using AI and machine learning to build a prototype environmental monitoring and data analysis for Smart Cities to mitigate climate change and water management, and a team from UBC that is using AI to acquire, process, and disseminate data from a network of forests in BC, then sharing this data with scientists, educators and the public in real-time to inform research and enable participatory decision making.

• We are also reducing our physical footprint. We’re moving employees from our Canadian headquarters in Mississauga and our Bay St. office to two floors at CIBC Square in downtown Toronto. We’re targeting LEED Platinum certification for the new space and it’s steps away from Union Station, making it more accessible by transit.

• Of course, most of our employees are working from home right now as a result of COVID-19, but it’s always been part of our DNA to empower employees to work where and when they’re most productive; for many, that means working from home some or most of the time, which reduces their individual carbon footprints.

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Why, in your view, are technology companies wellpositioned to have a significant impact on global carbon emissions?

While the world will need to reach net zero, those of us who can afford to move faster and go further should do so.

That’s why announced our ambitious goal and a new plan to reduce and ultimately remove Microsoft’s carbon footprint.

We also believe that technology is a force multiplier and has the power to accelerate the amazing work of researchers, non-profits, businesses, and public sector organizations in the fight against climate change. Take the example of the Planetary Computer that we mentioned earlier: We do not know enough about species, biodiversity, and ecosystems that are vital to our health and prosperity. Simply understanding where the world’s forest, fields,

and waterways are remains a daunting task of environmental accounting. Understanding what species call those ecosystems home or why they thrive or decline is largely unknown. We simply can’t solve a problem we don’t fully understand.

The world’s first such assessment was launched by the United Nations in 2000 and took nearly five years and more than 1,300 experts from around the world to complete. The more recent assessment, by the UN’s Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was designed to close the gap between simple scientific insight and more effective policy implementation, was 1,700 pages, cited more than 15,000 scientific sources, and wasn’t published until 15 years after the first. These are years that we can’t afford as our environmental challenges intensify. It is abundantly clear that the world needs greater access to environmental data to assess, diagnose, and treat the natural systems that society depends on. This is why data powered by machine learning will be a game changer.

Assessing the planet’s health must become a more sustained, integrated practice that allows us to understand exactly what is happening in time to enable smart decision-making. Fortunately, there is massive potential for technology to revolutionize our environmental assessment practices, so they are faster, cheaper, and – for the first time – operate at a truly global scale.

tive focused on helping 25 million people impacted by COVID-19 gain new digital skills.

As part of this initiative, Microsoft will combine existing and new resources from LinkedIn, GitHub, and Microsoft. Starting today, Microsoft will: • Provide free access to learning content • Invest in access to in-demand skills training • Offer low-cost tests that provide industryrecognized certifications • Deliver free connections to employability tools In addition to the investments noted above, Microsoft is also providing $20M in cash grants to help nonprofit organizations assist the people who need it most, including three Canadian nonprofits – NPower Canada, Canada Learning Code (CLC) in partnership with Juno College of Technology, and Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) of Canada.

We also recently announced the Canada Skills Program, a collaboration with 12 colleges and universities in Canada to provide access to Microsoft Certifications in the most in-demand cloud and AI skills alongside the institutions’ credentials. c

How is Microsoft Canada also investing in and contributing to local Canadian communities?

Sustainability is a huge priority for us at Microsoft, which is why we’re making local and global investments mentioned above. Another important priority for us is providing Canadians with the digital skills they need to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the innovation economy, including opportunities in sustainable tech and clean energy.

In response to the global economic fallout from COVID-19, we recently announced a global skills initia-

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FOREWORD: EMIRATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

BUILDING A

GREENER UAE TOGETHER A foreword to the ‘UAE Green Buildings’ Series by HE Ali Al Jassim, Chairman of Emirates Green Building Council When Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) was founded in 2006, dialogue on sustainability was still in its infancy in the UAE and the wider region. The focus was on infrastructure development and the Council was among the pioneers to underpin the need to promote sustainable built environments.

It could not have come at a more opportune time as, in 2007, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, announced a new decree that was path-breaking for the region, man26 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

dating that all new urban structures had to conform to environmentally-friendly green building standards.

EmiratesGBC focused on driving dialogue around sustainability in the construction sector, and our mission to serve as a “a catalyst for collaboration and a hub for excellence to promote sustainability of the built environment in the UAE” found resonance among all key stakeholders in the industry, both in the public and private sectors.

Since then, the UAE has witnessed remarkable advancements in green buildings. There are clearly-outlined standards

EMIRATESGBC EVENT PARTICIPANT ENGAGING WITH A PANEL MEMBER

EMIRATES GBC PUBLICATIONS

for green buildings in various emirates, and a thoughtfully outlined strategy to build a cleaner energy mix, reflected in the UAE Clean Energy Strategy 2050.

As the first nation in the region to ratify the Paris Agreement to combat climate change, and having outlined the National Climate Change Plan for the UAE 20172050, the UAE has stepped up the game to create a greener and cleaner future for the coming generations.

With buildings accounting for 70 to 80% of the nation’s total energy consumption, the federal and local government entities have been focused on encouraging sustainable practices led by demand side-energy management, as well as energy sector diversifi-

cation. Ensuring a sustainable built environment is therefore mission-critical – and that is the goal EmiratesGBC drives through our year-round calendar of activities that engages all stakeholder groups.

PIONEERING WORK Over the past decade, EmiratesGBC has recorded not just a growth in its membership base but also set its tasks in line with global best practices in built environment sustainability to achieve impressive milestones.

Today, the UAE ranks first in the region in shaping a more sustainable built environment, reflected in the nation being home to over 1,072 LEED-certified buildings, while Dubai has received the Platinum rating in the

LEED for Cities certification, making it the first city across the Middle East and North Africa to receive this prestigious recognition.

Through ongoing activities such as the annual MENA Green Building Awards, the Annual EmiratesGBC Congress, and our Benchmarking Projects, we are championing built environment sustainability not just through awareness sessions but also by encouraging our members and the community to follow the industry best practices.

Our benchmarking programs serve the retrofit market by measuring the consumption of existing buildings against comparable buildings in the UAE. In 2016, we published the first benchmarking report that covered UAE’s hotels. We have also partnered with SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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FOREWORD: EMIRATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

HABIBA AL MARASHI, EMIRATESGBC TREASURER ADDRESSING THE 2018 ANNUAL EMIRATESGBC CONGRESS

Dubai Supreme Council of Energy to benchmark the energy performance of Dubai hotels, malls, and schools under the Dubai’s commitment for the Building Efficiency Accelerator, a program under the ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ (SE4All) initiative led by the United Nations Secretary-General and funded by the Global Environment Facility.

EMIRATESGBC MEMBERS ACTIVELY NETWORKING AT A SEMINAR EVENT ON WELLBEING

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To encourage positive action, we launched the ‘Green Building Tooltips,’ which is freely accessible online at www. emiratesgbc.org. It is a rich online resource on best practices that will help the construction industry and community make their built environments more sustainable.

The EmiratesGBC ‘Energy Efficiency Programme’ (EEP), which consists of an online database that serves as a catalyst for all stakeholders to support the growing number of building retrofit projects, is another step forward to greater sustainability.

We also produced the Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings, a handbook in English and Arabic that serves as a textbook for the upcoming EmiratesGBC Building Retrofit Training Program.

Specifically, for the hospitality industry, we operate the Green Key Certification, a sustainability certification program for hotels and other accommodation facilities. The education sector, we believe, is another vital area we must focus on, and we have already launched a White Paper on the ‘State of our Schools’ that was derived from a roundtable with education sector stakeholders to plan, design, implement, innovate, and sustain green initiatives across UAE schools.

NET ZERO BUILDINGS Currently, our primary focus is to support the nation in its journey to achieve net zero carbon buildings, a commitment that the UAE, along with likeminded countries globally, aims to realize by 2050. This is reflected in

our nZEB Centre of Excellence, which serves as a think tank and accelerator to advance net zero carbon buildings in the UAE as part of its commitment to World Green Building Council’s global Advancing Net Zero Project.

We are also part of the WorldGBC Advancing Net Zero Steering Committee and contribute to the MENA Net Zero Advisory Panel and have presented the “Defining Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in the UAE 2017” report, which provide a roadmap for near zero energy buildings in the UAE. Further amplifying the need to focus on the wellness of residents in buildings, we launched the WELL Building Standard workshop in partnership with the International WELL Building Institute, which leads the global movement to transform buildings and communities to help people thrive.

We also support the ‘Better Places for People’ program, a global program led by the World Green Building Council-led to create a world in which buildings are not only good for the environment, but also support healthier, happier and more productive lives for those who occupy them.

With such strong governmental resolve backed by the active partnership of the private sector, the UAE has clearly set a tangible, realistic, and achievable roadmap for sustainable development. And we at EmiratesGBC will continue to be at the forefront in driving dialogue and action to achieve the green vision of the nation while also supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The ‘UAE Green Buildings’ series produced with Sustainable Business Magazine presents compelling stories of how our partners are helping achieve this transformation. I congratulate them and thank them for joining hands for a greener UAE. c AWARD WINNERS AT THE 2019 ANNUAL MENA GREEN BUILDING AWARDS

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INTERVIEW: HSBC BANK MIDDLE EAST

BUILT TO LAST Sustainable Business Magazine speaks with HSBC Bank Middle East’s Sabrin Rahman, Head of Sustainability, and Esra Fanoscu, Regional Head of Corporate Real Estate, about the new LEED Gold-certified HSBC Tower in Dubai, as well as green mortgages, and driving sustainable change in the Middle East.

By Ciara Jack

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Completed in 2018, the HSBC Tower in Dubai is the futuristic face of the multinational bank’s UAE Headquarters. A dazzling, window-clad structure, the 20-storey HSBC Tower, which consolidates three of the bank’s previous offices in a single building, was constructed in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Standard, using 25% less energy and 40% less water than a traditional Dubai office building.

“Obtaining the LEED Gold Certificate was already a challenging target since we could not opt in for many of the credits, due to the fact of being connected to a

district cooling system, which is a sustainable cooling option but is not rated in the LEED program,” says Sabrin Rahman, Head of Sustainability at HSBC Bank Middle East.

“But that was not enough for us. We wanted the building to showcase a number of other sustainability measures linked to the ‘user experience’, to raise awareness among our employees.”

“From energy efficient lighting and waste management systems, to intelligent security cameras, HSBC Tower’s smart technology has all major green benefits,” says Esra Fanoscu, Regional Head of Corporate Real Estate at HSBC Bank Middle East.

CLEAN TECH An array of water-saving technologies at HSBC Tower keep the building’s water consumption to a minimum – an important energy saver in Dubai where the supply of potable water is desalinated, an energy-intensive process. “The building manages reduced water consumption through low flow fixtures, dual-flush toilets and the recovery of condensation from the air-conditioning system,” says Ms. Fanoscu. “Irrigation SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: HSBC BANK MIDDLE EAST matic,” explains Ms. Fanoscu. “This system includes daylight harvesting, fully variable LED lighting, scene setting, and the use of other low-consumption lamps across the building. We also have 10 destination-controlled lifts and one service lift that will channel people quickly to their floors, reducing waiting time and energy usage.”

A trip to the car park also demonstrates the full scope of HSBC Tower’s clean energy policy. “Access to electric vehicle parking spaces, carpool parking spaces, and bicycle racks encourage eco-friendly transportation,” says Ms. Fanoscu. “Parking is unreserved and managed using a smart parking system. It can monitor utilization rates and detect over-allocated parking spaces to utilize redundant capacity.” requirements have been minimized, and all plant irrigation is provided by recovered water.” Meanwhile, a roof-mounted solar water heating system heats the water needed for the company’s washrooms.

Air conditioning is another big energy consumer for Dubai buildings. “The HVAC system has been designed with smart principles, such as presence detection, accurate zone control, variable fan speed, and intelligent timer settings,” says Ms. Fanoscu. “CO2 detectors, combined with

the Smart Building Control System, enables full control of the fresh air supply and ventilation system, delivering fresh air only where required and providing significant energy savings and improved air quality.

The exterior itself uses a high-performance façade to reduce solar gain.”

Of course, no green building would be complete without energy-saving lighting measures, but HSBC Tower’s measures are more sophisticated than a few eco-friendly bulbs. “The lighting system is fully auto-

“WE HAVE BANNED THE SALE OF PLASTIC BOTTLED WATER WITHIN THE BUILDING. THE INTENTION IS TO BE 100% PLASTIC BOTTLE FREE BY Q4 2020.”

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GREEN HAVEN HSBC Tower is almost completely free of single-use plastics, thanks to consumables being packaged in biodegradable material.

The building also has food waste reduction technology called Winnow, which provides food service employees with information on how to reduce food waste using real-time data, and an on-site composter, which reduces the need to transport waste. If staff want to grab a coffee, there’s no need to wander

out for a plastic-lined takeaway cup, either.

Pantries serve organic, free-trade coffee in ceramic mugs. In order to ensure the longevity of using ceramic mugs, a dishwasher has been installed to keep everything clean and ready-to-go. The canteen also has a ‘Bring Your Own Container’ loyalty card, which incentivizes reusable food containers through employee discounts.

Gone, too, are water coolers and the associated plastic and paper waste. “Every floor has more than one access point to filtered and chilled water dispensers, allowing tap water to be used for drinking,” explains Ms. Fanoscu. “Staff and building occupants are issued their own re-usable glass water bottle, though these are currently out of use due to COVID-19 related hygienic precautions. We have banned the sale of plastic bottled water within the building. The intention is to be 100% plastic bottle free by Q4 2020.”

“By replacing the plastic cups for water dispensers with glasses and installing filtered tap water, with this measure alone we reduced our plastic cups use per year by one million units,” adds Ms. Rahman.

INCENTIVIZING GREEN BUILDING HSBC Tower stands as a new chapter in the bank’s long relationship with Dubai.

HSBC has had a presence in the Emirati city since the late 19th Century, and has been providing loans and financing in the region ever since, including for large-scale projects like the dredging of Dubai Creek.

“This state-of-the-art headquarters presented a moment to reflect on HSBC’s rich history of partnership and progress, which underpins its bright and ever-growing future in the UAE,” says Ms. Rahman.

HSBC’s eco-friendly work in the region extends beyond HSBC Tower. HSBC are a founding member of the Emirates Green

Building Council (EGBC), as well as having a permanent place on the Board of Directors.

“Being the only bank in the region present at this forum, we try to bring the perspective of the financial institutions to their activities,” says Ms. Rahman. “We also are able to understand the needs of the market, or how to incentivize positive behavior.”

For example, HSBC offers a green mortgage product, called the Green Home Loan, incentivizing customers to purchase properties which are LEED-certified buildings by offering a 0.25% discount on the applicable interest rate. “We consulted EGBC in the first stages of preparing that product,” says Ms. Rahman. “This is the first

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INTERVIEW: HSBC BANK MIDDLE EAST

such product in the UAE and we hope this creates momentum within consumers and developers on sustainable buildings.”

HSBC Bank Middle East also recently launched a new sustainable buildings report in partnership with EY, titled ‘Built to Last: Sustainable Buildings Framework for Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE’, to promote green buildings in the region. “The report offers a snapshot of the building sector in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and highlights the key strategic, financial, market and technological enablers for green buildings in these countries,” says Ms. Rahman. “It particularly looks at how green building practices can deliver environmental and socio-economic benefits to achieve the global sustainability and climate change goals. It also explores the challenges of the transition to green buildings, delving deeper into the gaps across the value chain, and offers recommendations for policy-makers, financial institutions, developers, and customers to harness the benefits of the transition and benefit from a more sustainable building sector.”

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ACCELERATING CHANGE HSBC continues to run a wide array of sustainability-focused programs in the region. Living Business is an ongoing program sponsored by HSBC which offers free one-on-one guidance, workshops, and networking for businesses which want to improve profits through sustainable technologies and industry best practices. “Using an ESG framework, Living Business is for all businesses that have an interest in taking sustainable action in 2020 and beyond,” says Ms. Rahman. “Living Business has a primary focus on businesses in the manufacturing and construction sectors, including power and utilities, oil and gas, construction, transportation, and metals.”

Then there’s the C3 Social Impact Accelerator Program, powered by HSBC, which

provides expert support to the next generation of sustainability entrepreneurs in the Middle East. “This is currently running with a selection of 23 entrepreneurs across the region selected from a pool of around 650 applications,” says Ms. Rahman. “During this program, they receive the tools and modules they need to thrive in the global economy and enable them to raise funds and increase governance practices to help their companies become more resilient. The modules, delivered through live sessions, focus on topics including how to measure social impact, the theory of change, how to build capable teams, financial management, and how to pitch to investors, et cetera.” This program was awarded a Social Enterprise Mark, and was recognized as one of five United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Pioneers in the UAE. MOVING THE NEEDLE “In the Middle East, governments are now incredibly strong on the sustainability agenda,” says Ms. Fanoscu. “Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Plan and the UAE Energy Plan set out ambitious and tangible targets. Investors have started to realize it’s a real commercial opportunity, and HSBC is leading the charge with tight environmental targets through the REDUCE 2020 initiative.

HSBC’s global 10-point Operational Sustainability Strategy aims to reduce annual carbon emissions per employee by about 40 per cent, by end of 2020. HSBC Tower contributes to moving the needle in REDUCE 2020 though technology-enabled space, which will automate, analysis, and manage building operations to be more efficient and environmentally friendly. While sustainability is a long-term goal, HSBC Tower is a great example of how we are treating sustainability as a goal today, in meeting international standards and the globally-acclaimed LEED Gold rating.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for cities to be healthier, better connected, less congested, and nature focused,” says Ms. Rahman. “Last year alone we supported more than 40 projects across the region covering different areas of our sustainability strategy, i.e. supporting our employees, clients and communities with the future skills they need in a changing world, or helping sustainable entrepreneurs. On a sustainable finance front, we look to continue our leadership position in the UAE to help customers and partners transition to a lower carbon economy through products, advisory and thought leadership. We have also been actively financing commercial green buildings across the UAE.” c

“WHILE SUSTAINABILITY IS A LONGTERM GOAL, HSBC TOWER IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE ARE TREATING SUSTAINABILITY AS A GOAL TODAY”

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FOREWORD: CANTO

DIGITAL IS THE NEW

NORMAL A foreword by Teresa Wankin, Secretary General of the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organizations (CANTO).

CANTO is a non-profit association made up of operators, regulators, government bodies, service providers, and vendors. Our mission is to influence the innovation and development of ICT solutions and services for the benefit of our members. We advocate for stronger competition, which results in a better region for all stakeholders. We also advocate for policies and legislation that create an environment to facilitate development in technology.

Our conferences and trade exhibitions engage with issues in the region, showcase cutting-edge technology, and facilitate discussions on what’s available and how the region can benefit. We host at least one large-scale trade conference every year, and in addition to that we run smaller, knowledge-based events on relevant topics such as cyber security. We also provide training on regulations and technology. One crucial feature of our organization is our committees, which is how our membership input their information to us and let us know what their needs are at any point in time.

Today, with COVID-19, our conversations focus very heavily on the ‘new normal’ and what that means for telecommunications companies, particularly with regards to working from home and the demand that puts on 36 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

data requirements. COVID-19 has highlighted the resilience and capacity of CANTO’s members. Caribbean telecommunications providers have maintained their core functions and full objective of keeping stakeholders connected in this region throughout the pandemic, offering relief packages to make sure the networks were able to keep up with surging demand.

Since April, CANTO has run a series of over 25 webinars, with CEOs of member companies talking about how the pandemic has affected them. This has been a good

channel to disseminate information on what members are doing and how the damage is affecting them. The objective of that exercise is to ensure that our members, governments, and regulators know what technology is out there and how to make the best use of it.

We’re currently involved in a major push to empower young women in the tech industry. The objective of this project is to help girls and women acquire skills that will help them become both ICT users and shape the workplace of tomorrow. We are doing this in partnership with GSMA who is receiving grant funding from Verizon for this. The first training sessions will be held in Jamaica and in Trinidad and Tobago, introducing the

young women to STEM as a career choice while showcasing ICT projects and companies they could work for.

Another partnership is the mobile recycling project that comprises a series of recycle bins that our members are putting in key locations, so that people can collect and bring their old cell phones, chargers, and the like, and dispose of them in these bins. Once we get these phones, we will have them disposed of in a safe, secure, and environmentally-friendly manner.

We are fostering leaders in the Caribbean, training a new generation so that we have a continuous influx of brave and innovative leaders. We continue promoting

information and a culture of innovation, not only in our membership but throughout the region. CANTO hopes that our work and our platform will provide the tools and the connections that will enable stakeholders to strengthen and improve the Caribbean as a whole as we move towards this new normal. c

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INTERVIEW: FLOW ANGUILLA

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KEEPING ANGUILLA

CONNECTED Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Desron Bynoe, Country Manager for Flow Anguilla, about supporting local businesses, the importance of safety, and providing an essential service to residents in a pandemic.

By Ciara Jack Nestled among the gleaming waves of the Eastern Caribbean is the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, a small island hemmed in by vibrant turquoise coastline.

Keeping some 15,000 residents connected is the communications and entertainment company, Flow, which not only serves Anguilla but many other islands across the region.

“Flow is the longest-serving communications and entertainment provider in Anguilla, serving the government, customers, and businesses throughout the island,” says Desron Bynoe, Country Manager for Flow Anguilla. “We commenced our operations here in October 1971, starting with a modest operation from the back of an old British Army truck, which was left on the island after the Anguilla Revolution.”

Almost fifty years later, Flow is now the predominant provider of telecommunications in Anguilla. “We did this by ensuring that the availability of streamlined, readily-available, affordable access to our products and services empowers the creation of e-commerce and an investment-friendly

environment” says Mr. Bynoe. “Effective telecommunications is critical to attracting foreign investments in many industries such as tourism and construction, and none more significant than our small- to medium businesses (SMBs ). SMBs are the engine of our local economy, as they account for roughly 70% of our economic activity within Anguilla itself.”

BOUNCING BACK The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the importance of reliable connectivity for businesses and individuals around the world. For many, the normal activities of daily life found a new, digital

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INTERVIEW: FLOW ANGUILLA

OOF

R P BM

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“EFFECTIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS IS CRITICAL TO ATTRACTING FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN MANY INDUSTRIES SUCH AS TOURISM AND CONSTRUCTION”

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home. “No doubt, telecommunications have redefined the way we live, work, and play, and ultimately how we do business” says Mr. Bynoe. “In Anguilla, which is a luxury tourism destination and small island developing state, connectivity to the outside world is of the utmost importance. Anguilla has only recorded three positive cases to date, and we have received a COVID-free designation from the World Health Organization, not having an actual case in excess of 100 days now. So, it has been relatively good on that front. Maintaining this feat requires a conscientious approach from everyone. The main issue, however, is not necessarily that we are COVID free, but the absence of visitors. Tourism accounts for 75% of our GDP. The inability to receive visitors has obviously affected our economy However, we are resilient people, who come together in times of crisis, and like other times we will bounce back and we’ll come back stronger.”

SAFETY FIRST In response to the pandemic, Flow promptly implemented thorough safety measures across the Anguilla business to keep necessary in-store visits sanitary. “For us, in a public health crisis, the delivery of critical services can prove challenging” says Mr. Bynoe. “From the onset of the pandemic, we reduced our hours of operation and applied health control measures. We implemented social and physical distancing protocol for staff and customers, erected plexiglass barriers in the store, and staff were provided with necessary personal protective equipment.

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We currently continue to conduct temperature checks upon entry, we have installed hand sanitizer stations through the store, and we have also implemented digital and virtual stores to serve customers who prefer to have contactless interactions with us.”

Given these unprecedented times, we had to become innovative to ensure that we could continue to support new customers.

“We instituted a self-installation process, where we provide customers with support to install all the relevant hardware needed for our service,” says Mr. Bynoe. “In cases where it is necessary for a technician to visit the customer’s home, we ensure that they follow all of the necessary precautionary protocols in terms of public health and safety, and ensure that they are well-outfitted with necessary PPE as required.”

OCEAN FREIGHT TRUCKING / DELIVERY Study platform free of charge to all primary and secondary school students through a partnership with the Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation and One on One Educational Services,” says Mr. Bynoe. “What we did was provide access to a comprehensive virtual education platform, offering a wide array of educational content enabling students to continue their study from home during this crisis.”

“Flow also provided free access to Ministries of Education and Health

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AIR FREIGHT US MAILBOX

websites to enable residents of Anguilla to gain necessary information about the pandemic,” says Mr. Bynoe. “Additionally, we continue to provide lifeline internet access for qualifying low income households, allowing internet connectivity at concessionary rates.”

WEATHERING THE STORM For Flow, the pandemic isn’t the only major disrupter. “Our most significant project remains the ongoing reconstruction and

HELPING HAND For the first time, many households across the globe were forced to adapt to homeschooling. Online learning became a vital tool for working parents, and indeed to create some semblance of normal teaching hours.

Flow initiated a scheme to assist the school children of Anguilla. “Between March 31st and June 15th, we gave access to our Flow SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: FLOW ANGUILLA

“WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE ARE NO LONGER A LUXURY. INSTEAD, THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE CONNECTIVITY, THE LIVELIHOOD, CREATING SPECIAL MOMENTS THAT MATTER”

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We move the earth to please if you ask us to

advancement of our fixed and mobile structures following the passage of Hurricane Irma,” says Mr. Bynoe. “Particular attention was given to reinforce the network from such a future risk, as we are sitting in the hurricane zone and are exposed to this impact from natural disasters of hurricanes between the months of June and November of each year.”

Flow is working hard on not only an underground transmission network in Anguilla, but also mobile towers that can withstand a Category 5 storm, which usu-

ally sees winds of up to 185mph. “What is critical for us is business continuity, which is vital to limiting the island’s vulnerability to various forms of disasters,” says Mr. Bynoe.

SUPPORTING THE NATION Flow’s primary focus is to keep our lovely island of Anguilla connected,” says Mr. Bynoe.

“To achieve this objective, we will continue to make long-term investment in our network, as that is our bread and butter.”

Despite other industries in Anguilla coming to a halt, the need for reliable telecommunications has only increased during the pandemic. “We’re supporting consumer behavior changes and the projected increase in demand as more importance is placed on reliability and speed,” says Mr. Bynoe. “This improvement roadmap

is likely to result in more fiber optic cable installations in our fixed infrastructure, and improvement in our existing mobile infrastructures as well. All of that is to ensure that we adequately meet the demands of our consumers.”

With such a pragmatic approach to the future, Flow is set to continue to sustain the most important services in the region. “At Flow, keeping our customers connected remains our top priority,” says Mr. Bynoe. “We understand that the services we provide are no longer a luxury. Instead, they are essential to the connectivity, the livelihood, creating special moments that matter, and supporting the central social pillars, such as the national security, healthcare, and education, of the government, people, and businesses that operate in Anguilla.” c

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INTERVIEW: COYABA BEACH RESORT

PROTECTING

PARADISE

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Sustainable Business Magazine speaks with Paul Lewis, Operations Manager at Coyaba Beach Resort, about working with nature, repeat customers, and investing in Grenada.

Coyaba Beach Resort is a resort with a difference. Situated on Grenada’s famous Grand Anse Beach, the Arawak-themed resort has 80 rooms, two restaurants, a swimup pool bar, tennis court, and lush five-and-ahalf-acre gardens showcasing iconic tropical plants like frangipani, hibiscus, bougainvillea, and the ubiquitous palm trees.

By Ciara Jack

“Coyaba was built in 1987,” explains Paul Lewis, Manager, Operations at Coyaba Beach Resort. “The resort is owned and managed by a Grenadian family, the Cherman family, and when we first opened our doors we started with 30 rooms and within one year we expanded to 40. We basically operated like that until 1995,

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INTERVIEW: COYABA BEACH RESORT when we added another 30 rooms, so we went to 70.”

This steady progress was soon to be swept away by a terrible natural disaster.

“We went through Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which destroyed the entire property,” says Mr. Lewis. “But we picked up and rebuilt, and reopened in February of 2006 with 80 rooms. We’re located on Grand Anse Beach, so we’re furnished with a beautiful landscape, and we have the best gardens I believe on the island. That’s what the guests keep coming back for. About 67% of our guests are from the U.K., and we also have a lot of Americans, Europeans, and Caribbean guests. We are blessed with a wonderful team of staff, which are long-serving, and they have contributed greatly to the very high rate of repeat customers we now enjoy. Almost 60% of our guests annually are repeat customers, and we enjoy an overall occupancy average of 80% to date annually.”

ISLAND LIFE With so much surrounding natural beauty, Coyaba Beach Resort’s management team is always conscious of the need to limit their impact on the environment. “We started our

environmental program over 10 years ago, and we have initiated some programs and best practices to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Mr. Lewis. “Energy contributes the most. We recognized early on that our air conditioning throughout the property costs about 60% of our energy bill.”

To begin with, Coyaba Beach Resort targeted this significant source of energy consumption. “We replaced all of our air conditioning units throughout the property with energy efficient inverter-type units,” says Mr. Lewis. “We also replaced all our lightbulbs with LED light bulbs. We also installed low-flow shower heads and faucets, low-flush toilets, and solar powered water heaters on the room blocks. We try also to educate our staff and heighten the aware-

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INTERVIEW: COYABA BEACH RESORT

“WE HAVE SINCE MADE 40% ENERGY SAVINGS AFTER WE MADE THOSE CHANGES. WE ALSO NO LONGER USE PLASTIC BOTTLES AND STRAWS AT OUR BAR.”

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ness among our guests to help us conserve energy. For instance, guests are informed on good housekeeping best practices, including recommended temperature levels, towel reuse program and also to switch off the AC unit when the room is not in use.

We have since realized 40% energy savings after we made those changes. We have also discontinued the use of plastic bottles, glasses and straws at our bars.”

LOCAL INVESTMENTS The vibrant fruit and vegetables and freshly-caught fish that ends up on Coyaba Beach Resort’s tables is also protected. “We sup-

port our local fisherfolks and farmers 100%,” says Mr. Lewis. “ All the fruits and vegetables used at the hotel are produced locally. Once you support the farmers, they support the economy as they spend more to get more produce.” The multiplier effect from this partnership and support is significant.

Coyaba Beach Resort also contributes to local good causes. “We have a very active charitable program, where we have adopted a care home, Father Hilarion Cheshire Home, supporting them financially,” says Mr. Lewis. “We also sponsor school children in various schools around the island. We have adopted two families in about nine schools

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INTERVIEW: COYABA BEACH RESORT

“WE’RE IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING PROPOSALS FROM VARIOUS SUPPLIERS, SO THAT WE CAN GO SOLAR. AGAIN, THAT WILL REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS IN OUR ELECTRICAL ENERGY BILLS.”

throughout the island, and we support them financially and help them to go to school, particularly young kids in the rural areas. We can help them to get a meal so that they can go to school on a daily basis. We do a lot of donations and support to charitable groups who try to reach the community. We play an active role in making sure that we uphold our corporate responsibility in the nation.”

MAKING GOOD MEMORIES Next, Mr. Lewis hopes to see the resort continue their carbon footprint and resource reduction programs. Already, they have their sights on some functional changes. “We plan to replace our laundry equipment,” says Mr. Lewis. “We’re getting some stateof-the-art commercial washing machines, which will have components attached to them to recycle the water.”

Coyaba Beach Resort also intends to make further investments in clean, renewable energy. “Another major initiative is to 50 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

power up the resort by solar energy,” says Mr. Lewis. “We’re in the process of obtaining proposals from various suppliers, so that we can go solar. Again, that will reduce the carbon footprint, as well as significant savings in our electrical energy bills.”

In addition to eliminating single-use plastics, Coyaba Beach Resort intends to further invest in improvements to their waste management. “We are looking at a new waste management program,” says Mr. Lewis. “We want to try to reduce the amount of waste that goes to the landfill, so we’re going to

reintroduce our composting program, and use the mulch to fertilize our lovely garden.”

“Almost 60% of our guests are repeat,” says Mr. Lewis. “What causes our guests to keep coming back to Coyaba is the care, warmth, and friendliness of our staff. Our guests leave here with very good memories.

I can assure you that the atmosphere we have created here as a team at Coyaba is one that will cause guests to want to keep coming back. Basically, going forward we want to keep providing our guests with the excellent service they are accustomed to.” c

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