Case Studies

Agency for Co-operative Housing

A federally incorporated co-operative, the Agency for Co-operative Housing administers the operating agreements of federal-program housing co-operatives in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and PEI on CMHC’s behalf. Through its risk-based, data-driven and client-focused approach, the Agency ensures that public funds committed for co-operative housing programs are used as intended and properly accounted for, while safeguarding the public’s investment in good-quality, fairly priced co-operative housing.
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WN Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

In the early part of 2015, WN Pharmaceuticals began measuring its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with Climate Smart. After evaluating the impacts of its facilities, WN Pharmaceuticals identified a list of actions that could be taken to help achieve its sustainability objectives. Read more

Stella-Jones

Stella-Jones is a leading North American manufacturer of pressure treated wood products. The company’s core products — railway ties and utility poles — serve many of North America’s railroads, telecom providers, and electrical utilities. Stella-Jones’ network of 37 wood treating facilities are spread across 16 US states and five Canadian provinces. Stella-Jones (New Westminster, BC, facility) has been tracking its greenhouse gas emissions since 2012. The company has implemented an array of strategies leading to an impressive 19% reduction in its emissions. Read more

SYLVIS

SYLVIS Environmental is a leading Canadian residuals management consulting and contracting firm with a focus on beneficially using organic residuals to build healthy soils. SYLVIS works with municipalities and industries that produce organic residuals (such as wood ash, and municipal biosolids) to find beneficial methods of using these within the environment. SYLVIS connects these residuals with landowners and land managers, providing the professional and operational services required to use the organics, build healthy soils, and mitigate climate change through carbon addition to soil and reductions in fertilizer use. Read more

Nature’s Path

Nature’s Path Foods, Inc. is a family-run, fiercely independent, and sustainably-driven, organic breakfast and snack food company that believes in “always leaving the earth better than we found it.” Nature’s Path has been tracking its greenhouse gas emissions with Climate Smart since 2014 and has reduced its total GHG emissions by 917 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, or four percent. During this time, the company has employed a variety of innovative ways to engage staff and reduce emissions. Read more

World Duty Free YVR

Hudson Group operates sixteen specialty luxury retail stores at the Vancouver International Airport under the World Duty Free banner, as well as a warehouse and an office on Sea Island. In 2016, the Company joined the Climate Smart program offered by the Vancouver Airport Authority to support the airport businesses in reducing their environmental impact. Read more

505-JUNK

505-Junk is a recycling company specializing in junk removal for residential, construction and commercial clients in the Greater Vancouver region. Co-owners Barry Hartman and Scott Foran, have always been committed to running their business in an environmentally progressive way. Read more

Mills Office Productivity

Mills Office Productivity (“Mills”) is a B.C.-based dealer of business supplies and educational products. At Mills, environmental leadership is a priority and a long-standing tradition. By working closely with their family of customers, employees and suppliers, the company brings to life a vision of environmental responsibility and care that encourages and supports sustainable practices in office productivity. Mills’ social responsibility management practices are based on the principle that businesses have an important role to play in addressing the social interests and sustainable development goals of their community. Read more

InterDel

InterDel Aviation Services Inc. is a fully licensed Signature Flight Support site located at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). In 2016, InterDel joined the Climate Smart program offered by the Vancouver Airport Authority to support the airport businesses in reducing their environmental impact. Read more

Rocky Mountaineer and Espressotec Tackle Waste

Waste – sending less to landfill or incineration – emerged as an area of opportunity for several companies in the False Creek Flats Leadership Group. The actions taken by ​Rocky Mountaineer and Espressotec illustrate that any type of company can find ways to divert waste and reduce related greenhouse gas emissions, often while cutting costs at the same time. Read more

Gate Gourmet Spotlights Big Savings

Gate Gourmet is the largest provider of airline catering in Vancouver, supplying 75% of all airline meals that leave Vancouver International Airport (YVR). In 2015, Gate Gourmet took part in the Climate Smart program offered by YVR to support businesses located in the airport’s terminals and on Sea Island. Climate Smart’s expertise in greenhouse gas management and business engagement opened the door for collaboration between the airport authority and its tenant businesses to cultivate leadership on climate action and advance broader environmental goals. Read more

Schnitzer Steel Canada Ltd.

In 2016, Schnitzer Steel Canada Ltd.’s (Schnitzer) Surrey location participated in the Climate Smart program. Hosted by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, this program provided port tenants with training on measuring and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Working with Climate Smart provided an opportunity for local management to take a closer look at their own operations through a GHG lens, and to learn from other Port tenants as well. Read more

The Zajac Foundation

Zajac Ranch for Children is a fully accessible and inclusive facility that provides life-changing summer camp experiences to children and young adults with medical conditions and disabilities and is a community project of The Zajac Foundation.

In 2017, with scholarship support from the Vancity Credit Union, Zajac Foundation became Climate Smart certified. They measured their baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventory and identified a number of opportunities to reduce emissions while cutting operational expenses. Read more

Glotman Simpson

Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers, a Vancouver-based engineering firm with a staff of 75, has been providing innovative structural engineering solutions and unparalleled client service for over 50 years. The Glotman Simpson team is part of the creative engineering behind some of the most iconic structures in Vancouver, such as the Vancouver Convention Centre, TELUS Garden, One Wall Centre, and Marine Gateway to name a few. Understanding the significance of reducing their carbon footprint, the company has been thoughtfully managing its greenhouse gas emissions with Climate Smart since 2011. Read more

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, based in Oliver, BC, has 29 employees and annual greenhouse gas emissions of 126 tonnes CO₂e (2017). Tinhorn Creek holds sustainability as a core value, and has been tracking and reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint with Climate Smart since 2009.
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Western Stevedoring Lynnterm

As the largest and most diversified stevedoring company in British Columbia, Western Stevedoring loads and unloads more than five million metric tons of cargo at 20 different ports and terminals along the coast of Vancouver Island and throughout the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Western Stevedoring’s Lynnterm Operations have been Climate Smart certified since 2014. Read more

Landsea Tours

Landsea Tours & Adventures was established in 1985 out of founder Scott Mason’s passion for his hometown of Vancouver, BC, and his desire to provide an experience that allowed his guests to engage with his city. Over the years, Landsea has grown to include visits to Victoria and Whistler. By offering personalized tours in “mini-coaches”, Landsea provides an intimate experience that sets the company apart. Read more

Reid’s Automotive Recycling Ltd.

Reid’s Automotive Recyclers Ltd. was established in 1995 to serve the need for quality used auto parts in BC and Alberta. The company re-purposes parts, refinishes alloy wheels and recycles end-of-life vehicles. Read more

Collingwood Neighbourhood House

Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) has been promoting the wellbeing of the Collingwood community since 1985. The Collingwood community consists of 50,000 people and is one of the most diverse in the province. The Neighbourhood House operates out of nine locations, the primary site being a 26,900 square foot facility on the border between Vancouver and Burnaby.
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Buchanan Lodge

Buchanan Lodge, operated by the Salvation Army, is a 108-room home in New Westminster that provides care and services to adults whose needs meet the criteria of “complex care” as established by the Fraser Health Authority. Buchanan Lodge provides holistic care, with spiritual care being the “heart and soul” of the mission and is a long-standing member of the New Westminster community. Buchanan began working with Climate Smart at the end of 2012, and made very significant gains in order to reduce its emissions from the Lodge’s greatest source of emissions – natural gas powering the Lodge’s boilers and HVAC system. Read more

Penfolds Roofing and Solar

Penfolds Roofing & Solar was founded in 1937 and completes over 1,500 residential and commercial projects a year. Penfolds employs about 150 people and is headquartered in the False Creek Flats neighbourhood of Vancouver, where it operates from a company-owned industrial facility. Read more

Neptune Terminals

Neptune Bulk Terminals (Canada) Ltd. (“Neptune”) has been operating since 1970. The terminal currently handles Canadian potash and steel-making coal, shipped to markets all around the world, and imported phosphate rock that is shipped to Alberta for fertilizer production. Not only do they play an integral role in the Canadian economy, moving close to 16,000,000 tonnes of bulk annually, they are active members of the community in which they operate. Located at the base of the North Shore mountains, in the thriving community of North Vancouver, Neptune has cultivated a deep-seated culture of community involvement and environmental protection. Read more

Smart Dolphins

Smart Dolphins is a provider of award-winning computer support and networking for businesses in the Greater Victoria area and elsewhere on Vancouver Island. In 2012, Smart Dolphins joined the ranks of over 70 Victoria-based Climate Smart businesses and organizations and become the first Climate Smart certified IT services provider. Read more

Catalyst Paper, Surrey Distribution Centre

Catalyst Paper Corporation (“Catalyst”) is one of North America’s largest pulp and paper companies with annual production capacity of 2.3 million tonnes. Based in Richmond, B.C., Catalyst is a leader in sustainable business practices and has been recognized by Corporate Knights as one of Canada’s Best 50 Corporate Citizens. Catalyst is committed to “treading lightly and working cooperatively” in communities where it operates, and has achieved a company-wide culture of operational excellence and employee ownership in business performance and results. Read more

False Creek Collision ECO

False Creek Collision ECO (“FCCE”) is an auto body repair shop servicing Metro Vancouver. Located in Burnaby, BC, they are the first auto body shop in Western Canada to use an environmentally friendly waterborne paint system, which eliminates 90% of the volatile organic compounds typically used in auto body paint spraying systems. In 2013, they were the only auto body shop to receive the Business Excellence Award for Environmental Sustainability from the Burnaby Board of Trade. Read more

Lunapads

Lunapads manufactures and resells reusable menstrual pads and other feminine care products in Vancouver, BC. They have been tracking their greenhouse gas emissions with Climate Smart since 2012. After discovering that third-party shipping made up 59% of their overall emissions, Lunapads made some significant changes in their operations. Read more

Christine Catering Company

Christine Catering Company has been providing traditional dishes as well as new innovative food creations to a wide variety of clients from their Port Moody facility for the past 11 years. The Christine Catering team pride themselves in having an uncompromising eye for detail along with dedicated customer service. They ensure that all details for functions and orders, big and small, are met with the care and attention needed to have a successful and pleasant experience. Read more

DreamRider Productions

DreamRider Productions started as a project of the City of Vancouver back in 1997, engaging elementary school kids in water conservation through theatre. Word spread, and soon they were working with municipalities to reach schools, teachers and kids throughout the Metro Vancouver region. Due to popular demand, they became an independent non-profit DreamRider Productions Society in 2002, before becoming a registered charity in 2005. Read more

Climate Smart Video

Climate Smart is thrilled to release our latest video, featuring the leadership and innovation of several Climate Smart businesses, including: the PNE, Continental Roofing, Digitech, Mills Office Productivity, Procurify, 505-Junk, and Recycling Alternative. They are indeed cutting costs and cutting carbon, and strengthening their businesses at the same time. Read more

Pacific Blue Cross

Pacific Blue Cross began to manage its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (or ‘carbon footprint’) with Climate Smart in 2012. In just one year, from 2012-2013, Pacific Blue Cross was able to reduce their emissions by 10%. Pacific Blue Cross’ approach is one of continuous improvement, and in 2013 the firm saw advances in nearly all business activities contributing to their carbon footprint. Read more

Aggressive Tube Bending

Aggressive Tube Bending is a manufacturer in Surrey, BC, employing 50 people between two industrial facilities in the Port Kells area. It offers a wide spectrum of products and services, including pipe, tube, and structural steel forming, custom fabricating and manufacturing. Overall, from 2011-2013, Aggressive Tube Bending has reduced their emissions by 22%. Read more

River Market

New Westminster’s River Market is a marketplace for the hungry and curious. This 72,000 square feet market on the banks of the mighty Fraser River showcases BC’s best culinary and creative talents. River Market has been measuring its emissions with Climate Smart since 2011. River Market’s staff has been working – with great success – to reduce emissions primarily from solid waste and natural gas – achieving a 23.8% reduction from 2011 to 2013. Read more

Tacofino & Recycling Alternative

Organizations large and small are increasingly taking a close look at where they source their materials and with whom they purchase their services (their supply chain) in order to reduce emissions and minimize the overall environmental impact of their products and services. This is the story of a unique collaboration between Climate Smart businesses Recycling Alternative and Tacofino to do just that. Read more

Concert Properties

Concert has been developing and managing real estate for almost 25 years: rental apartments, condominium homes, retirement communities and commercial properties. Concert is involved in development, construction, sales and leasing, property management and ultimately customer service. Over the past three years Concert has worked with Climate Smart to inventory their greenhouse gas emissions and work towards a 20% reduction by 2020. Read more

Securiguard

Securiguard is a full-service integrated security solutions company offering customized corporate security services, security guards and security consulting. Through participating in the Climate Smart program, the company measured their baseline inventory for their North American operations for the 2010 fiscal year, and is currently measuring their footprint for 2011 and 2012. Read more

Pacific Arbour Retirement Communities

Pacific Arbour Retirement Communities is committed to offering its residents a healthy, balanced lifestyle, and are always striving to enhance their services and amenities. For over 3 years they have worked with Climate Smart to measure their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to establish a wide variety of reduction strategies. Read more

MET Fine Printers

MET Fine Printers has long been engaged in sustainable practices, and has been a long-time Climate Smart member, having conducted inventories for 2009 and 2010. Climate Smart assisted MET with a strategy to become carbon neutral by early summer of 2010, and they are now enjoying their second year of carbon-neutral operations. This has had positive impacts on MET, both through cost and waste reductions, and through increased business. Read more

Van Houtte Coffee Services

Van Houtte has been a coffee pioneer for nearly 100 years. Van Houtte Coffee Services offers coffee solutions directly to 10,000 customers all over BC, including offices, entertainment centres, and convenient store locations. With Climate Smart, they are working to reduce their emissions, by implementing waste reduction strategies in all aspects of their business.
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Purdys Chocolatier

Purdys Chocolates, the iconic Canadian chocolatier, was able to reduce their largest single source of emissions, solid waste, by nearly half in just one year through their work with Climate Smart. By the end of 2013, Purdys had reduced emissions from this source by 62.3% compared to their 2010 baseline measurement year. This waste diversion effort cut Purdys’ emissions in this area by 188 tonnes of carbon dioxide, from 2010 to 2013. Read more

BlueShore Financial

BlueShore Financial is a financial institution offering banking, investment, lending, and insurance services for individuals and small business.
Every business and organization knows that keeping employees engaged and inspired leads to more productive employees and lower turnover. Forward-thinking companies are now realizing that the encouragement of such initiatives as ‘green teams’ and other sustainability programs is a great way to engage employees and reduce environmental impact (and costs!). Read more

Fraserside Community Services Society

Fraserside Community Services Society is an accredited non-profit multi-service organization providing quality services to individuals and families in New Westminster, Burnaby, Delta, Surrey and the Tri-Cities. They measured their baseline inventory for their 2009 fiscal year, and are now working to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, as well as their costs, by instituting a number of new policies and reduction strategies related to paper use, equipment replacement, and vehicle usage! Read more

Digitech Renewable Printer Cartridges

Digitech specializes in renewable toner cartridges and printer repairs for desktop laser printers. After calculating an emissions baseline for the 2009 fiscal year, Digitech determined that their 2010 emissions inventory had decreased by 4.2% due to a variety of emissions reduction strategies they adopted. Read more

eeko Couriers Inc.

eeko Couriers Inc. is growing rapidly, providing low-carbon delivery services throughout the Lower Mainland on both bikes and in hybrid vehicles. They have demonstrated that incorporating green modes of transport can improve uptake in their services: owner Mike Shekhtman estimates that 5-10% of their growth this year can be attributed to the expansion of their bike delivery services. Read more

Recycling Alternative

Recycling Alternative has been providing recycling services to businesses throughout the Lower Mainland since 1989. They are working to reduce their emissions through fleet management, driver education, staff commuter surveys, and smart routing. They have also seen stronger relationships with new and existing clients facilitated by membership in the Climate Smart alumni network. Read more

Vancity Credit Union

Vancity Credit Union has been making environmental improvements to their business performance for well over a decade. An original funder of Climate Smart, Vancity has been “paying it forward” by offering Climate Smart training scholarships to their business and not-for-profit members. To date, Vancity has supported more than 150 people from 81 businesses, co-ops and not-for-profit organizations to participate in the Climate Smart Program. That’s about 4,300 tonnes of CO₂e measured… and counting! Read more

Freybe Gourmet Foods

Freybe Gourmet Foods, Ltd. is a 6th generation family run business, manufacturing deli meats, sausages, hams and other specialties according to European traditions. Freybe is working to reduce its annual CO2e emissions through improved natural gas heating and cooking systems in order to sustain the future for generations to come. Read more

The Listel Hotel

The Listel Hotel has been dubbed “Vancouver’s most art-full hotel” and is committed to art, elegance and comfort. It is also highly committed to reducing its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008 the hotel installed a solar hot water system and a highly efficient heat recovery system in the 129-room hotel to minimize natural gas used to heat water for showers, laundry, dishwashing, and the like. Read more

City of Portland

The City of Portland, on behalf of its Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Bureau of Transportation, BEST Business Center, and SmartTrips Portland worked with Climate Smart to deliver a training program on greenhouse gas (GHG) management to Portland businesses in the spring of 2009. Read more

District of Saanich

Leading the way, the District of Saanich is the first municipality on Vancouver Island to support local businesses in going Climate Smart. In April of 2010, the District of Saanich approved its Climate Action Plan committing to the reduction of community greenhouse gas emissions 33% by 2020. One of the key actions it has taken towards this goal is partnering with the Pacific Carbon Trust to support local businesses to participate in the Climate Smart program. Read more

Clark Wilson

Clark Wilson LLP, a Vancouver, British Columbia based law firm, is focused on reducing its GHG emissions by implementing systems and programs aimed at office supplies. They are reducing new office supply purchases by periodically “liberating” office supplies from desks and offices and recirculating them. Read more

Canadian Springs

Canadian Springs is the nation’s leading provider of fresh natural spring drinking water and tap water filtration systems. With an increasing trend toward filtration in its customer base while continuing to use returnable refillable bottles for spring water, the company is targeting a reduction in its overall carbon footprint. Read more

West Coast Air

West Coast Air is a scheduled and charter airline flying between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. It has approximately 130 employees and annual greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 of 7,297 tonnes CO2e. For its emission reduction strategies, West Coast Air focused on maximizing efficiencies in route planning and scheduling. Read more

Frogbox

Frogbox distributes reusable plastic totes as a low environmental impact alternative to traditional cardboard moving boxes. They have implemented a software-based routing system to group customers and deliveries within geographic areas. As a result, Frogbox expects to reduce fuel consumption and costs by 20% this year. Read more

Boardroom ECO Apparel

Boardroom ECO Apparel is an apparel design and manufacturing company located in Vancouver, Canada. Boardroom specializes in custom manufacturing and technical, fashionable and environmentally friendly clothing solutions. They have cut their natural gas bills by over 37%, and their annual carbon emissions by 21%. Read more

Glacier Creek Contracting

Glacier Creek Contracting Ltd. is a leading contractor in Whistler, BC. serving the Sea-to-Sky corridor. After completing their baseline inventory in late 2009, Glacier Creek performed a waste audit to assess waste streams from their construction sites and divert as much as possible from being sent to landfill. Read more

Arpac Storage Systems

Arpac Storage Systems is the largest manufacturer of pallet racking in western Canada. The final stage in manufacturing is baking the enamel paint onto the product utilizing a bake oven process at 350° F. The natural gas energy cost required to power the oven annually are in excess of $100,000. Arpac is currently experimenting with a new paint formula that requires ~180° F, equivalent to an annual reduction in energy demand of 49%. Read more

City of Vancouver

The City of Vancouver has an ambitious goal, to be the greenest city in the world by 2020. To become climate leaders, the City has set many targets including the reduction of community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 33% by 2020 from 1990 levels. In 2010, the City of Vancouver partnered with Climate Smart as part of their Greenest City Action Plan, recognizing that engaging small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is an important step in achieving these reductions. Read more