Sustainability Solutions Group

We’re growing! Welcome to 4 New SSG Associates.

14th September 2016/in Associates, News, Team /by Naomi Devine

New Associates Petronella Tyson, Dermot McGuigan, Dr. Gabor Sass, and Melanie Jellett join the SSG Team.

Petronella Tyson

Petronella specialises in optimizing organisational capacity for burgeoning enterprises in social and environmental change. She is a trusted intermediary whose work has also been to broker collaborations across cultures and disciplines with potentially conflicting organisations to solve complex problems and challenges in dealing with change, presently peace in post Brexit Britain. She enjoys designing processes around operational systems and communications whilst also shouting from the rooftops about winning ideas, connecting people and organisations to those ideas.

Dermot McGuigan

Dermot has spent a lifetime advocating for and writing about sustainable & renewable energy. He was introduced to district energy decades ago and since then has been an advocate for several projects, most proposed as non-profits or hybrid projects. Dermot has also developed and consulted on wind farms, hydropower and cogeneration projects.

Dr. Gabor Sass

Dr. Gabor Sass is an ecosystem scientist and sustainability expert with over 15 years of research and consulting experience studying and reporting on the hydrology, ecology and related sustainability problems of boreal, agricultural, and urban landscapes across Canada. Dr. Sass applies a combination of airborne and space based monitoring techniques to characterize ecosystem patterns using principles of ecosystem science to infer the dominant processes and assess the ecosystem services behind these patterns. Dr. Sass’ work can be found published in a variety of book chapters, articles, and reports.

Melanie Jellett

Melanie is a skilled researcher, communicator, and project manager with over 10 years of experience working in the field of environment and sustainability planning, in both an academic and non-governmental organization setting. Mel has taken the lead on conceptualizing and designing projects, while working with various organizations, researchers, and practitioners. Her post-secondary education includes a Masters of Science where her research involved looking at local agricultural adaptation to climate change, with a specific emphasis on sea-level rise and local knowledge in SouthEast New Brunswick. She conducted community-level vulnerability research using qualitative and quantitative methodology, while working with some of Canada’s leading scientists.

How do you convince your CFO or the City Council that your triple bottom line proposal will benefit the environment, society and the economy?

17th March 2016/in Team, Webinar /by Jeremy Murphy

Key financial tools in sustainable community development and how to use them

How do you convince your Chief Financial Officer or the City Council that your triple bottom line proposal will benefit the environment, society and the economy?
Mark Pezarro shares several tools and techniques to make a persuasive argument for sustainability in financial terms. This webinar focuses on specific tools and approaches for “making the case” for sustainability projects and introduces real world examples ranging from district energy systems to urban agriculture.
It begins with an overview of key economic and financial concepts for evaluating the financial viability of major capital investments, and then delves into a number of techniques to foster triple bottom line decision making before wrapping up with some examples of how this works in practice.

Watch Part I here and register for Part II here!

Post COP21 Next Steps

17th March 2016/in Public Engagement, Team, Webinar /by Jeremy Murphy

Following the commitment of world leaders to an aspirational limit in global temperature of 1.5 degree increase at the December 2015 COP 21 negotiations (UNFCCC, 2015), it is clear that we need to dramatically change our current development paths if we are to achieve this objective.

What are the next steps for Canadian governments if they are serious about achieving a limit of 1.5 degrees increase and in a time frame that will make a difference for humanity? Are the scholars from Sustainable Canada Dialogues right that we can achieve a carbon neutral economy by 2050 through renewable energy? What kinds of policies and incentives have to be in place to accelerate the pace of change if we are to meet our commitments under COP21? How far does the Vancouver Declaration get us towards 1.5?

What are the Next Steps?
Join us on March 23rd, 10:00am-11:00pm PST or 1:00pm-2:00pm EST, for a wide-ranging conversation on the next steps Canada should take if they are serious about their commitments as a signatory to COP 21.

Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament
Professor Ann Dale, Principle Investigator MC3 research project, Meeting the Climate Change Challenge.
Professor Catherine Potvin, the fearless leader behind the seminal action plan, Acting on Climate Change: Solutions from Canadian scholars.
Yuill Herbert, Director of Sustainability Solutions Group and one of this country’s foremost community climate activists
Professor Leslie King, Co-Researcher MC3 research project, Meeting the Climate Change Challenge.

Click here to join the conversation

What is SSG?

8th March 2016/in Agricultural Planning, Campaigns, Campus Sustainability, Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation Modelling and Planning, Community Planning & Health Planning, Energy & Emissions Modelling and Planning, Green Building & LEED, Natural Infrastructure & Engineering, Neighbourhood Planning and Design, Public Engagement, Team /by Jeremy Murphy

In conversations with new recruits, with potential clients, partners, press, we are often met with confused faces puzzled by our inability to limit SSG and our potential to one area of work, one sector, one job. In a description for UBC from a couple of years ago, Director Yuill Herbert charts our trajectory, why and how we do the work we do, why we compete on the threshold of constant change and innovation. All the while keeping our feet firmly on the ground in being held to account not only by our cooperative members but by the grassroots; the communities we work closely with and for. Meaningful change is nothing without their participation and education around the decisions that ultimately matter to them.

“Our task is to look at the world and see it whole”, EF Schumacher

“SSG was founded in 2001 on the basis that meaningful solutions to critical societal issues needed to overcome the silos and stovepipes that characterise scientific study, design professions and design practice- and we have applied the idea of whole systems to the areas in which we work- building, planning, strategy, research and policy. Our portfolio spans energy planning, water planning, green building, urban design, waste analysis, climate change mitigation and beyond to health planning, adaptation and transportation modelling. Our dedication to this approach is such that we have embedded collaboration in our organisational structure, incorporating as a workers co-operative. Read more

We’re recruiting!

16th February 2016/in Frontpage Article, News, Team /by Jeremy Murphy

SSG is looking for two inspiring additions to our team as we expand and require additional support.

Finance Coordinator and Administrator: 3 days a week* to start on Thursday 10th March 2016
Communications Specialist: 5 days a month to start Monday 14th March 2016

*Candidates in Ottawa interested in a full-time position should specify this in their covering letter. One of SSG’s partners La Siembra is hiring a part-time bookkeeper as well and opportunities exist to build full-time hours between the two organisations: http://www.lasiembra.com/camino/en/careers

The deadline for applications is 26th February 2016 midnight in Eastern Time.

Please contact rebecca@ssg.coop if you have any queries.

As a workers cooperative, we believe it is the most equitable, accountable and active business model that enables cultural change from within. Our members’ expertise crosses disciplines, cultures and generations to create a different working experience that makes essential sustainability impacts possible.

How can environmental practitioners deepen engagement practices to create long-lasting change?

11th February 2016/in Frontpage Article, Public Engagement, Team, Webinar /by Jeremy Murphy

Our next Associate webinar is an exciting and fascinating offering, a voice and perception often absent in the climate change discourse. Please tune in to hear Olive share her brilliant work, and if you can’t make it, you can listen to it online from our webinars page. (Please note this session was rescheduled after last week’s audio problems).

Watch Olive’s presentation here and she invites you to continue the discussion if you wish to contact her.

How can environmental practitioners deepen engagement practices to create long-lasting change within communities and organisations?

Emerging psycho-social research points to the powerful influence of emotional and often unconscious responses to today’s ecological realities.

Associate member Olive Dempsey shares findings from her research that outline:

1. A Framework on the Psychology of Environmental Leadership that identifies a set ofDefensive Practices, Emotional Complications and Core Needs at play among those we seek to engage in pro-environmental change.

2. A set of recommendations for holistic and emotionally Intelligent engagement programs that can be applied across multiple sectors to enhance programs and practices.

FCM Guidebook for Brownfield Strategies makes top 5 resource for municipalities

23rd January 2016/in Community Planning & Health Planning, Neighbourhood Planning and Design, News, Team /by Jeremy Murphy

The Brownfields Strategy Guidebook has been selected by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as one of their top five resources for municipalities in 2016.

SSG contributed to the Guidebook which provides guidance on how to design and implement an effective brownfield strategy. It is part of a series of guidebooks produced for the Green Municipal Fund’s Leadership program (LiBRe), which is structured around a best practices framework for becoming a municipal leader in brownfield renewal. The program supports participants’ progress through seven key steps to becoming a brownfield champion municipality. This guidebook provides an outline of different types of brownfield strategies and what they typically include, outlines best practices for successful brownfield strategy development, and offers guidance on selecting the right brownfield incentives for your municipality.

To read more and download the guide, visit the FCM website.

CityInSight Energy, Emissions & Finance model: Yuill Herbert & Marcus Williams review the SSG model launched at COP21, Paris

4th January 2016/in Energy & Emissions Modelling and Planning, Frontpage Article, Public Engagement, Team, Webinar /by Jeremy Murphy

A very happy New Year to all of you.

To kickstart 2016, we held a webinar with Yuill from SSG and Marcus from WhatIf Technologies who update us with the launch of CityInSight at COP21 Paris. For those who haven’t been following the development of the model we’ll share the design and application of its use too.

SSG has partnered with whatIf? Technologies, an international leader in simulation modelling, to increase the sophistication, scope and capabilities of GHGProof in a new model – CityInSight. CityInSight also incorporates the Global GHG Protocol for Cities, a GHG accounting framework launched as the new global standard by the World Resources Institute, ICLEI, C40, UN Habitat and others at the UN Conference of the Parties in Lima in 2014.

You can read more about CityInSight here cityinsight.ssg.coop and listen again to our previous webinars.

Pathway to Paris highlights

9th December 2015/in Frontpage Article, Public Engagement, Team /by Jeremy Murphy

Pathway to Paris is a collection of artists, activists, academics, musicians, politicians, innovators who came together to make our voices heard at COP21 in Paris 2015.

To read more about the concert and our work in Paris over the COP, follow this link.

Opening speech by Rebecca Foon, co-Founder of Pathway to Paris and Director at SSG

“The climate crisis calls for courage, compassion & community. It is about peace. It calls for local, national and international solidarity. It asks that we change our lives for the better of the planet and for the collective future of our humanity. Climate change will change everything. This crisis demands that we make peace and sustainability our guiding principles.

We must come together and truly acknowledge how interconnected we all are. We must all add our voices to this urgent call for a just and livable world. The nature of that change is up to all of us – as citizens, consumers, activists, artists, scientists, students, journalists, business people, politicians. This is why we are all here tonight. The time is now.

The UN talks currently taking place need to establish an ambitious and legally binding agreement for our climate and environment. We must move in the direction of 100% clean energy – while evolving more equitable and just societies in the process, rooted in compassion and love for our world.

It is an enormous pleasure to be here with all of you.”

Friday 4th December

Saturday 5th December

(Headline quote attributed to Sandra Steinberger from EcoWatch article)

Sunnier days: Update from Paris

9th December 2015/in Campaigns, Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation Modelling and Planning, Energy & Emissions Modelling and Planning, Frontpage Article, Team /by Jeremy Murphy

It is sunny today in Paris and the hallways are buzzing with optimism. A draft text has been passed from the negotiators to the ministers and the text still includes many of the key aspects necessary for a meaningful agreement. Many challenges remain however, and ministers are working on issues such as loss and damage and the ongoing debate over the relationship between developed and developing countries, and the emissions gap between what countries have committed to and what is necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change. Read more

Petronella Tyson

Dermot McGuigan

Dr. Gabor Sass

Melanie Jellett

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