The climate crisis has been recognized by all levels of Government across Canada, but action has been slow and support is needed. Through its 2030 Climate Change Plan, the Government of Canada has committed to reducing the country’s emissions by 40% by 2030, reaching net zero by 2050. Additionally, more than 500 local and regional councils have declared a climate emergency, and nine out of ten provinces are fighting climate change through the adoption of greenhouse gas reduction policies.
While current climate efforts have been dedicated toward mitigation and adaptation to manage the risks and consequences of climate change, a sustainable and long-lasting solution requires a market that prefers low carbon and circular goods and services. Collectively, Canadian government spend is valued at 200 billion dollars annually and represents more than 15% of the nation’s GDP. Conversely the global market for clean technology solutions represents a 3.3 trillion-dollar opportunity. In Canada, clean technology activities only represent just over $70 billion or 3% of Canada’s GDP. There is a significant opportunity to leveraging public buying power to increase market demand and momentum for large-scale clean, carbon-reducing, and circular solutions in Canada but it remains largely untapped.
Through this partnership, Circular Innovation Council and MaRS Discovery District aim to bridge the connection between public procurement and Canadian cleantech solution providers to generate demand to propel cleaner technologies. The connection will be facilitated by a Clean and Circular Marketplace, an open, online resource made available to all governments across the country.
“Public procurement is a powerful but underutilized tool that can wield significant market transformation, yet traditional procurement methods are the go-to, which rarely delivers the level of impact needed to fight back against climate change. We need collaboration between all levels of government and with industry to drive the change we want to see. This project will be a positive force and the Circular Innovation Council is grateful to be partnering with MaRS Discovery District to advance Canadian cleantech solutions and demonstrate the power of public procurement to advance the circular economy,” says Jo-Anne, St. Godard, Executive Director with Circular Innovation Council.
“While Canada excels at climate tech innovation and has become a hub of innovation, it lags when it comes to adoption. To effectively address the climate crises, we need to adopt clean technology at scale and public procurement is a big part of the solution. We are confident our partnership with Circular Innovation Council will fill a gap for the clean tech sector and support communities across the country in meeting their climate change goals,” says Tyler Hamilton, Director Cleantech, MaRS.
This innovative partnership will provide a market pathway for vetted low carbon and low waste service providers and public and private sector procurers, support the development of standardized procurement criteria, and provide a central hub of tools and information to build capacity from coast to coast.
Circular Innovation Council and MaRS Discovery District are moving toward developing large-scale procurement solutions to grow the market for local, low-carbon products that ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and drive a cleaner, more circular economy.
To learn more about this partnership and initiative contact;
Jo-Anne St. Godard Jodi Houston
Executive Director Program Manager
