Leading the way to Net-Zero

As we continue to feel the impacts of an emerging climate emergency, feelings of grief and anxiety are heightened for many.

In BC, floods and wildfires are recurring regional examples most often cited as evidence of our changing planet, and while as individuals we are doing our part, it’s common to worry about the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from large-scale industry and development.

Royal Roads graduate Melina Scholefield has applied skills from the Master of Arts in Leadership to solving complex world problems, specifically the goal of reaching a net-zero climate target.

Scholefield is the executive director of the Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC). ZEIC, a partner of the Low Carbon Cities Canada Network, is a non-profit organization that works at arm’s length with Vancouver and regional governments as well as area non-profits and industry.

“ZEIC helps people and municipalities meet their climate targets by working with, and providing support to, the green building, transportation and renewable energy sectors,” Scholefield explains.

Regional governments set climate policy and regulations to reach targets for climate mitigation goals. That’s where ZEIC comes in. Scholefield’s organization plays a key role in helping industry meet government targets by enablingspecialized knowledge-sharing and resources for  low-carbon building practices. As new techniques are implemented, the regions’ carbon net zero building stock will increase, rendering communities more climate resilient.

“We are helping build community confidence by offering webinars, summits, showcasing technologies, technical guides and podcasts,” Scholefield adds. “ZEIC also supports programs that provide job skills and job-ready labour to retrofit and create new green buildings in the community.”

The solutions available today might not change the Vancouver skyline tomorrow, but they will largely impact the city’s carbon footprint in the coming years. For example, ZEIC imagines energy being provided by electrification in buildings instead of gas-fired boilers. Scholefield points to passive housing that looks at the “building envelope” to deal with energy loss and reducing carbon dependency.

“Building envelopes consider embodied emissions associated with the material used for construction,” explains Scholefield. “When it comes to building, ‘zero emissions’ isn’t just about emissions generated during the lifespan of the building — it deals with the very building materials used. Studies show that materials and methods that reduce emissions don’t necessarily cost more – it just means learning how to do it differently.”

To help facilitate learning new building approaches, ZEIC launched its Near Zero program in January 2023. The program offers builders opportunities to learn how to build low embodied carbon housing by providing training, access to software and supports that allow them to explore various carbon solutions that will promote lower carbon footprints for buildings upfront when the building is constructed.

Scholefield’s mission at ZEIC is to empower others and to profide a forum for shared understandings about what building methods help with climate mitigation and how to get to zero emissions. She and her team are activating industry to support one another through events, newsletters, guides, and case studies and experiential learning. Scholefield’s work at ZEIC is focused on capacity building – to offer a sense of confidence and know-how through mentorship and leadership.

“Net zero can be overwhelming, but with a strong, supportive community, it’s within our grasp,” Scholefield says. “Bringing people together to talk about solutions, how to implement them, how we can improve them – sharing what works and lessons learned with one another – is at the heart of what we do. Strong communities working together to make change are one of the key ways we’ll mitigate climate change.”

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