Prof. Rowlands (School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability) attended COP25. About 27,000 delegates participated at the conference under the Presidency of the Government of Chile and it was held with logistical support from the Government of Spain.
The summit showcased breakthroughs in green innovation and technology, and explored how cleantech can drive economic growth while ensuring our planet’s future. Business leaders, entrepreneurs and academics came together virtually to discuss the possibilities for a greener economic recovery. The Waterloo Innovation Summit explored the business case for climate capitalism and illuminated the imperative to balance sustainable financial growth with sustainable environmental impact. As we all look for solutions to recover from a global pandemic and a climate in crisis, we asked speakers how we can seize this crisis as an opportunity to rethink our priorities and redesign the global economy, cities and job markets.
Prof. Weber and Prof. Craik (School of Environment, Enterprise and Development) were invited speakers who talked about the role of government policies and investment banking to address the challenges of clean economy.
The theme of this conference was "Hydrogen, Sustainability and Finance: Local Roles for Global Goals”. This event explored the entire suite of clean hydrogen applications as part of a broader effort to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change. The focus was on the emergent and self-sustaining Canadian community of end users, product suppliers, project developers, system integrators, and supporting infrastructure. The emphasis was to discuss strategies to achieve some serious reductions in CO2 emissions and make economical use of off-peak ‘surplus’ power that is derived from low or zero emission sources to make ‘green’ hydrogen.
Prof. Fowler (Chemical Engineering) and Prof. Fraser (Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering) was invited as guest speaker to give a talk on new hydrogen generation and commercialization technologies and the support of hydrogen deployment.
The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) hosted the “International Workshop on Nanotechnology for a Sustainable Future”. This virtual workshop brought together world leaders in nanotechnology to address current global issues, to meet United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) in nanotechnology and society, policy and science diplomacy, industry and innovation, energy and environment, devices for healthcare and communications, and resource management and the circular economy.
Prof. Nathwani (Executive Director, WISE) and Prof. Nazar (Chemistry) participated as guest speaker. Prof. Nathwani discussed the unique challenges of a global energy transition to a clean energy future, whereas Prof. Nazar talked about the complexities of electrochemical energy storage at the nanoscale.
It was jointly held by University of Strathclyde and University of Waterloo. The principal of University of Strathclyde and president of University of Waterloo, Sir Jim McDonald and Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, invited paper/abstract submissions for the first virtual research colloquium. The colloquium was for graduate students at any stage in their journey. The colloquium provided an interactive space for graduate students from each university to present to international scholars in the field. Graduate students received constructive feedback from international scholars, and offered an opportunity to be part of international research clusters that enhance research collaborations between the two institutes. Both presidents have committed to the possibility of funding post-doctoral fellowship opportunities to keep collaborations going. The research areas included: Sustainable energy, quantum technologies, nuclear engineering, digital health, and entrepreneurship.
The Balsillie School of International Affairs, in partnership with the Ditchley Foundation, created the first in a three-part series of ‘Critical Conversations’. This ‘Critical Conversations’ series serves as a forum which brings global thought leaders together to bridge important perspectives on intersectional issues currently challenging global world policy. This inaugural event was entitled “Building Resilient Futures: Covid, Climate and the Economy” - a discussion on possible measures to shape a future for global resilience that is economically sustainable and capable of meeting the twin threats of climate stress and the health burdens of COVID-19.
Prof. Nathwani (Executive Director, WISE) moderated a panel consisting of three speakers: (1) Diana Fox-Carney (Climate Policy Expert), (2) John Hancock (Senior Policy Adviser to the Director General, World Trade Organization), and (3) William White (Former Chairman of the OECD Economic and Development Review Committee, Head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements, and Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada). The dialogue at the event was based on three key themes that guided the sessions of the day: Bankability and Finance, International Competitiveness, and Climate Legitimacy. Each session had a thematic speaker who gave an overview of the topic and the key issues, a panel that discussed the topic and offered diverse perspectives and a pathway to an outcome, where roundtable participants discussed the topic in a workshop format and provided recommendations.
COVID-19 has shaken the world, challenging societies and altering life as we know it. But from this crisis, opportunities have emerged calling us to action as we prepare to reboot from the COVID-19 lockdown. In this series of six free, weekly, online panels, experts from the University of Waterloo and representatives from some of Canada's leading companies will share their research, real-world expertise, and experience to help identify the risks and plot the future of adapting to this new normal.
Prof. Nathwani (Executive Director, WISE) and Prof. Olaf Weber (School of Environment, Enterprise and Development) looked at restarting, rebuilding, and reimagining both local and global supply chains. Through a lens of environmental and social sustainability, they discussed changes in governance, the rise of populism, and cost vs. other drivers in building, or rebuilding, supply chains.
Prof. Nathwani (Executive Director, WISE) was invited to give a webinar on the topic of Covid-19 crisis leading to a clean energy future. He discussed the three dimensions of energy, environment, and economy in his talk. He also emphasized on four key, interrelated global trends that not only pose a serious threat to the long-term viability of the oil and gas sector in Canada, but also point to clear pathways for alternatives that will sustain a low-carbon energy future: (1) Divestment of fossil fuel securities and disclosures of carbon liability, (2) Decarbonization, (3) Diversification of supply, and (3) Digitalization and electrification to replace existing energy sources.
The CAST-LASG Workshop was a week-long collaboration between the Living Architecture Systems Group and the Centre for Architectural Structures and Technology (CAST) at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, held February 17-22, 2020. The workshop focused on the terminology and form-language of polyhedral and related geometry, culminating in the design and installation of a lightweight architectural scaffold which integrated CAST’s ongoing experiments concerning fabric as form-work for liquid-to-solid casting and shell structures. A new form-making method was advanced during the development of the scaffold installation, by which basic hexagon-to-pentagon geometries were scaled up to produce dramatic changes in surface curvature. The workshop was preceded by preparatory talks and instructional folios as well as an introductory lecture by Prof. Beesley (School of Architecture).
This 1.5 day workshop explored current activity in all geothermal technologies being used or considered in Canada, and generated a short synthesis outlining future pathways to greater adoption of this green energy source. The participants discussed the following topics: technical barriers and the financial viability of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), growth in the installation of ground source heat pump systems (GSHPs), and co-generation options, i.e. geothermal-electricity-combined-heat-power for different regions of Canada.