FOREWORD
econext would like to recognize the ongoing support provided to it by its membership, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Without this support, our accomplishments through 2022-23 and our work to accelerate clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador would not be possible.
What’s in this Report
Introduction
Message from econext’s Chair
Message from econext’s CEO
Clean Energy
Net Zero
Value From Waste
Environmental Sensing, Characterization & Monitoring
Atlantic Canada / Caribbean Int’l Business Program
Events
Industry Awards
econext 2022 Conference
Giving Back
Our Team
Financial Statements
Introduction
This document serves as a final report and summary of activities that econext was engaged in from April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023.
econext focuses its activities and initiatives within four (4) priority areas, as prescribed in its strategic plan:
Clean Energy – including renewable energy development, electrification and energy efficiency, and clean fuels production in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Net Zero – the pursuit of net zero by the year 2050 by industries and communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Value from Waste – increasing the effectiveness of waste management in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a focus on finding value in waste streams and addressing wastewater challenges.
Environmental Sensing, Characterization, and Monitoring – supporting the cluster of cleantech excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador using technologies (e.g., lasers, sonar, radar, satellites, environmental DNA, etc.) to help understand our impact on the environment – and its impact on us.
Accordingly, this report will summarize econext’s activities as they relate to each of these key priorities. The tools or approaches that econext uses in support these activities include:
Helping businesses succeed - one member at a time - We work one-on-one with our members to explore opportunities to increase their competitiveness, engage in R&D, and bring their products and services global.
Preparing the workforce for the future economy - We provide training and professional development resources to help entrepreneurs, managers, and practitioners sharpen their skills and succeed in the green economy.
Setting the stage for clean growth in key sectors - We work to define opportunities, develop strategies, focus innovation, and attract investment in key sectors for Newfoundland and Labrador.
Fostering relationships through networking and collisions - We organize conferences, workshops, socials, and other events that bring entrepreneurs, professionals, researchers, decision-makers, regulators, support agencies, and other stakeholders together.
Delivering projects that create opportunities - We work with partners in the public, private, and academic sectors to develop and deliver programming that contributes to sustainable economic development.
Representing Newfoundland and Labrador interests - We promote our province's clean growth priorities and interests through our strong regional, national, and international relationships.
Message From Our Chair
Ashley Noseworthy, CEO, Edgewise Environmental
It has been a landmark year for clean growth and the environmental industry in Newfoundland and Labrador.
We have seen the ban on onshore wind removed and processes being put in place to enable the emergence of large renewable energy and clean fuels industries in our province. A recent competitive process for crown lands access for wind development resulted in 19 submissions.
The mandate of the Canada-NL Offshore Energy Board (C-NLOEB) was expanded to include marine renewable energy, and a regional assessment is underway within our province which will help set the stage for a regulatory framework for offshore wind.
Home to many of the minerals required to fuel the global energy transition, our mining industry is primed for growth. The low carbon intensity oil produced in our offshore positions that industry for success in global markets and the push towards decarbonization across the economy continues to intensify.
It is clear that while our economy is poised for growth and diversification that climate change mitigation and adaptation is paramount, particularly related to our oceans. Given this is both a personal and professional point in which I deeply relate I think it important to highlight the enormous expertise that we have in Newfoundland and Labrador in the sensing, characterization, and monitoring of our ocean environments.
In each of these areas, econext had an impact through 2022-23. We worked hard with and on behalf of our members to provide the provincial government with guidance in the creation of the enabling policies required for new wind and hydrogen projects. Through our Net Zero Project partnership we have been helping to put in place roadmaps that will advance carbon capture, electrification, and offsets technologies in our offshore. We have conceptualized new financing mechanisms to assist with deep energy efficiency retrofits and we are working to better recognize and promote our ocean cleantech cluster.
This is but a small sample of what econext has achieved this past year, and I encourage you to read through out Annual Report to get a full picture of what the organization is working towards, with your support – and to your benefit. The successes of econext leads directly to business opportunities for its members. The econext team works hard on a daily basis to ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador meets both the challenges and opportunities that the global goal of net zero provides. The stage has been set for this next year to be an even more impactful one for our province. With a number of exciting projects on the horizon, econext will be growing to meet the task at hand. We can’t wait to tell you about these initiatives and to introduce you to the newest members of our team.
As for me, these are my final words as the Chair of your Board of Directors. It has been my pleasure to serve the membership in this capacity for the past 3 years. I took this role on at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic fallout that followed. It has been very rewarding to see the organization through these challenging times and into the present where opportunities are plentiful and the future has never looked brighter. The people within this industry and the wider province are resilient and tough. We have opportunity to become a global energy leader.
I also need to extend a profound thank-you to the staff of econext. They have positioned this industry association as a leader in the province who many look to for sound, measured and honest feedback. They work tirelessly and what they accomplish in both short timelines and with finite resources is a true testament to their dedication to this industry and the province as a whole.
As always, your Board of Directors and econext staff are available to discuss your ideas, concerns, opportunities, and challenges at any time.
I would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada and their various departments and agencies for their continued support for econext and its efforts to support environmentally sustainable economic development. Without that support, our work would not be possible.
Message From Our CEO
Kieran Hanley, CEO, econext
With our strategic plan set, much of 2022-23 was about planting the seeds for this coming year.
In this annual report, you will read about the groundwork that we have been laying to ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador benefits to the maximum extent possible from the emerging clean energy industry – from a workforce, R&D, and economic development perspective.
You will learn about what we have achieved in charting net zero pathways for industry, and the work that we are doing at the community level to achieve environmental and economic progress.
You are going to read about how we are trying to help solve waste management challenges in our province through opportunity identification and innovation, and the work that we are doing to better support the centre of excellence that exists in Newfoundland and Labrador in environmental sensing, characterization, and monitoring technology.
You will see that econext, through hard work, has had the opportunity to play a catalytic role within this province in advancing clean growth activities and initiatives. As one of the few organizations within Newfoundland and Labrador that has the capacity to engage in and manage such projects, we have a responsibility to put our best foot forward. We will continue our efforts to attract investment and spur climate action that provides new opportunities for our members.
From an operational perspective, as the focus on climate change and clean growth have greatly intensified in recent years, it has become increasingly challenging for our small team to keep up. All the credit in the world goes to our Board and Staff for accomplishing what they have under such pressure. Thank you. We have been stretched to our limits, but our team is set to grow. We are excited about this and can hardly wait to introduce you to our new staff in the weeks and month ahead.
There is no question that the pandemic and the accelerating pace of change fundamentally changed the nature of some of exonext’s work. The growth in our team will allow us as an organization to refocus efforts into three areas that are important but have been impacted.
First, one area we have historically prided ourselves on as an organization has been our focus on working 1-on-1 with our members to address challenges and opportunities. We will now have the capacity to return to and double down on that member-first approach.
Second, we are going to get back to the training and professional development activity that we did so well before the pandemic hit. This will mean more workshops, webinars, and opportunities for our members to learn and upskill in environmental and green economy subject matters. This is an important area of activity for us in terms of our long-term growth and sustainability as an organization.
Third, we are going to get a lot louder about our work and the clean growth opportunities in our province. There are some excellent things happening in Newfoundland and Labrador and there are enormous opportunities to be seized. We have some very compelling stories to tell, and econext is about to get aggressive with that.
Finally, we believe there are unexploited opportunities for econext to further cement itself as a catalyst for clean growth in the province. We will be exploring how that might work in the months ahead, and hopefully will have a lot to say about that this time next year.
I hope that you enjoy reading our 2022-23 Annual Report. Should you have questions, ideas, concerns, or comments – as always, reach out!
Clean Energy
In 2022-23 econext spent considerable time and effort working with industry to provide the best advice possible to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in the development of its policies, processes, etc. related to wind energy and hydrogen production. We believe that the organization played a valuable role in this regard and made a meaningful contribution to the creation of the enabling conditions that will allow for the emergence of a strong clean energy industry in our province.
To better inform its thinking in these areas, econext traveled to Germany and the Netherlands in the Fall of 2022 to better understand Newfoundland and Labrador’s positioning in the global context. Being on the ground in Europe it became clear to delegates that the demand for clean energy sources in Europe is very real, and massive. There is significant potential for green hydrogen and associated carrier fuels, and Newfoundland and Labrador has the opportunity to be a major global supplier.
To this end, econext prioritized three areas in which it could lead activity in to help the province realize the clean energy (including clean fuels) potential before it.
First, the organization has been working closely with members in the development of medium and long term economic development and investment attraction recommendations related to these emerging industries. It is anticipated that econext will publish a discussion paper summarizing its learnings in early April 2023.
Second, there is a role for econext to play in helping to coordinate workforce development, training, and professional development in the province as to ensure SMEs, their employees, and new entrants into the labour force are prepared to work in and around clean energy. econext has been working with the College of the North Atlantic and Memorial University in this regard.
Third, econext envisions being a catalyst for clean energy innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador. The organization will help to establish innovation priorities, attract investment for research and development, help to put the province on the map as an important R&D hub on the subject.
econext anticipates being very busy in these three areas in 2023. In the innovation front, econext has already accelerated its activity in this space. In 2022 econext partnered with the Ocean Startup Project to conceive of and issues a challenge to innovators to develop a technology and/or process that allows ports to maximize the role that they can play in electricity supply and demand management to the benefit of electricity grids. Moreover, econext became an established partner with Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) in the delivery of its Seed Fund – opening the door to more Newfoundland and Labrador based technology firms to access up to $100,000 in supports.
Net Zero
In the pursuit of net zero, econext engages at both the sector level and at the community level.
Within industry, the organization’s efforts thus far have been directed towards its Net Zero Project – a partnership with Energy NL and OilCo with funding from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Natural Resources Canada, and support from Energy Research and Innovation NL – identifying pathways to net zero by 2050 for the offshore oil and gas industry in a manner which not only achieves environmental objectives but also maximizes the economic opportunities associated with the pursuit.
Through 2022-23 the project has been envisioning pathways to net zero by 2050 for the industry through technical, economic, and policy/regulatory lenses. We are excited to communicate key findings from this work in 2023. Early results have directed the project to focus most heavily in three areas: carbon capture, utilization, and storage; electrification and offshore wind; and carbon offsets. First steps have been taken in the area of CCUS with a workshop held in September 2022 and white paper released on the subject in February 2023. It is our intent for this project to continue through to 2025 and outline in detail roadmaps to achieve progress in each of these three key areas.
At the community level, in partnership with the City of St. John’s and support from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, econext helped envision a financing mechanism and program which would allow for the average homeowner to engage in deep energy retrofits within their home. This research has positioned the province well to implement such a program and accelerate deep energy retrofits. econext will be working to capitalize and launch the program in 2023.
At a higher level, in 2023 econext will be seeking to build on its experience of assisting communities in the development and implementation of net zero by 2050 plans. Moreover, econext is providing climate adaptation services to communities, industries, and more in the province through a partnership with CLIMAtlantic. In June of 2022 econext completed research to better understand climate action priorities at the community level in the province. Building on what it has learned, in partnership with The Harris Centre, econext will be orchestrating climate change and adaptation regional workshops throughout Newfoundland and Labrador in 2023 to better define priorities and begin exploring solutions.
Value from Waste
The size and rural and remote nature of Newfoundland and Labrador’s population and its industries makes achieving the economies of scale required for established waste management technologies and processes difficult. This presents a need for innovation in waste management in the province, and this is a priority area of activity for econext.
In 2022 econext worked with support from Springboard Atlantic to identify specific industrial opportunities that present opportunities for research, development, and innovation. The results from this exercise fed into a ‘Value from Waste’ workshop that was held in partnership with The Harris Centre and a variety of industry partners. An output of this workshop was a document that summarized opportunities and challenges that were identified, and recommended next steps.
With priorities identified, econext partnered with the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) on a two-year project which provided the organization with new resources to stimulate private sector-led action in waste management. By finding new value in waste streams, econext hopes to help divert materials from landfills, reduce costs for waste producers, reduce costs for taxpayers, improve environmental outcomes, and create new business opportunities for SMEs.
econext partnered with the Ocean Startup Project to conceive of and issue a challenge to innovators to develop a technology and/or process that allows for finding value in or alternative disposal methods for plastic wastes associated with aquaculture operations. This challenge resulted directly in a NL-based winner which shows significant potential for commercialization.
econext is working one-on-one work with waste producers and innovators – whether they be researchers or SMEs – to zero in on specific projects that can make a difference. Meanwhile, in partnership with The Harris Centre, econext is helping to quantify specific industrial waste streams to help it explore the feasibility of larger value from waste projects. Along the way, econext has published a discussion paper on the opportunities and challenges associated with EV battery recycling in the province, and is currently working on a discussion paper exploring opportunities for organic waste to be integrated within Newfoundland and Labrador’s emerging clean energy industry.
Finally, in 2022 econext concluded a project which saw it acquire financing to support a circular economy project in the Town of Harbour Main. The project facilitated the implementation of curbside composting, renewable-energy fueled greenhousing, and a new farmer’s market. This project will improve environmental outcomes and food security in Harbour Main and surrounding areas, and it is hoped this initiative can be replicated in other parts of the province.
Environmental Sensing, Characterization, and Monitoring
Substantive research through 2019-2021 pointed to the expertise that Newfoundland and Labrador has developed in and around environmental sensing, characterization, and monitoring technologies – both within the private sector and within its research institutions.
This area of activity involves the use of technology like lasers, radar, sonar, satellites, environmental DNA, etc. in helping us understand our impacts on the environment, and the environment’s impact on us in terms of both climate change and harsh conditions. This cluster of excellence, much of it oceans-focused, is deserving of more support as it is the province’s best and most prolific offering to the world in terms of clean technology.
econext undertook research in 2022 to obtain guidance on how it could best support this cleantech cluster in Atlantic Canada from an international business development perspective according to best economic development practices. This research, which included consultation and engagement with a group of firms in Newfoundland and Labrador, was clear in its findings that a better job needed to be done in promoting this cleantech cluster to the world and that local firms could gain better market intelligence on other geographic areas where expertise was clustered.
These findings informed activities that econext undertook in 2022. Through the year the organization has been busy developing communications materials that will help it promote the cleantech cluster and developed early strategies to begin in that promotion and acquire better market intelligence. econext has some significant activity lined up for 2023-24 that is going to cast a bright light on the capabilities of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in this intersection between the blue and green economy.
In addition to sector-level activity, in 2022-23 econext helped 5 individual SMEs in Atlantic Canada by providing customized consulting services to help them explore opportunities in offshore cleantech in European markets. econext also partnered with the Ocean Startup Project on the conception and issuing of a challenge to innovators to develop a more reliable and lower-cost technology and/or process to monitor and manage the subsea assets of clean energy infrastructure that will withstand the challenges presented by the North Atlantic.
Atlantic Canada / Caribbean International Business Program
There is a long history of trade between Newfoundland and Labrador and the Caribbean region, dating back to the export of salt fish in exchange for rum, and today our firms are well positioned to provide solutions to familiar challenges being faced in the Caribbean.
Though the climates may differ substantially, Newfoundland & Labrador and markets in the Caribbean region face challenges that are alike. As small, mostly island economies, the jurisdictions face similar effects of climate change, challenges with energy and energy security, coastal zone erosion, and strive to provide efficient and economical environmental services when scale is difficult to achieve and major markets are distant.
The expressed interest of its members led econext in 2014 to create an international business development program focused on the Caribbean, and econext has led activities for SMEs across Atlantic Canada ever since.
As climate change, natural disasters, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic, have wreaked havoc on the economies in the Caribbean region, the blue and green economy are increasingly being touted as pathways for sustainable development. The unique and diverse expertise of econext’s members positions them as ideal partners for Caribbean entities to provide innovative solutions to these challenges.
Following COVID-19 travel disruptions, 2022-23 saw firms from Newfoundland and Labrador return the Caribbean to engage in international business development in the traditional sense. econext led 3 business development missions to the region, featuring a total of 21 individual SME visits to the following markets: Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname. During this time econext also engaged at the firm level providing a series of customized consulting services tailored to the needs and opportunities of individual SMEs, and hosted a training session on international financial institutions active in the region.
econext’s next Caribbean mission will take place in May 2023.
Events
econext held and partnered on a number of events throughout 2022-23 that supported its priorities. These events included:
Webinar – Climate Action for Municipalities in partnership with Municipalities NL, Memorial University, Fundamental Inc., and CLIMAtlantic - May 31, 2022
Atlantic Canada Trade mission to the Caribbean - May 30-June 3, 2022
Summer Networking Event – July 13, 2022
Hosting of a delegation of businesses from Wales - September 15-16, 2022
Carbon Capture, Storage, and Utilization (CCUS) Workshop - September 28, 2022
Training Session: International Financial Institutions - October 3, 2022
Conference Networking Event – October 19, 2022
Annual Conference - October 20, 2022
Contaminated Sites Health & Safety Training (HAZWOPER) - November 14-18, 2022
Atlantic Canada Trade mission to the Caribbean - November 21-25, 2022
Environmental and Regulatory Compliance Project Management Training - November 25, 2022
Christmas Networking Event - December 14, 2022
Webinar – CCUS in Offshore Newfoundland and Labrador – A Net Zero Project White Paper – February 15, 2023
Atlantic Canada Trade Mission to the Bahamas - February 23-26, 2023
Offshore Wind Supply Chains Webinar with Norwegian Offshore Wind and Marine Renewables Canada - March 6, 2023
Industry Collab Networking Event - March 28, 2023
AGM and Industry Awards Presentation - March 30, 2023
Industry Awards
The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, was on hand on March 30, 2023 to announce the winners of econext‘s industry awards.
Cleantech Innovation Award
econext’s Cleantech Innovation Award recognizes innovation at any stage of development in business and academia – from research and development, to commercialization, to refinement – of products, services, or processes that can mitigate effects to, protect, or enhance the environment. The award is judged according to the uniqueness of the innovation, the potential for positive environmental impact, and the potential for commercial application.
The winner of this year’s Cleantech Innovation Award is C-CORE. C-CORE is an internationally recognized institution in earth observation, remote sensing, and oceans and energy innovation. C-CORE has been a key driver of and contributor to Newfoundland and Labrador’s innovation ecosystem, and that work continued this past year.
C-CORE has developed what it calls a Rapid High-capacity Test Apparatus, or RHITA, a technology that is becoming an important component of C-CORE’s research and development work. RHITA is helping to understand and mitigate the negative effects of icebergs impacting subsea ocean based assets. The saying “tip of the iceberg”, afterall, comes from the fact that we really only can see the tip of an iceberg and the much larger portion is under the water. What is subsurface is unknown, and presents risks for important infrastructure, present or future. This includes offshore platforms, pipes or pipelines, flexible flow lines, moorings, or cables on the seabed.
When icebergs make contact with such infrastructure, it can push or drag important components along the ocean floor. This is harmful not only to the function of the assets and the operations that they support, but also to the environment around it as well. To measure the effect of this interaction on the pipe or cable, C-CORE is utilizing RHITA. RHITA uses a cylindrical steel indenter representing a pipe, flexible flow line, or cable and pushes it into a large ice sample.
What happens next provides important evidence from which risk mitigation decisions can be made. C-CORE is able to provide guidance on how such interactions can be avoided, how assets can be designed or reinforced to better withstand such interactions, or even lower the risk factors associated with occurrences if the outcomes are not as damaging as expected.
Part of C-CORE’s larger Subsea Ice Interaction Barriers to Energy Development (SIIBED) project, this work is representative of the world-leading cluster of excellence that is present in Newfoundland and Labrador related to the environmental sensing, characterization, and monitoring of the environment.
PARDY’S Waste Management and Industrial Services, represented by General Manager Steve Moores, with their Business Excellence Award and econext CEO Kieran Hanley
International Business Award
econext’s International Business Award recognizes a significant initiative or achievement of a Newfoundland and Labrador organization engaged in international business activities relating to cleantech or environmental services. Initiatives or achievements could include export success, diversification into new sectors or markets, collaborative research and development, or the establishment of international partners be it through joint-venture, licensing, etc. The award is judged according to the relative impact of the internationalization activity for the individual business and/or the industry at-large.
The winner of this year’s International Business Award is Port of Argentia. It has been a landmark year for Port of Argentia. Guided by global trends in the energy transition, Port of Argentia embarked on an aggressive marketing and promotional campaign to attract renewable energy companies.
Highlighting key strategic advantages of its location and promoting Argentia as a viable location for onshore wind energy development and support to Northeastern US offshore wind energy, the Port strategically placed advertisements in regional, national, and international industry publications, attended key global sector tradeshows and conferences, and reached out to new international business prospects in the renewable energy space.
The Port’s efforts yielded results, delivering two significant contracts to become North America’s first monopile marshalling yard in support of emerging US offshore wind energy. In preparation for the arrival of monopiles, the port will see a total of $10 million in infrastructure improvements, including road widening, dock facility enhancements, and creation of more than 12 acres of laydown lands adjacent to docking facilities. These site improvements will position the port well for additional future investment attraction and generate significant economic spinoff benefits for the region, province, and country.
Port of Argentia also successfully attracted a partner for the development of Argentia Renewables, a proposed multi-phase wind energy-to-green fuels production facility to be constructed on Port lands. The Port’s team worked closely with Pattern Energy, a global leader in renewable energy development and operations, to create a mutually beneficial partnership to support the development and construction of the project over the next several years. The project is slated to begin on Port lands with a 300-Megawatt wind energy facility powering a green ammonia project (including hydrogen electrolyzers) for the purpose of export to global markets. Future possible phases include expansion of additional wind capacity on neighbouring Crown Lands, and expansion of hydrogen production facilities on Port lands.
Through its targeted international business efforts, Port of Argentia has transformed and positioned itself as a leading national hub for clean energy activity that all in Newfoundland and Labrador should be proud of.
Hon. Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change presenting the Cleantech Innovation Award to C-CORE, represented by President and CEO Paul Griffin.
Business Excellence Award
econext‘s Business Excellence Award recognizes a significant initiative or achievement of a business engaged in Newfoundland and Labrador’s green economy. Initiatives or achievements could include the completion of specific business projects that have a positive environmental impact, business growth milestones (e.g., new sales, workforce expansion), or a contribution to the community from a sustainability or corporate social responsibility perspective. The award is judged according to the initiative or achievement’s impact as it relates to economic growth and development, positive environmental effects, and public awareness of green economy and environmental challenges or opportunities.
The winner of this year’s Business Excellence Award is PARDY’S Waste Management and Industrial Services. PARDY’S have been leaders in growing the green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador for decades. Its services are broad and include industrial cleaning, vacuum services, liquid waste transport, waste oil recycling, industrial water treatment, waste disposal brokerage, and bulk liquid organic organic waste treatment and industrial composting. The company is active not just in this province, but throughout Atlantic Canada and into other parts of the country as well.
PARDY’S has completed a number of recent projects which have helped open it up to new lines of business and new customers. In Pickering Ontario the company piloted the application of technology to address non-treatable water that was being shipping out of country for disposal. The pilot proved successful and demonstrated potential cost savings to the customer of $16 million per year. In Saint John New Brunswick PARDY’S worked under emergency conditions requiring rapid response in winter climate conditions to treat 63 million litres of ammonia and MEA impacted water for a customer. Right here in Newfoundland and Labrador PARDY’S facilitated the safe collection of 13 million litres of wastewater from the offshore, marking the first time in history that this waste was received and treated within the province. Moreover, a pilot project was recently completed which validated conventional phase separation technologies as an effective primary treatment method for spent drilling mud.
These projects, all executed successfully, have opened new doors for PARDY’S to provide services that up until this point had not been available. In the process, PARDY’S has made great strides to enhance its technological capabilities this past year. The company is capturing more work in the aquaculture and mining industries, has made recent acquisitions to expand its presence in Atlantic Canada – while simultaneously working towards advancing Newfoundland and Labrador’s composting industry.
PARDY’S mission is to be a premium Newfoundland and Labrador waste management corporation that delivers responsible, efficient, and sustainable waste management solutions to customers throughout Canada. It has been doing so for 30 years and continues to strive to do more.
Hon. Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change presenting the International Business Award to Port of Argentia, represented by Chair Wayne Power.
econext 2022 conference
econext's annual conference took place on October 20, 2022 which explored the vast opportunities that renewable energy, clean fuels, net zero, finding value from waste, and critical minerals are presenting Newfoundland and Labrador.
An Update on NL’s Renewable Energy Future
In December of 2021, the Government of NL released its renewable energy plan. In this session attendees heard from key decision makers on the progress that has been achieved since December – and what the next steps are in helping NL reach its renewable energy potential.
Green Hydrogen and NL’s Opportunity
NL has the potential to become a first-mover and global leader in the production of green hydrogen on a substantial scale. In this session, attendees heard from a panel of prospective developers on what they see as being opportunities for the production and export of green hydrogen from NL.
The Latest on Offshore Wind
This session provided attendees with an update on offshore wind development in Atlantic Canada from two perspectives. Industry representatives gave an overview of the advancements they are seeing on the ground, while the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada provided an update on the regional assessment that is being developed for the region.
The Role of NL’s Mining Sector in the Global Energy Transition
A global energy transition will demand the production of more raw materials for wind turbines, batteries, and other clean energy technologies. NL is home to many of the minerals required, and thus presents an opportunity for economic growth for the province. This session asked two questions: how do we reduce the environmental impact of our industry today, and how do we balance future industrial development with the pursuit of net zero?
Innovation in Waste Management
NL faces significant challenges in the management of its waste – the primary obstacle being economies of scale. In this session, attendees heard about the progress that has been achieved in the province through 2022 in exploring new innovative approaches to dealing with waste streams – as well as new initiatives and new companies that are already at work!
Charting a Net Zero Future for NL’s Offshore
In this session led by The Net Zero Project, attendees heard about the results of work undertaken through 2021-2022 to outline net zero pathways for NL’s offshore industry, the role that carbon offsets will play in that pursuit, and the importance of digitalization and technology.
Giving Back
econext is in the early stages of developing its corporate social responsibility (CSR) plan, however it has started to become more active in its work to give back to the community in ways that benefit the environment and support clean growth in the province.
econext hosted two student interns in 2022-23 who worked on training and professional development programming and social enterprise applications respectively, and its staff acted as mentors to student researchers within multiple Memorial University departments.
econext staff contributed as volunteers in 2022-23 on a number of committees and boards that align with the association’s environmental and green economy values:
Newfoundland and Labrador Net Zero Advisory Council (Chair)
City of St. John’s Environment and Sustainability Experts Panel (Chair)
Economic Developers Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (President)
Northeast Avalon Atlantic Coastal Action Program - NAACAP (Chair)
Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Strategy, Energy Innovation Committee
NL Community Composting Committee
Harris Centre Waste Management Advisory Board
Unlocking Canada's Green Potential: Drawing, Developing and Diversifying Talent to Accelerate Clean Economic Growth Project Committee
Oil and Gas Industry Recovery Task Force, Energy Transition Working Group
Solid Waste Management Innovation Fund Committee
Offshore Energy Digitalization Forum
St. John’s Status of Women Council
econext’s annual conference was carbon neutral with offsets purchased from Sharp Management – Newfoundland and Labrador’s first and only source of certified carbon offsets.
Our Team
Board of Directors
Ashley Noseworthy
Chair
Edgewise Environmental
Chad Butler
Vice-Chair
Growler Energy
Don Drew
Treasurer
Newco Metal & Auto Recycling
Deidre Puddister
Director
Signal Gold
Kris Costello
Director
Oil and Gas Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador
Alex Templeton
Director
McInnes Cooper
Brian Taite
Director
HMDC
Justin So
Director
WSP
Nola Sharpe
Director
Mysa
econext Staff
Kieran Hanley
Chief Executive Officer
Abbie Hodder
Chief Operating Officer & Director, International Business
Joanne Strugnell
Operations Manager
Sepehr Khosravi
Climate Services Specialist
Heather Ward
Business Development Officer
Kris Drodge
Project Manager - Net Zero Project
Michelle Lethbridge
Innovation Lead - Net Zero Project
Stephen Goulding
Economics Lead - Net Zero Project
Peter Bennett
Technical Lead - Net Zero Project
