Enabling Low-Carbon Energy Projects for Investment

This project is led by:

QUEST Canada Publishes New Report Detailing How Canadian Communities Can Overcome Barriers to the Low-Carbon Energy Transition

QUEST Canada recently published a new report, Enabling Low Carbon Energy Projects For Investment. The report is part of a broader research project that aims to support Canadian communities as they overcome barriers associated with the low-carbon energy transition.

Read the News Release

About the Project

Communities in Canada are increasingly developing local, low-carbon energy projects, but many face road-blocks with regards to financing. Simultaneously, Canadian investors are seeking low-carbon investments, but are challenged to find local opportunities at scale for investment. The Enabling Low Carbon Energy Projects for Investment (ELCEPI) research project aims to offer recommendations and solutions to close these financing gaps, while connecting the barriers and enablers for investment to larger socio-economic issues.

Project Objectives & Outcomes

The Enabling Low Carbon Energy Projects for Investment (ELCEPI) project aims to add resolution to the capitalization challenges relating to community low-carbon energy projects and link discovered barriers and enablers to more significant social movements as a means to synergize and advance both low-carbon energy deployment and other social activities in parallel to one another.

Given the dynamic nature of this research project and the importance of staying abreast of emerging insights, the ELCEPI research objectives underwent multiple iterations. Through this process, research findings have discovered that many communities face significant barriers in the early stages of project conception with limited awareness and understanding of aggregation. As a result, we expanded the scope of our research to investigate barriers throughout a project’s life cycle.

Our early findings indicated that lower-income communities, particularly those with a history of marginalization and diversity, face unique challenges in project development. Moreover, we identified a disconnect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous projects. Based on our interviews and research, we settled on four final objectives, which appear disparate but are rooted in the interconnected and holistic goal of overcoming barriers to the low-carbon energy transition.

Initial Objective: To resolve community barriers to aggregate low-carbon energy initiatives to unlock capital from investors.

Final Objectives:

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Identify barriers preventing communities from capitalizing low-carbon energy projects.

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Make recommendations to policymakers on creating policy, and financing architects to create supportive investment structures.

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Acknowledge Indigenous communities’ resilience in the face of systemic oppression and ongoing harm caused by colonization. Recognize the importance of listening to Indigenous voices and supporting their leadership in decision-making processes related to energy development.

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Incorporate and showcase the principles of reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into energy development practices to support the process of Land Back and recognize Indigenous peoples’ inherent right to self-determination. Prioritize the revitalization of traditional knowledge and Indigenous-led approaches to energy development.

This project will conclude with the completion and dissemination of a final report informed by interviews and case-studies to help local governments and community borrowers overcome barriers to the low-carbon energy transition.

Timeline

This project consists of three phases, each designed to enable low carbon energy project investment.

Resources

A final report has been developed to help local governments and community borrowers overcome barriers to the low-carbon energy transition.

A graphic of a map with text that reads, “Enabling Low Carbon Energy Projects for Investment | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY"

Co-Authors:

Greg Goubko
Heldagardis Renyaan, QUEST Canada

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary provides a high level overview of the common barriers faced by communities during each low carbon energy project phase, and provides recommendations for overcoming these challenges via reconciliation and enabling vehicles.

Download the Summary Report

A graphic of a map with text that reads, “Enabling Low Carbon Energy Projects for Investment | FINAL REPORT"

Co-Authors:

Greg Goubko
Heldagardis Renyaan, QUEST Canada

Final Report

The Final Report has been informed by interviews and case-studies, detailing the common barriers faced by communities during each low carbon energy project phase. The report offers recommendations and solutions to overcome these barriers, while connecting challenges and enablers for investment to larger socio-economic issues.

Download the Full Report

Project Funder

This project is made possible with support from Scotiabank.

Scotiabank is guided by their purpose: for every future. A better tomorrow – where their customers, employees and communities all thrive – benefits everyone, including the Bank. Their approach to managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues focuses on areas where Scotiabank can make the biggest impact – enabling stakeholders to reach their fullest potential, mobilizing finance to address important social and environmental challenges and building trust by acting with integrity in everything they do.

Empowering Canadian Communities

QUEST Canada develops and implements programs and projects with the aim to nurture strategic partnerships, facilitate connections, empower community champions, and influence decisions makers, supporting communities across Canada on their pathway to net-zero. Find out more about our programs and projects:

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