1. Invest in Measuring Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n Gaining confidence and trust requires providing community champions and decision makers with the evidence of success stories, failures, and lessons learned in order to build trust and insights to support investment in measures that will allow for deep energy and GHG reductions, and ultimately, the transition to low carbon communities. To help address this need, QUEST and Pollution Probe launched the\u00a0Smart Energy Communities Scorecard<\/a>\u00a0in November of 2017. The Scorecard is the first initiative in Canada to provide a standard approach for evaluating and benchmarking the progress of Smart Energy Communities with a focus on the policies and processes of local governments, utilities and the real-estate sector.<\/p>\n 2. Invest in Enabling Implementation<\/strong><\/p>\n The dialogue initiated as part of Generation Energy and the Pan-Canadian Energy Framework, on how to establish a low carbon economy is an important first step, that needs to continue to evolve. That dialogue needs to help us understand the practical costs of the transition and support the conversion of business and operating models for a low carbon economy.<\/p>\n A great example of how we can support businesses and local governments transition is through initiatives such as the Low Carbon Partnership. Climate Smart, Sustainability CoLab, The Natural Step, and QUEST \u00adhave come together to form the\u00a0Low Carbon Partnership<\/a>\u00a0which is seeking support to establish a national network that will work with up to 300 communities and 4000 small, medium-sized businesses to benefit from a low carbon economy.<\/p>\n