Green Your Business

 Energy

Did you know that the energy consumed in buildings is responsible for almost 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Caledon? There are several resources and programs available to help  you to improve the energy efficiency of your building, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and realize cost savings.

Electricity Utility Programs

• Electricity Retrofit Incentives: SaveONenergy’s Retrofit Program offers incentives for a range of upgrades from high efficiency lighting, ventilation, chillers, motors, fans and more.

• Lighting Rebates: Incentives are available for small businesses to upgrade to energy efficient lighting. Improved lighting can lower operating costs, improve customer experience and provide more attractive product displays. Learn more about the Small Business Lighting Program here.

• Demand Response: Demand response encourages businesses to shift their electricity use from peak hours to off-peak hours to reduce demand on the grid, while reducing your energy costs. Learn more here for small businesses and here for large consumers.

Natural Gas Utility Programs

• Industrial Solutions: Enbridge Gas’ Industrial Custom Solutions and Incentives Program can help industrial customers identify natural gas saving opportunities and provides incentives for implementing.

• Commercial Custom Retrofit Program: Work with an Enbridge Gas Energy Solutions Advisor to identify natural gas saving opportunities. Enbridge Gas will cover up to 50% of recommended project costs.

• Fixed Incentive Program: Enbridge Gas offers incentives to help offset the cost of installing energy efficient natural gas equipment in new and existing buildings. 

• Run it Right Program: Find low or no cost operational improvements that reduce natural gas consumption and earn up to $10,000 to implement retrofits. 

• Savings by Design Program: Build a new commercial building (50,000 square feet minimum) to be at least 15% more energy efficient than Ontario Building Code, and you could earn up to $30,000 in incentives from Enbridge Gas.  

Town of Caledon Programs

• Green Development Program: The Town’s Green Development Program provides up to 27.5% in development charge discounts for new green commercial and industrial buildings. 

• Community Improvement Program: Provides incentives to business located in the Community Improvement Plan Area (Bolton, Caledon East and Six Villages), including an energy efficiency grant.

• Read the Town’s Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Framework for inspiration on ways to save energy in your building!

Other Agency Programs

• Climate Action Incentive Fund: The Government of Canada’s Climate Action Incentive Fund: Small and Medium-sized enterprise project stream offers up to 25% of an energy saving project’s total eligible costs between $20,000 - $250,000 per project.

• Eco-Efficiency Program: Partner’s in Project Green’s Eco-Efficiency Program helps businesses to understand their energy consumption and identify opportunities to save money through operational changes and energy efficient retrofits. 

Training and Resources

• Training: Both saveONenergy and Enbridge Gas offer incentives of up to 50% on training programs that can help build your employees’ energy expertise. 

• Energy Manager: For large organizations, the Energy Manager Program provides an upfront payment of $20,000 annually upon the hiring of an energy manager. 

• Comprehensive Energy Management Program: Work with an Enbridge Gas Energy Solutions Advisor to investigate natural gas saving opportunities and qualify for: up to 80% of the cost for an energy management information system; up to $2500 for Certified Energy Manager certification; and up to $10,000 for events/team training support.  

 Transportation

Transportation is responsible for 54% of the greenhouse gas emissions in Caledon. There are lots of opportunities to reduce emissions within your corporate fleet including:

• Electric Vehicles: Transition your fleet to electric vehicles. Learn more about the electric vehicles on the market and incentives by visiting Plug’n Drive, a local non-profit committed to accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles. 

• Green Economy Canada offers 50% back on the cost of EV chargers up to $100,000. EV Charger Incentive Program.

• Incentives: You can save money when you purchase an electric vehicle! See the full list of eligible vehicles under the Government of Canada’s iZEV Program.

• Idling Bylaw: Did you know that idling for more than two minutes total in a sixty-minute period is prohibited in the Town of Caledon? 

• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: Natural Resource’s Canada Zero Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) provides up to 50% grant for installed EV charging stations. 

• Cycling: resources provided by the Town of Caledon, including routes, maps and information about infrastructure.

• Public Transit: encourage your employees to take public transit to get to work when possible! Learn more about the rates and schedules.

 Waste

Waste has a major impact on the environment, through single-use plastics ending up in the ocean, food waste contributing to methane emissions, and the environmental impact of landfills in Ontario. Following reduce, reuse, and recycle practices in your business operations can reduce your impact.

• Waste Audit: Carry out a waste audit at your business to know where improvements can be made.

• Single-use Plastics: Eliminate and reduce single-use plastics from your business operations and procurement strategies. Check out Partner in Project Green’s White Paper on Plastic Waste.

• Reuse: Partner in Project Green’s Material Exchange program facilitates the exchange of material generated in the community to divert waste from landfill and move towards a circular economy.

• Divert: Invest in private waste collection services for recycling and organic composting collection and services. Review the Government of Canada’s Inventory of Recycling Programs in Ontario to get started.  

• Food Donation: If your business has a surplus of food, there are  programs that can support, by providing excess food to non-profits. Check out The Exchange for more information!

• Education: Learn how to properly sort your waste through the Region of Peel’s tool.

 Water

The Region of Peel provides water and wastewater services to the Town of Caledon and is one of their largest energy consuming buildings. By conserving water, your also conserving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Review Partners in Project Green’s service offerings to help your business conserve water in your operations and save money! 

• The Region of Peel offers an Industrial Indoor Water Assessments Program which includes a free on-site water audit for eligible businesses. Commercial and institutional businesses may benefit by replacing their inefficient equipment with water efficient units. Get More Information

• The Region of Peel’s Water Smart Peel program offers an Irrigation System Assessment for businesses.

 Resiliency

Based on climate projections for Caledon, our weather will become warmer, wetter, and have wilder extreme weather events. View the resources below to see how your business can be prepared!

• Flooding: If your building is in or near a flood-prone area, consider flood proofing techniques to make your building watertight and prevent floodwaters from entering. Consider increasing pervious surfaces at your business though use of low impact development. Check out a local depave project at the Heritage Hills Parkette in Bolton.

• Naturalization: Landscape with native plants and vegetation, which can help prevent soil erosion and allow flood waters to drain more efficiently. Check out the Credit Valley Conservation Authority’s Greening Corporate Grounds Program and the Town of Caledon’s Tree Seedling Program.

• Renewable Energy: Solar photovoltaics can provide many benefits, by decreasing your monthly energy bill, increasing your business’ vulnerability to power outages and reducing your carbon footprint! Learn more about receiving credits on your monthly electricity bills through Hydro One’s net metering program here.

 Corporate engagement

Help improve your Environmental Social and Governance Strategies, or Corporate Social Responsibility mandates with these tools:

• Carbon Calculator Tools: assess your business’ annual carbon footprint. Carbon Fund Business Calculator. CarbonZero Business Calculator. Tree Canada carbon calculator.

• Make a Plan: Develop a plan and set a target of how your business will reduce its emissions!

• Establish a Green Team: Having a green team can provide accountability to implementing your energy and carbon saving projects as well as build and maintain momentum. Learn about the success of the Town’s Corporate Energy Team.

• Carbon and Green Energy Offsets: Green your business operations as much as possible, and for remaining emissions consider purchasing carbon and green energy offsets. Learn more about Bullfrog Energy’s green energy offsets. 

 What is sustainable landscaping?

Sustainable landscaping refers to a set of landscaping practices that protect, enhance, and restore the natural environment. These practices can reduce conventional maintenance costs, reduce flood risk, protect infrastructure, and enhance the communities where we work, study, volunteer, or worship.

Sustainable landscaping is a critical component of any organization’s corporate social responsibility and sustainability strategy. 

 Why do sustainable landscaping?

• reduce flood risk

• help you qualify for a credit on your stormwater charge in participating municipalities

• improve employee health and well-being

• reduce long-term conventional maintenance costs

• visibly demonstrate your commitment to the environment and sustainability

• support your broader sustainability and CSR goals

• protect water quality, improve soil health, clean the air, shade and cool our cities, sequester carbon, and create habitat for wildlife

 Event collaboration

Sustainable landscaping is only one part of an organization’s broader sustainability or CSR strategy. We’re excited to participate or partner with other leaders in the corporate sustainability field to deliver engaging presentations that showcases the breadth of sustainability opportunities. Topics we can discuss include:

• Sustainable landscaping 101
• Winter maintenance practices that improve your bottom line
• Nature that works: Green infrastructure for flood risk management
• Nature-based employee engagement: a win-win for your business and the environment
• How to make your business bird friendly

Please contact Deborah Kenley to discuss panel or event participation at deborah.kenley@cvc.ca.

 Programs available from PPG

Member Only

• Materials Exchange
• People Power Challenge On Demand 
• Tree planting 

Paid Programs, with discounts for Members

• Energy Consortiums
• People Power Challenge
• Recycling Collection Drive

Available at no cost to all businesses

• Natural Infrastructure Program
• Water Efficiency
• Events & webinars
• Newsletters