Resources

Innovative sustainable infrastructure projects are underway around the world, and more emergent technologies are being discussed conceptually. These resources have been selected to provide illustrative background information on sustainable infrastructure and to provide access to a variety of innovative practices and projects from around the world. If you have a link that you would like to suggest we add to our website, please contact us. 

Natural Resources Canada: Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
A suite of economic, environmental and social indicators that taken together highlight progress towards sustainability in energy, and serve as guideposts to the issues that will likely require attention from decision makers as energy policy is developed.

Canadian Renewable Energy Network
http://www.canren.gc.ca
Its purpose is to increase the understanding of renewable energy to accelerate the development and commercialization of renewable energy technologies.

Natural Resources Canada: CANMET Energy Technology Branch
http://canmetenergy.nrcan.gc.ca/eng/
Research and development for a sustainable energy future through energy science and technology

Ontario Sustainable Energy Association
http://www.ontario-sea.org/
An umbrella organization formed to implement community sustainable energy projects across Ontario.

The Pembina Institute
http://www.pembina.org/index.php
The Pembina Institute’s major policy research and education programs are in the areas of sustainable energy, climate change, environmental governance, ecological fiscal reform, sustainability indicators, and the environmental impacts of the energy industry.

Association of Power Producers of Ontario
http://www.appro.org/
Organisation representing 95% of Ontario’s electricity market and incorporating the website Renewable Energy and Sustainable Energy Systems in Canada.

Canadian Association for Renewable Energies
http://www.renewables.ca/main/main.php
Not-for-profit with a mandate to promote applications of renewable energy

National Centre for Appropriate Technology (US)
http://www.ncat.org/
Supports projects that “help people by championing small-scale, local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources.” Sustainable energy projects are a major feature.

Natural Resources Canada: RETScreen® International
http://www.retscreen.net/
Decision support tools for the analysis, and feasibility assessment of energy projects

Advanced Buildings Technologies and Practices
http://www.advancedbuildings.org/
Information,casestudies and resources concerning technologies and practices that improve the energy and resource efficiency of commercial and multi-unit residential buildings

International Network for Sustainable Energy
http://www.inforse.org/
INFORSE is a globalnetworkofindependentnon-governmentalorganisations working for sustainable energy solutions to reduce poverty and protect the environment.

Centre for Alternative Technology (UK)
http://www.cat.org.uk/index.tmpl?refer=index&init=1
Demonstration projects for a variety of renewable energy, environmental building, energy efficiency, organic growing and alternative sewage systems.

Clean Energy – worldwide renewable energies portal (Germany)
http://www.cleanenergy.de/index2.html
Directory resource for renewable energy companies.

Energy Alternatives Ltd: Canada’s Sustainable Living Store
http://www.energyalternatives.ca/
On-line store for alternative and renewable energy products.

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada – Green architecture resources
http://www.raic.org/architecture_architects/green_architecture/2030_index_e.htm
Resources and guidance for the design of greener and more sustainable buildings.

The World Alliance for Decentralized Energy
http://www.localpower.org/
A non-profitresearchandpromotionorganisation aiming to acceleratetheworldwidedevelopmentofhigh efficiency cogeneration (CHP) and decentralized renewable energy systems.

Geothermal Resources Council (US)
http://www.geothermal.org/

The International Small-hydro Atlas
http://www.small-hydro.com/
Information and resource relating to small scale hydro-power projects.

Low impact Hydropower Institute (US)
http://www.lowimpacthydro.org/
Organisation promoting environmentally responsible hydropower.

Solar Buildings Research Network
http://www.solarbuildings.ca/
Resources for the development of solar-optimized buildings.

Canadian Energy Efficiency Centre
http://www.energyefficiency.org/
The Canadian Energy Efficiency Centre is designed to promote energy efficiency through the provision of information based services. The Centre is a project of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance and is funded by Ontario Power Generation, Enbridge Consumers Gas and the Ontario Ministry of Energy Science and Technology. The site contains information regarding best practices in energy efficient design and implementation, product and technology lists, training in energy efficiency,

Energy and Environmental Building Association (US)
http://www.eeba.org/
Education and resourcestosupportbetterresidentialdesign,development and construction.

Enermodal Engineering – Sustainable Building Services, Kitchener, ON
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Enermodal Engineering is a consulting firm committed to improving the energy and resource efficiency of buildings and building products.

Canada Green Building Council
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Professionalorganisation with a mandate to promote sustainable building practices

Green Buildings BC
http://www.greenbuildingsbc.com/
A provincial initiative supporting BC's education and health care agencies to dramatically increase the performance of their new and existing buildings.

US Green Building Council – Developers of LEED
http://www.usgbc.org/
“The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction,andoperationofhigh performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.”

BuildSmart: Greater Vancouver's source for sustainable building information
http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/buildsmart/
Resources and guides for a variety of green building techniques and practices.

Building Green – Green product directory (US)
http://www.buildinggreen.com/
Information and product descriptions for commercially available technologies that contribute to green buildings.

Sustainable Building Information System (Netherlands)
http://www.iisbe.org/sbis_info
Toolkit website of the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment covering information, funding, tools, methods and best practice for green buildings around the world.

IEA Annex 31 – Energy Related Environmental Impact of Buildings (Netherlands)
http://www.iisbe.org/annex31/index.html
Document examining examines how energy and life cycle assessment (LCA) tools and methods can be used to reduce the energy-related impact of buildings on interior, local and global environments. Supported by the International Energy Agency, Energy Conservation In Buildings And Community Systems and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

EMBARQ – The World Resources Institute centre for Sustainable Transport
http://www.embarq.org/

SUSTRANS – Sustainable Transport NGO (UK)
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/

Sustainable Transport – the annual magazine of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
http://www.itdp.org/index.php?/information_center/sustainable_transport_magazine/

MOST – Transport Canada sustainable transportation programme
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Includes funding opportunities and cases studies

The Centre for Sustainable Transportation
http://cst.uwinnipeg.ca/completed.html
Researchcentre and the University of Winnipeg, site includes reports and news

Équiterre - Sustainable transport pages
http://equiterre.org/en/categorie/sustainable-transportation
Includes a variety of tools including a cost calculator to compare transport choices and ‘Transportation Cocktail’

World Car Free Network
http://www.worldcarfree.net/
Offers resources for architects, planners, teachers/professors, students, decision-makers and engaged citizens.

Better Environmentally Sound Transportation
http://www.best.bc.ca/
Vancouver-basedorganisation involved in the Central Valley Greenway project.The website provides case studies and information.

Transport 2000 Canada
https://www.transportaction.ca/
“A non-profit organization whose primary purpose is research, public education, and consumer advocacy. It promotes environmentally-sound transportation solutions and gets actively involved in a wide range ofissuessuchas: public transportation, safety, accessibility, energy efficiency, protection of the environment, intermodal cooperation and government regulation.”

Detour’s Urban Source
http://www.urbansource.org/
Publishing house and booksellers dedicated to books on sustainable transport issues

Sustainable Transport Networking Group
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
“The goal of the Sustainable Transportation Networking Group (STNG) is to facilitate the exchange of information between groups and the sustainable transportation initiatives they advocate and promote.”

Active and Safe Routes to School Campaign
http://www.saferoutestoschool.ca/index.php
“Active & Safe Routes to School promotes the use of active and efficient transportation for the daily trip to school, addressing health and traffic safety issues while taking action on air pollution and climate change.”

Composting Council of Canada
http://www.compost.org/
Resourcesandinformationonmunicipal,centralised and backyard composting

Waste Diversion Ontario
http://www.wdo.ca/
Organisation established to develop waste diversion programs for a variety of materials

Recycler’s World (US)
http://www.recycle.net/
Exchange website connecting surplusresourceswithpeopleandorganisations that need them

Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence
http://www.ewmce.com/
A “one-stop resource for services and expertise in sustainable waste management”

Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council
http://www.saskwastereduction.ca/

Waste reduction guide for the workplace
http://www.perc.ca/waste-line/rrr/wrap/
Written by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton and reproduced by the Peace and Environment Resource Centre

Smart Growth BC
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Includesa downloadabletoolkittohelpcreateliveable communities in BC

Ontario Smart Growth network
http://www.dcs.sala.ubc.ca/smart_growth_on_the_ground.htm

Smart Growth Network
http://www.smartgrowth.org/
Includes on-line courses and resources

Linda Pim and Joel Ornoy, 2005, A Smart Future for Ontario – How to create greenways and curb urban sprawl in your community, Ontario Nature, http://www.ontarionature.org/enviroandcons/smart_growth/index.html

Smart Growth on the Ground
http://www.sgog.bc.ca/indexnscp.asp
Case studies of smart growth in BC

The Smart Growth Resource Library
http://smartgrowth.org/

New Urbanism on-line
http://www.newurbanism.org/
Includes amarketplace,bookstore and other resources

Theobald, D. M. and N. T. Hobbs. 2002. A framework for evaluating land use planning alternatives: protecting biodiversity on private land. Conservation Ecology 6(1): 5.
http://www.consecol.org/vol6/iss1/art5/

International Making Cities Livable Council
https://web.stanford.edu/~rkyser/IMCL/about.htm
An interdisciplinary, international network of individuals and cities dedicated to making our cities and communities more livable.

Liveable Cities Project (EU)
http://www.liveablecities.org/
European project looking at a variety of ways to improve cities, focusing in on the land use and design of open spaces.

CERES – Investors and Environmentalists for Sustainable Prosperity (US)
http://www.ceres.org/
CERES is a national (US) network of investment funds, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working to advance environmental stewardship on the part of businesses.

Sustainable Governance – Institutional and procedural aspects of sustainability – European Consultative Forum on the Environment and Sustainable Development (2000), European Commission: Luxembourg
http://www.pedz.uni-mannheim.de/daten/edz-bn/gdu/00/governance_en.pdf
Report exploring the widening gap between the requirements of sustainability and the reality of European politics.

Sustainable governance: case studies (UK)
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Case studies of governance in public bodies in the UK, mainlandEurope and Western Australian.

Wuppertal Institute on Globalisation – Sustainable governance resources (Germany)
http://www.wupperinst.org/globalisation/html/gov.html
Literature examining the deficiencies accompanying globalisation in the fields of environment and democracy.

Eco-Perth
http://www.ecoperth.on.ca/
Attempt to bring together businesses groups and individuals in a small town to work toward environmentally sustainable and economically efficient project delivery.

City of Hamilton’s GRIDS project
http://www2.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/B49685D5-CEBF-463A-B2D0-01190AFE06BF/0/GRIDSFinalReport.pdf
Planning tool aiming to integrate land use, transportation, water, wastewater and stormwater decisions for the next 30 years in Hamilton, ON