Green Economy North, Sudbury’s sustainability program for businesses, added four new members to its network Thursday, including a new initiative to bring landlords and commercial tenants together to reduce the carbon footprint of commercial and retail buildings.
176 Larch St. was unveiled as the program’s first “Project Site.” The building houses Al Vardy, Private Wealth Advisor with Raintree Financial Solutions, reThink Green, Eat Local Sudbury, and Sandra Mews & Associates - a local award winning financial planning firm.
All four tenants have signed on to co-ordinate sustainability efforts in the building. Plans to install renewable energy as well as reducing energy usage and waste are in the works.
“We see the Project Site model as an important next step for Sudbury’s low carbon economy,” said program manager Richard Eberhardt in a news release.
“By supporting the shared efforts of landlords and tenants, we can set building-wide goals for reducing carbon footprint, water use, solid waste and more. Green Economy North connects these small scale efforts with a growing community-wide network of organizations looking to build sustainability into their business plans.”
As a private wealth adviser of Raintree Financial Solutions at 176 Larch St., Vardy specializes in investments in Canadian-owned, privately-held small and medium sized enterprises.
“This project is a great fit for me. I work with investors that are interested in strategically diversifying some of their investments away from Bay St and directing more of it towards opportunities happening on Main St.; all without involving the stock market, as is the case in this project,” said Vardy.
“I am proud to offer investors the option to invest directly alongside world-class management teams in such industries as productive Canadian farmland, and renewable energy.”
Vardy is also the landlord.
“As a property owner, I have a sense of obligation to do what is necessary to reduce the demands on the environment. I am eager to collaborate with tenants to find solutions that work for the whole building.”
Green Economy North also introduced three other members, to double the size of its growing business support program.
Greg Cantin Co-operators Insurance Agency, PACS Energy Solutions, and the Sudburys N-Viro biosolids plant, run by Walker Environmental, were all welcomed at an event Thursday morning.
For more information, visit www.greeneconomynorth.ca.
