Coho, an ERM Group company

The road to net zero carbon emissions is not paved with small, incremental changes. It is a series of bold, transformational steps—switching to clean energy, electrifying vehicle fleets, reimagining building design, overhauling water use, and much more. What gives business leaders the confidence to act so boldly? Vision and skill. That’s why Coho’s advisors bring passion and excellence to every project. Our rigorous, multi-disciplinary approach has been proven to move clients past obstacles, from ambition to action. Learn how Coho’s advisors can help you execute transformational change: https://lnkd.in/ewBQbe9W

We are thrilled to share a major client milestone. As the Procurement Administrator for the Province of Nova Scotia, Coho has selected the final portfolio of wind projects for the Green Choice Program. The portfolio comprises 625 MW of wind energy from six projects, reducing the Province’s GHG emissions by ~8%, and driving significant progress towards Nova Scotia's climate goals.    Terence de Pentheny O'Kelly, VP of Client Services said :  "Coho is honored to have administered this RFP, ensuring a fair, transparent, and competitive procurement process. Developed in partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia and key collaborators, this procurement was designed to identify projects that provide the best value for ratepayers, foster meaningful engagement and ownership with the Mi’kmaq and local communities, and generate jobs and positive economic impacts for local supply chains. Additionally, the program facilitated the procurement of clean energy for corporate buyers and government institutions, reflecting our commitment to advancing the decarbonization goals of C&I energy users."    Read the full press release here - https://lnkd.in/gRws9K9Q  

Coho is proud to have collaborated with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and the Province of Nova Scotia to deliver the Green Choice Program to advance the Province’s climate goals.   As the Procurement Administrator for these large-scale renewable energy projects, we are thrilled to see how CIB’s innovative financing and Indigenous equity loans can enable First Nations to secure meaningful ownership and generate lasting economic benefits for their communities.   This collaboration exemplifies how public and private organizations can work together to enable reliable, affordable, and clean energy infrastructure that meets growing electricity needs while reducing ratepayer impacts.   Thank you to the CIB for supporting this transformative work!

We are proud to share that Coho Senior Analyst Dhruv Jhaveri has been selected as a GreenBiz Emerging Leader. Congratulations, Dhruv!

President Trump and Congressional Republicans will soon take charge in the United States. What does this mean for President Biden's landmark climate bill, the #IRA? What should corporate clean energy buyers do now? We say: speed up. Read our latest article to learn how the IRA is likely to change in the coming years and on what timeline. Our experts argue that corporates should accelerate their clean energy deals while the IRA's full spectrum of benefits remain in place. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/exjTcg7Y Authors: Sid Paladugu, Min Hyung Lee, William Elmore, Gavin Ahern, Alan Zang CC: ERM, Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), Trellis Group, Sustainable Brands, Smart Energy Decisions, Edison Electric Institute

Large companies operating in the US can switch to renewable energy in several ways. The best way(s) will depend on a company's unique goals and circumstances. Those options include: ⚡Power purchase agreements (PPAs) ⚡Utility green tariff programs ⚡Onsite solar ⚡Community solar ⚡Structured retail ⚡Renewable energy certificates (RECs) Coho's advisors Svena Bhasin and John Izevbigie have authored this helpful guide to explain the pros and cons of each option. Often, large organizations get the most out of their energy transition by combining solution types for a clean energy portfolio that meets the company's unique needs. Learn more here: https://hubs.li/Q02Bdd1d0

Despite the huge benefits of switching to clean energy, some companies fail to cross the finish line of a large-scale clean energy procurement. A typical reason: risk. Sometimes, clean energy deals can be costlier than expected. Sometimes, issues like permit delays or supply chain disruptions can prevent a clean energy project from reaching commercial operations. These financial and development risks can jeopardize sign-off from leadership and spoil even the best renewable energy procurement plans. Our advisors have helped many types of organizations take basic steps to mitigate these risks: ✔️Know all your options ✔️Perform project and developer due diligence ✔️Negotiate for terms that suit your risk appetite If you are exploring a power purchase agreement (PPA) or other type of major renewable energy procurement, read this explainer by Gavin Ahern, VP of Client Solutions, for detailed advice on how to manage the risk. https://hubs.li/Q02Bddf40

Companies in the U.S. have no time to waste in switching to clean energy if they plan to follow through on their climate commitments. How best to move forward, and fast? Coho's advisors have navigated the U.S. market for 14 years, and in that time we have seen what makes a commercial scale clean energy transaction happen. Follow these steps to create an energy transition plan that sustainability AND finance will love. ❤️ ✔️KNOW YOUR OPTIONS: Clean energy can be purchased at commercial scale in a variety of ways, including virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs), structured retail, green tariffs, onsite solar, and more. You should understand the trade-offs of these solutions to assemble a renewable energy portfolio with the greatest benefit to your business. ✔️ALIGN INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS: Effective change management is the lynchpin of your energy transition, since it requires many different internal decision makers to act. Failure to properly engage those stakeholders and win buy-in will guarantee that clean energy transactions stall out. ✔️MANAGE RISKS: Switching to renewable energy often entails taking on some degree of financial risk, but that risk can be minimized with the right procurement and contracting approach. Work with an experienced advisor who knows the ropes. ✔️LOOP IN RETAIL: If your company buys retail energy, consider how to optimize those purchases in support of your clean energy agenda. This can mean buying renewable energy through your retail contracts or even just comparison shopping for better rates to free up funds for clean energy and decarbonization investments. ✔️EXPLORE TAX CREDIT TRANSFERS: Take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act's transferability clause to reduce your company's tax burden while helping to bring more renewable energy onto America's electric grid. Taking these steps can dramatically improve your odds of success when buying commercial scale clean energy in the U.S. market. Find in-depth resources on all these topics at https://hubs.li/Q02yjkP00 Want to discuss these tactics in person at Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) this week? Coho Senior Engagement Manager Svena Bhasin is on the scene. #cleanenergy #renewables #climate #CEBAconnect #CONNECTatSUMMIT

Not only is this great #impactstorytelling (well done McDonald's Comms team 👏🏼) but it’s also a project that is near and dear to my heart, having conceptualized and executed this corporate/ supplier decarbonization partnership when I led Global RE at McDonalds a few years ago… Congrats to the team who co-led this impactful initiative with me (Michael Meyer Walid Robert Norris Steve DePalo Coho, an ERM Group company William Elmore to name a few)! 🌎

From air drying your laundry to leading bold sustainability efforts for a fortune 500 company, change comes from changing our minds about how we do things, at every level. “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking,” Albert Einstein wrote. Because behaving differently starts with a decision to behave differently, it’s helpful to see that others have done just that. Governments, big corporations, small businesses, communities, individuals – any and all change in our actions begins with a decision to begin. On Earth Day, in honor of Earth Month and the ongoing myriad ways so many have decided to address their environmental impact head-on, Coho’s internal Carbon Elimination Team is happy to highlight several examples of different levels and types of successful actions to inspire your own. (One example: Here at Coho, we’ve gamified our Earth Month efforts, assembling into teams named such things as The Compost Commandos, The Plastic Patrol and Emission Impossible, to try and out-Earth each other with volunteerism, donations, community events, and more.) Read our latest blog to see how bold climate action can play out on big, medium, and little scales, and why it all matters: https://hubs.li/Q02tD3ly0 #earthday #earthday2024 #sustainability #climate #cleanenergy #waterresiliency