Rob Cumming’s Post

Geocycle has opened a facility that turns non-recyclable waste into a low-carbon fuel, which then powers a nearby Lafarge Canada cement plant, a first for Geocycle in Canada. Plastic and asphalt shingles are taken from nearby landfills and sent to Geocycle's Brookfield, N.S., facility, where the waste is shredded to a minuscule crumb. After further processing, it is transformed into a fuel that has up to 100 per cent less carbon intensity than coal, the fossil fuel that previously powered the cement factory. Lafarge's relationship with Switzerland-based Geocycle's Canadian branch means the “cement plant staff of Lafarge Canada" can "focus on making cement and not having to manage all those contracts with different suppliers of byproducts and non-recyclable materials that can be reused as fuel,” Rob Cumming, Lafarge’s head of sustainability in Eastern Canada, told Sustainable Biz Canada in an interview. #cement #concrete #cleanfuel #climate #sustainability #carbon https://lnkd.in/eS9VczVZ

📣DECARB CONNECT CANADA PANEL UPDATE📣 We're thrilled to announce two new speakers for our upcoming panel discussion "Creating Business Certainty around CCS: A Review of Incentives, Support, and Credits." at Decarb Connect Canada in November🌱 Joining us on stage will be Dean Pearson from Cabot Corporation and Gerald Ouellette from ClearBlue Markets, delving into the critical questions surrounding Carbon Capture and Storage and how businesses can effectively navigate the complexities of carbon pricing. Full Panel Line-up: 🎤Rob Cumming, Head of Sustainability & Public Affairs, Lafarge Canada 🎤Gerald Ouellette, Director- Offset Advisory, ClearBlue Markets 🎤Dean Pearson, General Manager Cabot Corporation Moderated by: 🎤Beth (Hardy) Valiaho, Vice President, Strategy & Stakeholder Relations, International CCS Knowledge Centre About Decarb Connect Canada🚀 DCC24 is the only pan-Canadian conference dedicated exclusively to industrial decarbonisation. Join the entire ecosystem as we gather the key industrial players to discuss the partnerships, policies, technologies and investments necessary to transform industrial decarbonisation across Canada. Don't miss out, #DCC24 is less than 5 weeks away📍 https://hubs.li/Q02RRqk-0 #decarbconnect #decarbconnectcanada #DCC24 #decarbonisation # sustainability #toronto #networking #netzero #circularity #ccus #policy #partnerships #investment #technology #hardtoabate #industry #canada #carboncapture

What a sight......8 new tiny homes being built all at once for Project Tiny Hope in St. Thomas, Ont. These are the first of 40 rental units being built by the YWCA and will be inclusive to diverse populations from all walks of life. Lafarge is thrilled to be part of this project donating a large portion of the concrete required. To fully appreciate the scope of this build and the dedication of the Companies and trades involved, the pictures below are only 2 days from the start of construction (foundations poured earlier).

Lafarge Canada and Geocycle North America have inaugurated the first company-owned Low-Carbon Fuel Plant at our Brookfield Cement Plant in Nova Scotia. This $10M+ investment, supported by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), will reduce carbon emissions by 12,000+ tonnes annually! What this means: 🌍 Decarbonization Leadership: We're leading the way in reducing carbon emissions, setting a new standard for sustainable construction. ♻️ Circular Economy Impact: Diverting 14,000 tonnes of waste annually and driving a more circular and resource-efficient construction process. Proud to take another step in decarbonizing construction. https://lnkd.in/gBKNwwSR #Sustainability #Innovation #Decarbonization #BuildingProgress

Oh, let me count the many reasons why this is completely false and CBC should be ashamed for presenting conjecture as fact. The arguments against timber harvest make absolutely no sense, since it is wildfires that are by far Canada’s largest source of GHG emissions. Timber that is harvested can’t burn in a wildfire and active management of forests reduces wildfire risk (and associated GHG emissions). Let’s look at reality, rather than an ideological position against forestry by three people with ZERO background in forest management and financed by US interests. First, who owns Canada’s forest resource? 94% is publicly-owned, which means it is the provinces, not the ‘logging’ (i.e., forest products) industry that is ultimately responsible for land management decisions. Canada is by far the world leader in certified, sustainably managed forests. That means forest stays as forest. No one is claiming that timber harvest for forest products in Canada leads to deforestation. In fact, the largest drivers of deforestation in Canada are urban development, agriculture, and, yes, building ‘clean’ hydropower dams! Second, by definition, the timber harvest of a sustainably-managed forest is designed to ensure carbon stocks are not depleted. In general and in the absence of major disturbance (i.e., wildfires), carbon stocks across the landbase should be stable or rising in any given year. How is that possible while harvesting timber? We generally harvest ~0.4% of Canada’s timber in any year. About a third of that become long-lived solid wood products, with the carbon locked up for decades or centuries. The rest becomes energy and short-lived products, like pulp and paper. So around 0.25% of the carbon in Canada’s timber base can be considered to be emitted to the atmosphere due to harvest. But what people often forget is the 99.6% of trees that we DON’T harvest. In a sustainably managed forest, they grow and remove carbon from the atmosphere. As long as the growth of the 99.6% of trees is equal to, or more than, the 0.25% that entered the atmosphere, there IS NO NET RELEASE FROM HUMAN ACTIVITIES. The challenge from a carbon perspective arises from wildfires, which have turned Canada’s forests into a major carbon source (estimated 2.4-2.9 Gt CO2 in 2023). But guess what? The way to reduce wildfires is active management and INCREASING harvest of low-grade wood. Other Boreal forest countries Sweden and Finland harvest at seven (7!) times the rate per forested acre as Canada – and in doing so have only 2% of the wildfire rate (per acre) as Canada. AND they are increasing carbon stocks in the forest every year while Canada loses them. I know it is counterintuitive to harvest more to increase forest carbon stocks, but that is the reality. The evidence is there. Do better next time CBC News and Benjamin Shingler.

An afternoon spent with the community is always a good one. We’re thrilled to be part of the annual Whitefish River Fish Fry, hosted by our Whitefish River Cement Terminal team. This event is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the local community, enjoy great food, and strengthen our bonds. This year, we’re especially proud to recognize our Whitefish River team for an incredible 53 years without a lost time incident; a true testament to our safety-first mindset! 🙌 At Lafarge Canada, we’re committed to building stronger communities, and events like this are a perfect way to celebrate that commitment. Here’s to another year of #buildingprogress together! #CommunityEngagement #Cement #Culture #Teamwork