About CCEMC
The CCEMC is a not-for-profit organization committed to expanding climate change knowledge, developing new clean technologies and exploring practical ways of implementing them.
Over the next 40 years, our global population will grow from seven to nine billion people. With that, our energy demand will increase substantially. Today, fossil fuels still supply the majority of the world’s energy needs, and in Canada alone, 80 percent of the total national greenhouse gas emissions are associated with the use of fossil fuels1. Alberta is the largest provincial emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in Canada, and to make impactful change we need to cut our emissions in half by 2050.
The potential impacts of climate change are far-reaching, affecting our economy, infrastructure, health, and environment. The need to shift to a lower carbon economy in Alberta is a solution that requires immediate action. Considering Alberta’s role as a global energy supplier, there are significant challenges ahead of us. But for the CCEMC, with challenges come great opportunity.
The CCEMC was created to be a key part of Alberta’s movement toward a lower-carbon economy and a greener environment. The CCEMC technology funding model will play a role in turning the challenge of controlling GHGs into massive opportunity, potentially transforming our economy while addressing the world’s climate change challenges.
CCEMC Mandate
The CCEMC is an Alberta based not-for-profit, independent corporation with a mandate to reduce green house gas emissions and adapt to climate change by supporting the discovery, development and deployment of clean technologies.
CCEMC Mission
The mission of the CCEMC is to achieve actual and sustainable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate climate change adaptation by stimulating transformative change through investments in climate change knowledge, clean technology development and operational deployment.
CCEMC Values
The CCEMC’s inaugural year was a time for launching and learning. The second year produced evidence of our impact: the investments made across the province took flight and showcased the commitment of Albertans. With that, the CCEMC solidified its values:
LEADERSHIP
We act as a catalyst in the development and deployment of clean technology.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
We believe the development of clean technologies will drive transformative change. The CCEMC will pursue leading edge opportunities and is prepared to invest in bold new ideas.
LEVERAGE
We intend to leverage finances, human resources, and technology to deliver optimal value.
ACHIEVING RESULTS
We are focused on identifying, measuring and achieving actual and sustainable GHG reductions, generating greater environmental and economic value from energy resources, maintaining or enhancing our competitiveness, and supporting growth in Alberta’s economy.
INTEGRITY
We will be fair and professional in all our administrative and operational processes. The organization upholds the highest standards of governance and operational management excellence.
TRANSPARENCY
We strive to be transparent in our operations wherever practical and encourage knowledge and technology transfer at the earliest stages possible.
OBJECTIVITY
We objectively consider the merits of all ideas, proposals and technology.
SERVING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
We are committed to delivering results that serve the public interest.
CCEMC Goals
Goal 1: To fund clean technology projects that achieve actual and sustainable reductions in GHG emissions.
Goal 2: To support the research, development and deployment of transformative technology.
Goal 3: To improve the knowledge and understanding of climate change impacts, mitigation strategies, adaptation, and technological advancements.
Goal 4: To demonstrate full accountability to all Albertans.
Project Process
Big thinking is needed to conceive and develop transformative technologies that enable achievement of the CCEMC mandate. The process ensures funding is directed towards projects that will have an actual and sustainable benefit. The CCEMC considers funding projects at all levels of the innovation chain, from bright ideas to commercialization. Funds will be made available to the best projects through a deliberate and structured selection process. An independent and technically competent panel reviews and assesses proposals against a standard and transparent set of criteria. The Board approves project selections.
The CCEMC’s funding is directed to clean energy production, carbon capture and storage, and conservation and efficiency. To ensure all submissions receive an in-depth review, the CCEMC requires that project reviewers have the requisite technical, business and policy acumen required to fairly and professionally evaluate each submission.
Project Validation
To be eligible for funding, the CCEMC requires all projects to be validated by third-party validation on assertions made regarding GHG emissions reductions. In addition, during and after the term of the project, proponents will be required to verify the GHG reductions arising from the CCEMC funded project.
As possible GHG reductions are crucial to project selection, the CCEMC ensures the Validation/Verification Bodies meet a variety of requirements. Firstly, Alberta Environment requires that the lead validator/verifier must be an accountant registered under the Alberta Regulated Accounting Profession Act, or professional engineer in good standing and be trained in acceptable standards. Secondly, the validation team must have data expertise and have relevant technical expertise in the industry or in determining GHG reductions. Lastly, Validation/Verification Bodies must operate independently, ethically, fairly, and with due professional care.
Fair Approach
Projects submitted for funding consideration are subjected to a rigorous multi-step process. The process ensures that the funds entrusted to the CCEMC are invested in accordance with its mandate to reduce greenhouse gases and invest in a balanced portfolio of projects. In addition, the services of a Fairness Monitor (an individual independent of the evaluation/technical review bodies) is contracted to ensure that all proponents are treated equally and objectively during project reviews and that any process issues are identified and amended. The Fairness Monitor will assess the funding process, provide advice on its structure and operation, and prepare a report to the CCEMC indicating whether the procedure was properly managed and fairly implemented.
Performance Measures
Thorough performance evaluation is an integral part of demonstrating that the Corporation is delivering results consistent with its mission, strategic directions, established goals and core values. The discovery, development and deployment of clean technologies require an immense investment of intellectual capacity, money and time. In some cases, short-term results may be modest. But ultimately, sustainable reduction in greenhouse gases will be realized as technologies mature, applications broaden and sufficient time is made available for commercialization and deployment to occur. The CCEMC has established a broad range of performance tools to measure this evolution and will track and report on the following metrics:
GHG REDUCTIONS
Amount of GHG emissions predicted to be reduced from a business as usual scenario. Because projects are in their early stages of development, the CCEMC cannot report on actual reductions until projects are completed and operational.
FUND ALLOCATIONS
CCEMC is dedicated to ensuring that funds are allocated to targeted sectors and strategic investment areas, as well as areas that demonstrate opportunities for leverage. The CCEMC ensures that its funds are allocated to the sectors and areas that are set out in Alberta’s climate change plan.
PROJECT SUCCESS
This metric monitors successful, challenged or incomplete projects (status), and the extent projects span or progress along the innovation spectrum.
CORPORATE EFFICIENCY
Put simply, this metric is the ability of CCEMC to run operations as efficiently as possible.