ZEBx, UDI – Pacific & Affine Climate Solutions: Financing Solutions for Low-Carbon Buildings

ZEBx, UDI – Pacific & Affine Climate Solutions: Financing Solutions for Low-Carbon Buildings

Past Event: Mar 9 @9:30 am – 10:30 pm

Overview

This event was an official collaboration with the  UDI – Pacific Region and Affine Climate Solutions highlighting Vancity’s Low-Carbon Construction Financing Pilot.

Financial institutions play a critical role in the transition to a net zero carbon economy. Lending and investment decisions are one of their key levers of influence. In the building sector, a lender’s decision about what to finance shapes the types of projects that get built, and the environmental impact over the long term. Vancity, supported by Affine Climate Solutions, has developed a Low-Carbon Construction Financing Pilot. Through this pilot, qualified developers will have access to preferential financing terms if their projects meet Vancity’s criteria for low-carbon and climate resilient buildings.

Key questions and topics discussed: 

• The role of financial institutions in the transition to net-zero economies
• How a low-carbon lending portfolio de-risks operations for financial institutions
• Criteria to qualify for Vancity’s Low Carbon Construction Financing Pilot
• What features financial tools should have to be most effective for the development community

---

Speakers

Morgan McDonald, Director of Operations, Ledcor Renew and LFV Solutions

Morgan McDonald is Director of Operations for Ledcor Renew, which supports commercial and institutional building owners in understanding the financial and technical feasibility of high-performance projects for both new construction and retrofit. He also heads up the Ledcor Construction Innovation Lab. Morgan has a background in renewable energy, carbon finance, and sustainability education. He is a current board member of QUEST Canada and previously served on CaGBC’s board. Morgan is also a founder of the LFV Collaborative, recently incorporated as an independent non-profit.more details to follow soon.

Bill Sherrit, Director, Community Business and Real Estate, Vancity Credit Union

Bill Sherritt is Director of Community Business & Real Estate for Vancity. He has 25 years of commercial lending experience and leads a team of commercial lenders supporting clients with construction and term financing needs in all four asset classes. In 2021, Vancity financed $2.3B in commercial loans increasing its commercial portfolio to $7.0B. Bill is also active in the community with the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, the UBC Women’s Softball Program and the Board of Directors of Vancouver College Millennium Foundation. He has a UBC Commerce degree majoring in Urban Land Economics.

---

Hosts

Rocky Sethi, Chief Operating Officer, Adera Developments

Rocky Sethi has been involved in the development and construction of wood frame and concrete residential and mixed-use buildings across Western Canada for over 20 years. He is experienced in all aspects of development from acquisition, design, to construction. With a passion for sustainable development, Rocky has always worked on the leading edge of the industry, delivering value to customers while keeping an eye on the triple bottom line. Recently, he has committed to bring Adera to carbon neutral operations by 2030. Adera has delivered nearly 400 homes in mass timber hybrid construction and plans to deliver 1,000 in total in the next five years. 

Michaela Neuberger, Director of Operations, ZEBx

Michaela has ten years professional experience in the construction industry. She began her career managing operational improvement projects in England, Germany, and France. In Vancouver, Michaela has worked on market transformation initiatives for new construction, existing buildings, and low carbon electrification. She has managed industry capacity building and training programs for BC Hydro and developed retrofit policies and programs as part of the City of Vancouver’s Green Building Team. She contributes to multiple BC Energy Step Code Subcommittees and is in regular collaboration with provincial stakeholders, local governments, and professional associations across BC. Recently, Michaela managed development of the BC Building Electrification Road Map. Following her passion for green building, she has volunteered for an energy efficiency non-profit in France and contributes to the LFV Collaborative in Vancouver.