Adapting to climate change and mitigating its effects are priorities for our government,” says Perry Trimper, Minister of Environment and Conservation, “and through the Office of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, we are promoting new ideas within business and industry. We are [also] promoting dialogue through ongoing public consultations and strategic engagement.”

Today, the Office of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency released details of “recent successes in raising public awareness on the effects of climate change,” including an award-winning public education initiative, and popular industry and public engagement activities, such as:

  • In-person and online training to industry professionals on ways to incorporate energy efficiency into the construction of homes and small buildings.
  • Providing training for large building designers and contractors on ways to incorporate energy efficiency into large building envelopes.
  • In June, The Office was honoured with a Pinnacle Award of Merit for a Government Communication Program for the HotShots initiative.

About the HotShots Program

Pinnacle Awards showcase excellence in business communication and are presented by the International Association of Business Communicators.

The award-winning HotShots program was designed to educate and engage students on the importance of energy efficiency and the ways they can take action to conserve energy. Because hey, if you want to change the future, it starts with enlightening and engaging the next generation so they don’t make the mistakes we did.

The HotShots initiative:

  • Disseminated resource packs to all 263 schools in the province, including French packs for immersion teachers and schools within the Conseil Scolaire Francophone;
  • Delivered presentations on energy efficiency in over 50 schools in the province.
  • Developed a contest for grades 7-12 to complement the existing takeCHARGE contest for grades K-6, while opening both contests to entries in French for the first time.
  • Launching a web interface for teachers with a “Curriculum Connections” component that links online resources about energy efficiency and conservation to curriculum outcomes for particular courses.