About ZEIC

The Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) is an independent non-profit and pending charity that is part of the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network established by the Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). ZEIC’s mandate is to catalyze, accelerate and scale climate action innovation across Metro Vancouver related to green buildings, renewable energy and transportation through a combination of impact investing, granting, partnerships, research and capacity building.  

Renewable Cities led the development of ZEIC with an interdisciplinary team of experts in non-profit startup, impact investment, governance and community climate action, with the help of a Technical Advisory Committee composed of City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, and BC Government staff guided development of the centre and supported Board Committee work.  

After over a year of planning, stakeholder engagement, board & Executive Director recruitment and the completion of other startup requirements, SFU Renewable Cities proudly saw the Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) officially launch in January 2022.   

ZEIC Background

The Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that is catalyzing and scaling climate action innovation across Metro Vancouver. Seeded by a $21.7M endowment from the federal government, ZEIC was officially incorporated as a non-profit in April 2021. 

ZEIC is a Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) centre, a network of organizations advancing ambitious low-carbon solutions in seven of Canada’s largest cities, supported by an $183 million federal investment. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) serves as the secretariat for the LC3 Network and, in conjunction with each centre, will develop a results-based management framework and indicators that the centres will report on annually. 

ZEIC Project Team

Renewable Cities led the development of ZEIC with an interdisciplinary team of experts in non-profit startup, impact investment, governance and community climate action and included: 

Startup Project Team

• Alex Boston, Executive Director, Renewable Cities, and Fellow, SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue 
• Cheeying Ho, Executive Director, WCS Engagement + Planning 
• Brian Smith, Regenerative Finance, Terramera 
• Don Lidstone, Managing Partner, Lidstone & Company 
• Brad Doff, Project Manager, Renewable Cities 

Strategic Advisors

• Peter Ladner, Elected Official Alumnus, Former Editor of Business in Vancouver and the Urban Food Revolution 
• Darcy Riddell, BC Program Director, MakeWay (formerly Tides Canada) 
• Shauna Sylvester, Executive Director, SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue 

For more information about newly established Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre please visit: www.ZEIC.ca.