Leadership in environmental responsibility is at the heart of all we do at the MTCC

Long recognized as an outstanding example of a 'green' facility, MTCC endeavors to serve as a global green leader within our industry while also providing clients with Sustainable Meeting Solutions. We believe it is our responsibility as a good corporate citizen.
 

Top Green Initiatives of the MTCC

Waste Diversion:

We currently divert 88% of all waste generated.

Clean, Green Electricity:

MTCC was the first convention centre in Canada to offer clean, renewable power.

This achievement was made possible through a special partnership with Bullfrog Power, a leading Canadian provider of 100% green electricity.

Clients and event planners can opt for green power to reduce the environmental impact of their events. The MTCC also uses green power for all administrative offices and electronic signage.

Energy Conservation:

We have reduced the total energy consumed by our building by 20% over the past 8 years through measures such as increasing efficiency, retrofitting older lighting, using motion detectors in our meeting rooms, and replacing and modernizing our old natural gas boilers.

By implementing these measures, we have achieved our goal of reducing our carbon footprint by 12% in the last fiscal year.

Green Roof:

The South Building is home to an enormous 300,000 sq ft green roof.

This 7-acre green space comes complete with a park and benches for public enjoyment. It offers many environmental benefits to both the MTCC and the City of Toronto, including reduced energy consumption, reduction in cooling costs, and beautification of the overall cityscape.

Food Bank Donations:

Every year we recycle food by donating leftovers to local food banks in the city of Toronto.  For 2011, we donated 5,280 kg of food.

Deep Water Cooling:

MTCC was the first facility in Toronto to be on Enwave Energy's Deep Lake Water Cooling system.  Launched in 2004, this unique system uses extremely cold water extracted from the depths of nearby Lake Ontario to cool the South Building, resulting in significant reductions in electricity consumption, and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.

Pioneers of the 'Zero Waste Event' Concept

The MTCC pioneered the concept of holding large-scale Zero Waste Events and has won numerous awards for this unique approach to recycling.

A Zero Waste Event successfully avoids adding to the existing landfill burden by preventing, eliminating or recycling virtually everything it generates.

MTCC Wins Awards for Its Efforts

The MTCC's efforts to lead in environmental stewardship have not gone unnoticed. Awards we have won include:

• BOMA BESt Level 3 Certification for Energy and Environmental Management
• BOMA Certificate of Building & Management Excellence (2009) and BOMA Building of the Year
• 2009 Environmental Commissioner of Ontario Recognition Award
• 2007 AIPC Innovation Award
• 2007 Green Toronto Award Recipient in the Market Transformation category
• Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada (BOMA) GO Green designation
• Gold Award in the Ontario Waste Minimization Awards
   

Community Relations

On an annual basis, the MTCC and its employees support a number of local organizations through donations of time, money and expertise. Our efforts include:

• Annual fund-raising events in support of the United Way, Children's Wish Foundation and the Red Door.
   
• Hands-on co-op work experience in most departments to students from Centennial College, Ryerson University, George Brown College, and others.
   
• The Thomas Wells Scholarship, awarded annually to 2 George Brown students in the Exposition, Convention and Trade Show program.
   
• Donation by employees of their time and expertise through guest lectures, participation on advisory committees and boards. 
   
• An entrance scholarship awarded to children of MTCC employees who are pursuing post-secondary education at the College/University level. Two scholarships are awarded each year.