Fast-tracking nation-building projects

TECH

Canada fast-tracks nation-building projects

What happened: Prime Minister Carney tabled legislation to accelerate major “nation-building” infrastructure projects, including those that drive “clean growth”.

The details: Bill C-5 would let cabinet designate projects as nationally significant based on five criteria: economic impact, viability, contribution to national security and resiliency, advancement of Indigenous interests, and alignment with clean growth or climate goals.

Designated projects would be reviewed within two years and could bypass federal assessments and permitting requirements entirely.

What’s the context: Canada’s permitting regime is widely seen as a barrier to economic growth and building major projects. Projects often need to complete overlapping provincial and federal reviews and navigate multiple agencies, and it can take years - or decades - before projects begin.

Permitting reform has long been discussed, but the U.S. trade war has elevated it as a national priority tied to economic resilience and decarbonization.

Why it matters: Faster approvals could attract investment and speed up critical climate-aligned projects like electric grid transmission, EV battery plants, or critical minerals extraction. Renewables are already attracting more than half of capital investments in power generation.

Yes, but: The bill side-steps environmental protections designed to protect ecosystems and public health. It could also undermine Indigenous consent, even as many communities look to become key project partners.

The bottom line: C-5 signals the beginning of a big shift in how Canada builds major projects, and could help the country build faster.

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CLIMATE CAPITAL

🌋 Eavor (Calgary, AB) raised $89 million from Canada Growth Fund to develop and deploy their geothermal technology. Eavor is building a novel closed-loop geothermal systems that provide clean, reliable baseload energy with minimal environmental impact. CGF’s investment will ensure Eavor remains based in Canada and will provide an additional $48 million for hitting specific milestones.

💧 RegenEAU (Levis, QC) secured $3.1 million in funding led by Fondaction and the Cycle H2O Fund for its heat recovery system. RegenEAU recovers heat from domestic wastewater for hot water supply. The funds will scale production, grow the team, and support commercialization.

💨 Skyrenu (Sherbrooke, QC) closed a pre-seed round for an indisclosed amount from Investissement Quebec and CarbonFix for its direct air capture technology. Skyrenu combines direct-air-capture systems with rock carbonation to treat mine tailings and sequester carbon.

IN THE FIELD

🏭️ Carbon Upcycling signed a strategic partnership with TITAN Group to develop low-carbon construction materials using their carbon capture and reuse technology.

🧱 CarbonCure appointed CFO Kristal Kaye as interim CEO after founding CEO Robert Niven stepped down.

🔋 Graphite One signed a second supply agreement with Lucid Group to provide natural graphite anode materials for EV batteries, expanding on their existing synthetic graphite deal.

🪟 Smart window tech startup Miru partnered with Isoclima Group, a go-to glazing supplier for high performance vehicles, to bring their energy efficient electrochromic windows to premium and specialty markets like yachts and supercars.

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ECOSYSTEM VIEW

The Hidden Growth Tax

Climate tech startups are building game-changing tech. But too often, the story doesn’t land with buyers.

I sat down with George McTaggart, a fractional CMO and founder of Geovision CMO, to talk about why why marketing often gets undervalued in the early innings, and what that delay really costs founders. Interested in learning more about the ideas in this piece? Email George at [email protected].

What’s the number one mistake you see climate tech founders make when it comes to marketing?

“I often see marketing treated as something you do later, after the market is ready. Founders are moving fast and are focused on solving massive technical problems. That’s understandable. But marketing often gets left behind and is consistently undervalued.

Another pattern I see often is founders leading with climate impact when their buyers are measured on cost savings, risk reduction, or compliance. Climate outcomes might seal the deal, but they rarely open it. You have to meet buyers where they are, and translate the value into their language, not yours.”

You’ve said that underinvesting in marketing early on is like paying a “hidden growth tax.” What do you mean by that?

“It’s the cost founders don’t see on a balance sheet - but they feel it in their pipeline. When companies delay building a real marketing function, they usually experience confused messaging, which leads to longer sales cycles, unproductive sales hires, and investor skepticism.

You might save some budget up front, but the cost shows up in slower traction, missed revenue targets, and deals that drag out because the story’s unclear. I’ve seen companies push marketing off as a ‘later’ function, then they hit a wall and suddenly it’s a scramble - one that is costly and often avoidable.”

Why do so many founders wait so long to bring in marketing leadership?

“There are a few reasons, and they’re all understandable. Many founders have a technical bias and believe if the product is strong enough, it’ll sell itself. But in most climate sectors, the buyer needs education and reassurance before they buy.

Budget pressures, a misunderstanding of what marketing does and its impact, or even a desire to stay in control of the story can all hold founders back.”

Final word to founders: what would you say to someone who’s still on the fence about marketing?

“If you’re seeing traction but struggling to explain why customers buy - or if your sales team is spinning their wheels - it’s time. You don’t need to go big. You just need to be strategic.”

Interested in contributing? Reach out at [email protected].

NEWS

📡 Signals & Currents

🇨🇦 Canada can capitalize on U.S. retreat from clean tech - A central industrial strategy office could help Canada become a leader

🚫 New greenwashing guidance leaves room for interpretation - Companies hoped for more clarity on requirements for “adequate” testing and international standards.

💰️ Public-private investment group sustainable development platform - Canada is one of several gov’ts backing private climate platform in emerging markets.

🚛 Truck electrification may be closer than it appears - 33% of trucks in the GTHA could electrify, with the biggest opportunity in small trucks.

📊 CDR stakeholders want more ambition from SBTi - The standards body added new guidelines incorporating CDR into corporate net-zero plans, but stakeholders want to see plans for historic emissions, durability, and interim targets.

⚡️ Ontario adds economic growth mandate for the grid - The province wants to prioritize energy hookups (particularly for data centres) that deliver the most economic value.

🇪🇺 The EU is on track for emissions - The bloc is expected to cut its footprint by 54% by 2030 and is looking at a 90% target for 2040.

COMMUNITY

🚀 2025 Targeted Call for Clean Energy Innovation: B.C.’s Innovative Clean Energy fund is seeking applications for electrification affordability, efficiency, and utility energy management. Apply by June 17th.

➡️ Discover more funding opportunities.

🗓️ Climate Solutions Prize Festival: Join Canada’s largest climate solutions prize with $2M in prizes on the line. Montreal, June 17-18th.

➡️ Discover more climate events.

🧑🏻‍💻 Eavor is hiring a Senior Development Engineer to drive the expansion of their global project pipeline.

➡️ Find more open roles.