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Toronto Centre Recognized for Leadership in Sustainability

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TORONTO—The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) announced it has received two coveted distinctions for its sustainability commitment, showing green leadership at both national and provincial levels. MTCC earned the LEED Gold certification by the Canada Green Building Council, the certifying body in Canada for the international rating system, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This certification, achieved by the MTCC’s south building in the Existing Building: Operations & Maintenance version of the rating system, makes MTCC one of the first Canadian convention centers to earn a gold rating.

In the same week, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) also named MTCC the winner of its 2014 Sustainable Tourism Award, recognizing the facility’s green efforts in both the north and south buildings.

The LEED rating system, recognized in over 150 countries, is a highly rigorous certification that measures operational efficiencies, sustainability practices and the overall environmental conservation of buildings. Both LEED and the TIAO examine all aspects of a facility’s cleaning and maintenance, recycling and waste management programs, and its regional environmental impact. The MTCC has been developing and growing its sustainability program for over 15 years to maximize green opportunities, find efficiencies and lighten the facility’s footprint with a view to preserving the environment for future generations.

“Achieving LEED Gold Certification and receiving the 2014 Sustainable Tourism Award are great accomplishments for the Metro Toronto Convention Centre,” said MTCC President and CEO Barry Smith. “We believe MTCC’s sustainability imperative has not only been the right thing to do, it has also proven to be a sound business decision. The LEED award confirms the investments we have made and the direction taken to promote green strategies, are the right ones.”

Through MTCC’s social responsibility impetus, the facility has reduced its energy consumption by 20 percent since 2011 by retrofitting and automating lighting systems, and operating as much as possible during low usage periods; diverts more than 90 percent of its waste from landfills, and hosted 105 green events in 2013, up 23 percent from the previous year.

Go to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

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