A new solution to support, stimulate and finance the actions of Ontario organizations and businesses in the...

After its success in Quebec, Will Solutions continues its growth and is preparing to open a second Sustainable Community in Ontario, in order to decarbonize the province's economy.

BELOEIL, QC, Jan. 25, 2023 /CNW Telbec/ - Following a USD 20 million financing in June 2022, the Canadian company has more than ever the human, technological and financial means to contribute to making the Canadian economy low-carbon. Thanks to the Sustainable Community, a proprietary methodology, an innovative business model, a group of micro-projects and a community, Will Solutions has the means to achieve its decarbonization ambitions in Ontario.

Sustainable Communities are groups of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction micro-projects, gathered locally under the same umbrella project. These Sustainable Communities, managed by the carbon expert Will Solutions, facilitate access to climate action, notably by measuring GHG emissions, stimulating reductions and financing the ecological actions of its members. By pooling its expertise for its members, Will Solutions makes the carbon markets accessible to all actors in society, whether they are large companies, SMEs, NPOs, or municipalities, in all economic sectors.

The Sustainable Community Ontario (SCO) umbrella project will be similar to the Sustainable Community in Quebec (see methodology VM0018). This new project is now in its final drafting phase, and its third-party verification has begun (January 2023). Final registration with the VERRA registry and opening should be formalized by June 2023, based on average processing time. However, registration in the CSO is already open for GHG reduction micro-project proponents.

Will Solutions specializes in measuring, facilitating, stimulating and monetizing GHG reductions at the source of buildings. 3 types of micro-projects are currently eligible:

• Energy conversion microprojects, such as converting a building's heating system from fossil fuels to solar or geothermal energy;
• Energy efficiency microprojects, such as insulating walls and windows, or reusing heat from operations to heat a building;
• Waste optimization microprojects, such as reducing, reusing and reclaiming materials originally destined for landfill.

Will Solutions brings together GHG project owners in a B2B environment. The company qualifies, quantifies, verifies and values its members' GHG reduction micro-projects, and converts them into carbon credits. The company then covers all costs (except for the initial investment cost of the GHG reduction project) from membership to final sale, to minimize the financial risks of its members. Will Solutions returns 45% of the sales revenue in cash, in proportion to the reductions achieved.

Members, on the other hand, carry out micro-projects to reduce GHGs in their activities. Whether it is through an energy conversion, energy efficiency or waste management microproject, members have many opportunities to decarbonize their activities. Finally, once the money from the sale of carbon credits corresponding to the GHG reductions is collected, the member commits to reinvesting the money collected in their ecological projects.

Among the advantages for members, the financing of a part of their micro-projects (return on investment), the outsourcing of a leading-edge expertise, belonging to a network of eco-responsible economic actors, the brand image, the long-term carbon visibility, being part of a circular and sharing economy. This approach also allows us to anticipate regulations and carbon legislation, which becomes more complex every year.

"Since 2007 and as president at Will Solutions, I have seen an increase in interest in B2B players' commitment to net zero carbon, and that is to be welcomed. However, incentives, especially financial incentives, are still lacking. We are here to bridge the gap between economic profitability and ecological action. The potential of our Sustainable Communities is immense. It is an inclusive, community-based model that is virtuous for humans and the planet, which does not discriminate the smaller economic players of the society." said Martin Clermont, President of Will Solutions.

• Between 2010 and 2019, the Quebec Sustainable Community (QSC) has reduced more than 6.4 million tons of GHG;
• The QSC has over 150 GHG reducing members, paid annually;
• The QSC has more than 850 GHG reduction microprojects;
• The QSC has more than 1000 sites/buildings that have measured their carbon emissions with Will Solutions;
• Between 2020 and 2029, the QSC aims to reduce 34 million tons of GHG.

Thus, through an economic and organizational paradigm shift, Will Solutions and its Sustainable Communities provide an option for a systemic change in the way we approach the economy, the environment, and community action. The company offers an innovative and regenerative business solution, aligned with the macro-economic objectives of its time, beyond 'Business As Usual'. It is an opportunity with great potential to finally reconcile economic, environmental and social issues, often perceived as antinomic, when nothing predestined them to be opposed.

About Will Solutions
Will Solutions Inc. (WILL) is a private Canadian company and a certified BCorp. with HQs located in Beloeil, QC. The company is active in the Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) through its Sustainable Communities. WILL has a sharing philosophy. It is based on two major axes: democratizing access to VCM by pooling local GHG reduction projects carried out by SMEs, NPOs and public entities, and returning as much money as possible to these partners following the sale of carbon credits by WILL. The company's name reflects its commitment to promoting voluntary climate initiatives that go beyond standard practices and government regulations. WILL has been carbon neutral since 2007 and is committed to returning 10% of its net profit to community projects and initiatives supporting sustainable development.

About Sustainable Community (SC)
The SC is a model for democratizing access to the voluntary carbon market that is validated under the VCS program administered by VERRA. In 2012, the associated methodology VM0018 was validated and certified by VERRA. It is the world's first Verra-validated agglomeration project methodology (Energy, Waste and soon Transportation). This methodology frames the types of eligible micro-projects, according to Verra's quality standards but also according to additional quality criteria of WILL, such as location.

By applying the best practices of qualification and quantification of reductions such as single counting, permanence, conservative estimation, additionality and non-association with social and environmental damages, SCs are by nature designed to generate high-quality carbon credits. In July 2020, the SC solution was awarded the Solar Impulse label, recognizing efficient and cost-effective solutions to protect the environment.

SOURCE Will Solutions