Date
April 2023 – March 2026
Nova Scotia won’t get to net-zero by 2050 with proven renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. There are still significant knowledge and technology gaps that must be identified and addressed to tackle the most hard-to-abate greenhouse gas emissions in the 2030-2050 period.
Many of the solutions needed to achieve 2050 net-zero goals need to be invented, proven and scaled up to commercial availability. Bringing critical, emerging technologies and concepts from the laboratory to the market may take decades to achieve. Given the critical importance of action during the next 10 years and the time that it typically takes for emerging technologies to get from the laboratory to market, Nova Scotia cannot afford to wait for market incentives to deliver the level of change required.
The Net Zero Emerging Concepts and Technologies (ECT) Research Program will help to expedite this process. The ECT Research Program seeks to identify gaps in carbon-reduction pathways for hard-to-abate emissions and to support made-in-Nova Scotia solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions required to achieve net-zero by 2050. Nature-based carbon sequestration solutions will be included among the program’s Priority Research Themes.
The ECT Research Program is a three-year recurring Open Call program that will make R&D investments in two areas:
- fostering conceptual, early-stage genesis of novel technologies in Nova Scotia, and
- evaluating the suitability of technologies emerging in other jurisdictions for Nova Scotia.
The primary objective of the ECT Research Program is encourage and fund the Nova Scotia research and innovation community (both private and academic sectors) to identify and develop a suite of promising, emerging clean technologies, approaches and practices that warrant continued funding from Nova Scotia’s technology incubation ecosystem. Priority Research Themes are included in the Applicant Guide that can be downloaded below.
The Net Zero ECT Research Program is coordinated by Net Zero Atlantic and is supported by $3 million in funding provided by the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change. The provincial government funding being provided for the ECT Research Program advances actions 13 and 63 of Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth, specifically research on natural carbon sinks – such as soil and forests, which absorb carbon dioxide – and research on new clean technologies and practices to help meet our net zero by 2050 target.
First Call for Proposals
June 21, 2023
Anticipated Future Calls for Proposals
September 2023 and June 2024
Next Steps and Important Links
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Register here for the June 15 ECT Research Program Question and Answer webinar.
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Sign up here for Net Zero Atlantic’s monthly Zeroing In newsletter for regular updates on the Net Zero ECT Research Program.
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See the program funding announcement here.
Please send any inquiries about the ECT Research Program to info@netzeroatlantic.ca.
Documents
Frequently Asked Questions [PDF]
230601 Intro to ECT Research Program June2023 Webinar [PDF]
230601 Intro to ECT Research Program_June2023_Webinar [PPT]
230601 FINAL DRAFT Applicant Guidelines
230601 FINAL DRAFT Proposal Submission Template [PDF]
230601 FINAL DRAFT Proposal Submission Template [WORD]
230601 FINAL DRAFT Budget Submission Template
230601 Work Scope Task Support_Non Mandatory
“Wild cards” (high-risk, high-reward solutions that are still in early stages of development) have an important role to play in Canada’s transition to net-zero. Wild cards have the potential to fundamentally change Canada’s path to net-zero, and action is required now to ensure these solutions are ready when Canada needs them.”
Team
Net Zero Atlantic & Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change
Video