IDEA Joins Canada’s Clean Energy Leaders at the 2025 Clean50 Summit

Aggregating ideas and partnerships to accelerate climate solutions

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International District Energy Association (IDEA) is proud to sponsor the 2025 Clean50 Summit, Canada’s premier event recognizing and connecting leaders in sustainability.

Hosted at Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto, the Clean50 Summit convenes innovators from across Canada who are shaping the path toward a cleaner, more resilient, and inclusive energy future.

Since 2011, the Clean50 Summit has united leaders from business, government, higher education, and the nonprofit sector to accelerate collaboration and share practical strategies that turn ideas into real‑world results. This year’s community includes environmental NGOs (ENGOs), government representatives, municipal leaders, venture investors, consultants, educators, and energy providers, all collaborating around a shared clean energy future.

“Like the district energy industry, the Clean50 Summit is about connection, linking innovators, policymakers, and communities to achieve more together than any one sector could alone,” said Gerard MacDonald, principal at Reshape Infrastructure Strategies. “District energy is already proving its value in cities across Canada, integrating renewables and waste heat to deliver reliable, low-carbon energy and a clearer path toward a sustainable future.”

This year’s summit honored several energy leaders, including Bruce Ander of Markham District Energy, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of leadership in sustainable thermal infrastructure, and SickKids Hospital and Kyle Robinson, recognized as Greenhouse Gas Reduction Champions for pioneering results-oriented energy management practices.

“IDEA is proud to support and celebrate the innovators leading Canada’s clean energy transformation,” said Rob Thornton, president and CEO of IDEA. “Across the country, collaboration is accelerating measurable progress, reducing carbon emissions, enhancing reliability, and building community resilience. The Clean50 Summit helps connect these efforts, creating momentum for climate action at scale.”

“The Clean50 Summit unites sustainability leaders from policymakers to business leaders around a focus on impact,” said Gavin Pitchford, CEO and founder of Delta Management. “We value IDEA’s ongoing partnership and its commitment to accelerating solutions that strengthen our communities and the environment.”

About IDEA

The International District Energy Association (IDEA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit industry association founded in 1909 and based in Massachusetts, USA. Representing nearly 3,000 members across more than 30 countries, IDEA champions district heating, district cooling, thermal networks, and combined heat and power (CHP) as reliable, efficient, and sustainable solutions. Its mission is to foster the success of its members as global leaders in advancing energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and building resilient, sustainable communities.