What if the only thing coming out of your exhaust pipe was a few drops of water? That’s the vision behind hydrogen fuel––and its biggest champions are already making it reality in BC. 

Hydrogen is a promising alternative fuel, but public skepticism and safety concerns are slowing down adoption. Are these concerns warranted, or is misinformation getting in the way of progress? 

On this episode of Cleantech Forward, host Jeanette Jackson  explores how hydrogen fits into BC’s clean energy future––what’s working now, what’s holding us back, and what it will take to get more hydrogen vehicles on the road. Foresight’s, Alyssa Kelly, joins us to talk about how hydrogen is being tried and tested in the cleantech ecosystem, and Norm Barmeier from HTEC shares his passion for hydrogen’s potential and how his company is leading efforts to scale hydrogen fuel infrastructure and technology across BC, and the rest of Canada.

Relevant Reports

Hydrogen Transportation and Infrastructure Report 

Further Reading

Envisioning a Hydrogen Hub in Northeast BC

Envisioning a Hydrogen Hub in the Lower Mainland

Metro Vancouver Hydrogen Ecosystem Report

About the Guests

Norm Barmeier

Norm Barmeier has 25 years of diverse industrial experience in pharmaceutical, biofuels, and municipal infrastructure. With over a decade working on hydrogen systems, Norm has developed a strong skill set in complex system integration, technical project execution, permitting, and successful cross-discipline team building.

As the Director of Compliance and Design Authority at HTEC, he is responsible for overseeing multidisciplinary teams to design, permit, and commission ever-expanding hydrogen fuelling infrastructure across Canada. Norm enjoys stakeholder engagement, project risk management, driving quality assurance initiatives, and the challenge of working with municipalities and authorities having jurisdiction to get our projects permitted and operational.

Alyssa Kelly

Alyssa Kelly is a seasoned professional with extensive experience driving research initiatives in the sustainability and cleantech sectors. As the Director of Research at Foresight Canada, Alyssa leads a dynamic team dedicated to advancing clean technology adoption and nurturing vibrant cleantech ecosystems. With expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, engagement, and project management, Alyssa is passionate about mobilizing cleantech and sustainability knowledge to create a brighter, cleaner future. Before joining Foresight, she led research and advisory efforts at Partners in Project Green and Echion Group and holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto.

About Foresight Canada

​​Foresight Canada helps the world do more with less, sustainably. As Canada's largest cleantech innovation and adoption accelerator, we connect public and private sectors to the world’s best clean technologies, de-risking and simplifying the adoption of innovative solutions that improve productivity, profitability, and economic competitiveness, all while addressing today’s most urgent climate challenges. 

We don’t just accelerate innovation. We are innovation. From humble roots in Vancouver, Canada, Foresight has rapidly scaled into a national, globally connected non-profit, driving the adoption of sustainable innovation in major industries worldwide, working with 200+ industry partners and actively engaging with 145+ federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and Indigenous rights holders.

Since 2013, Foresight has supported 1580+ ventures, 150+ industry partners, and 300+ investor firms to deploy $2.31B in capital, achieve $570M in revenues, and create 9,430+ high-paying jobs. Our domestic and international engagement includes working in collaboration with 2,000+ rights holders and partners. 

In the world we’re building, sustainability isn't a buzzword. It’s a fundamental driver of economic growth and prosperity, for people and planet. Find out how we’re redefining acceleration at foresightcac.com, and join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Credits

Host: Jeanette Jackson

Narrator: Tamara Stanners

Guests: Norm Barmeier, Alyssa Kelly

Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith

Sound Engineer: Jordan Wong

Showrunner / Writer: Jessica Grajczyk, Dallas King

Editors: Kylie Williams & Stacey Armstrong

#CleantechForward

#cleantech

#hydrogenpower

#hydrogenfuel

#alternativefuels

#BCNZIN

What if the only thing coming out of your exhaust pipe was a few drops of water? That’s the vision behind hydrogen fuel––and its biggest champions are already making it reality in BC. 

Hydrogen is a promising alternative fuel, but public skepticism and safety concerns are slowing down adoption. Are these concerns warranted, or is misinformation getting in the way of progress? 

British Columbia’s mining and forestry sectors supply the raw materials needed to support a net zero economy. But when it comes to powering the fleets that carry these resources from pit to port or forest to mill, diesel still dominates––and electrifying them is anything but simple. 

In this episode of Cleantech Forward, host Jeanette Jackson talks to the people doing the heavy lifting when it comes to decarbonizing transportation in BC’s foundational industries. Flyn McCarthy, mining industry advisor to Foresight’s BC Net Zero Innovation Network, shares how he’s helping mining companies go back to the industry’s electric roots. And Eric Little shares the inspiring story of how Edison Motors is reviving BC’s reputation for building cool trucks… but this time, they’re electric. 

Relevant Reports

BC Cleantech Export Report: Mining

Canada’s Ventures to Value Chains: Mining Technology

Further Reading

https://foresightcac.com/mining-cluster

https://edisonmotors.ca/

About the Guests

Flyn McCarthy

Flyn McCarthy is a tireless champion of industrial decarbonization and has worked for the past 20 years on all aspects of industrial energy optimization and low carbon solutions. Current roles include Principal Energy and Carbon group at SysEne, Industry Advisor BC Net Zero Innovation Network and past roles include Corporate Energy & Carbon Manager Newmont/Goldcorp, Leader of the Canadian Mining Innovation Council - Energy Group, and technical advisor to hundreds of industrial operations globally. Flyn is motivated by the vast potential for carbon reduction in industry and sees the energy transition as a great opportunity to make a step change in industrial decarbonization.

Eric Little

Eric Little is the Chief Executive Officer of Edison Motors––a Canadian clean technology company that built Canada’s first production electric hybrid truck. Eric has overseen the development of Edison’s hybrid drivetrain, leads the company’s design and business strategy, and manages partnerships and fundraising. His technical and managerial leadership keeps the company on track to meet its innovation and production goals.

About Foresight Canada

​​Foresight Canada helps the world do more with less, sustainably. As Canada's largest cleantech innovation and adoption accelerator, we connect public and private sectors to the world’s best clean technologies, de-risking and simplifying the adoption of innovative solutions that improve productivity, profitability, and economic competitiveness, all while addressing today’s most urgent climate challenges. 

We don’t just accelerate innovation. We are innovation. From humble roots in Vancouver, Canada, Foresight has rapidly scaled into a national, globally connected non-profit, driving the adoption of sustainable innovation in major industries worldwide, working with 200+ industry partners and actively engaging with 145+ federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and Indigenous rights holders.

Since 2013, Foresight has supported 1580+ ventures, 150+ industry partners, and 300+ investor firms to deploy $2.31B in capital, achieve $570M in revenues, and create 9,430+ high-paying jobs. Our domestic and international engagement includes working in collaboration with 2,000+ rights holders and partners. 

In the world we’re building, sustainability isn't a buzzword. It’s a fundamental driver of economic growth and prosperity, for people and planet. Find out how we’re redefining acceleration at foresightcac.com, and join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Credits

Host: Jeanette Jackson

Narrator: Tamara Stanners

Guests: Flyn McCarthy, Eric Little

Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith

Sound Engineer: Jordan Wong

Showrunner / Writer: Jessica Grajczyk

Editors: Kylie Williams & Stacey Armstrong

#podcast

British Columbia’s mining and forestry sectors supply the raw materials needed to support a net zero economy. But when it comes to powering the fleets that carry these resources from pit to port or forest to mill, diesel still dominates––and electrifying them is anything but simple. 

In this episode of Cleantech Forward, host Jeanette Jackson talks to the people doing the heavy lifting when it comes to decarbonizing transportation in BC’s foundational industries. Flyn McCarthy, mining industry advisor to Foresight’s BC Net Zero Innovation Network, shares how he’s helping mining companies go back to the industry’s electric roots. And Eric Little shares the inspiring story of how Edison Motors is reviving BC’s reputation for building cool trucks…but this time, they’re electric.

Decarbonizing BC’s Ports and Shipping

Maritime shipping moves over 80% of the world’s goods—and contributes nearly 3% of global carbon emissions. But decarbonizing a system that runs 24/7 across oceans is no easy task, especially when clean energy infrastructure is scarce at sea.

On this episode of Cleantech Forward, we’re exploring how decarbonizing ports and shipping in British Columbia isn’t just a challenge––it’s a major opportunity for our province and our country to lead in clean fuels, sustainable infrastructure, and global collaboration. Host Jeanette Jackson chats with Juvarya Veltkamp from C40’s Green Ports Forum, and Robin Silvester, former CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, about BC’s role in shaping a cleaner shipping future. 

From shore-powered cruise ships to battery-electric tugboats and international green shipping corridors, discover how BC’s ports are becoming launchpads for innovation—and what it’ll take to cut emissions at scale.

About the Guests

Juvarya Veltkamp

Juvarya Veltkamp is a recognized leader in climate strategy and impact, specializing in market transformation and global collaboration to accelerate investment in sustainable cities and ports. With nearly 30 years of experience spanning real estate, local government, social enterprise, and impact investment, Juvarya has driven large-scale green economic development initiatives and policy innovation. She led Vancouver’s green economy strategy for a decade, helped launch British Columbia’s $500-million public impact fund at InBC, and advanced climate governance through the Canada Climate Law Initiative at the University of British Columbia.

Currently, Juvarya leads C40’s Green Ports Forum––a global alliance of ports and cities collaborating to decarbonize supply chains and promote sustainable trade. She also advises Realize Capital Partners and volunteers on the leadership team for Vancouver Maritime Centre for Climate.

Robin Silvester

Robin Silvester is a board member and advisor focusing on infrastructure, the supply chain, and energy transition. He was CEO of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority from 2009 to 2023. During this time Robin led the port through a period of unprecedented growth both in investment and in cargo handled. This helped drive more than 40% growth in international trade through Canada’s largest trade gateway. 

The port authority also set, and actively advanced, a vision to make the Port of Vancouver the world’s most sustainable port–– a port that is a global leader at delivering economic prosperity through trade, protecting the environment, and enabling thriving local communities. This included establishing internationally recognized environmental programmes and achieving ground-breaking agreements with multiple First Nations in south-western BC. 

About Foresight Canada

​​Foresight Canada helps the world do more with less, sustainably. As Canada's largest cleantech innovation and adoption accelerator, we connect public and private sectors to the world’s best clean technologies, de-risking and simplifying the adoption of innovative solutions that improve productivity, profitability, and economic competitiveness, all while addressing today’s most urgent climate challenges. 

We don’t just accelerate innovation. We are innovation. From humble roots in Vancouver, Canada, Foresight has rapidly scaled into a national, globally connected non-profit, driving the adoption of sustainable innovation in major industries worldwide, working with 200+ industry partners and actively engaging with 145+ federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and Indigenous rights holders.

Since 2013, Foresight has supported 1580+ ventures, 150+ industry partners, and 300+ investor firms to deploy $2.31B in capital, achieve $570M in revenues, and create 9,430+ high-paying jobs. Our domestic and international engagement includes working in collaboration with 2,000+ rights holders and partners. 

In the world we’re building, sustainability isn't a buzzword. It’s a fundamental driver of economic growth and prosperity, for people and planet. Find out how we’re redefining acceleration at foresightcac.com, and join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Credits

Host: Jeanette Jackson

Narrator: Tamara Stanners

Guests: Juvarya Veltkamp, Robin Silvester

Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith

Sound Engineer: Jordan Wong

Showrunner / Writer: Jessica Grajczyk

Editors: Kylie Williams & Stacey Armstrong

#CleantechForward

#cleantech

#greenshipping

#sustainabletransportation

#greenports

#BCNZIN

On this episode of Cleantech Forward, we’re exploring how decarbonizing ports and shipping in British Columbia isn’t just a challenge––it’s a major opportunity for our province and our country to lead in clean fuels, sustainable infrastructure, and global collaboration. Host Jeanette Jackson chats with Juvarya Veltkamp from C40’s Green Ports Forum, and Robin Silvester, former CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, about BC’s role in shaping a cleaner shipping future.  

Foresight Podcast S01E02 - Cleantech Forward: Electrifying Public Fleets

What if garbage trucks moved in silence, school buses helped power the grid, and children could play alongside city streets free from fumes and noise? In this episode of Cleantech Forward, we explore how electrifying public fleets isn't just possible—it’s practical, impactful, and already happening in communities across BC. 

Host Jeanette Jackson talks with two leaders on the front lines of fleet electrification in British Columbia: Tauseef Waraich, Manager of Green Fleet & Equipment at the City of Burnaby, shares how municipalities are overcoming budget and infrastructure challenges to transition to zero-emission service vehicles; and Rob Safrata tells us how his business, Fuse Power Management, is working to help transform fleets into clean energy assets through the power of vehicle-to-grid technology, supported by Foresight’s BC Net Zero Innovation Network. 

From funding and policy to clean tech and public buy-in, this episode connects the dots behind the shift to smarter, cleaner municipal transportation.

Relevant Reports 

Canada’s Ventures to Value Chains: Energy Storage for Transportation

Powering Canada’s Future with Vehicle to Grid Innovation

About the Guests

Tauseef Waraich

Tauseef Waraich is the Manager of Green Fleet & Equipment at the City of Burnaby, where he is leading key initiatives to transition the municipal fleet to low-carbon and zero-emission technologies. Under his leadership, the City is completing the infrastructure necessary for 350 EV charging stations, set to be operational by June 2025. Nearly 15% of Burnaby’s fleet has already transitioned to electric, with pilot programs underway for electric garbage trucks and medium-duty vehicles. In addition to advancing the electric vehicle transition, he is also actively reviewing other zero-emission technologies, including hydrogen fuel cell solutions, to support the City's ambitious climate action goals. 

Rob Safrata

Rob Safrata is the CEO of Fuse Power Management, which turns EV fleets into AI-enabled power plants––cutting emissions, generating profits and revolutionizing grids and transportation. He is an entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience starting, acquiring and building companies by delivering a triple bottom line. He has a successful track record of integrating sustainability into businesses, a point of differentiation from competitors, driving growth and profitability. As an industry leader and speaker, Robert served as an inaugural member of Vancouver’s “Greenest City Action Team” helping guide civic economic development towards the goal of making Vancouver the greenest city in the world by 2020 and regularly shares the story of NOVEX’s transformation from a high-carbon business into an industry leader as a certified B-Corp and the greenest courier company in Canada. 

About Foresight Canada

​​Foresight Canada helps the world do more with less, sustainably. As Canada's largest cleantech innovation and adoption accelerator, we connect public and private sectors to the world’s best clean technologies, de-risking and simplifying the adoption of innovative solutions that improve productivity, profitability, and economic competitiveness, all while addressing today’s most urgent climate challenges. 

We don’t just accelerate innovation. We are innovation. From humble roots in Vancouver, Canada, Foresight has rapidly scaled into a national, globally connected non-profit, driving the adoption of sustainable innovation in major industries worldwide, working with 200+ industry partners and actively engaging with 145+ federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and Indigenous rights holders.

Since 2013, Foresight has supported 1580+ ventures, 150+ industry partners, and 300+ investor firms to deploy $2.31B in capital, achieve $570M in revenues, and create 9,430+ high-paying jobs. Our domestic and international engagement includes working in collaboration with 2,000+ rights holders and partners. 

In the world we’re building, sustainability isn't a buzzword. It’s a fundamental driver of economic growth and prosperity, for people and planet. Find out how we’re redefining acceleration at foresightcac.com, and join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Credits

Host: Jeanette Jackson

Narrator: Tamara Stanners

Guests: Tauseef Waraich, Rob Safrata

Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith

Sound Engineer: Jordan Wong

Showrunner / Writer: Jessica Grajczyk

Editors: Kylie Williams & Stacey Armstrong

#CleantechForward #cleantech #EVcharging #VehicleToGrid #V2G #VehicleGridIntegration #BCNZIN

What if garbage trucks moved in silence, school buses helped power the grid, and children could play alongside city streets free from fumes and noise? In this episode of Cleantech Forward, we explore how electrifying public fleets isn't just possible—it’s practical, impactful, and already happening in communities across BC. 

Cleantech Forward: The Future of EV Charging Infrastructure

Kicking off the new season of Cleantech Forward, our first episode dives into the most viable solutions for expanding our EV charging infrastructure so we can get more electric vehicles on the road and emit fewer greenhouse gases. It turns out some of the most promising shared EV charging solutions are being tested right now on university and college campuses across BC. 

Jeanette Jackson is joined by industry experts Randy Zadra, Clean Transportation Advisor in Foresight’s BC Net Zero Innovation Network, and David Agosti, Director of Parking and Sustainable Mobility at Simon Fraser University. Together, they discuss the EV Charging Alliance, a Foresight working group helping campuses become shared-use EV charging hubs—serving residents, fleets, and communities alike.

We look at how these collaborative, mixed-use models could be the key to unlocking scalable, cost-effective EV infrastructure across the province and beyond.

Relevant Reports 

Electric Vehicle Charging Alliance Roadmap 

Further Reading

Ventures to Value Chains: Energy Storage for Transportation

Powering Canada’s Future with Vehicle to Grid Innovation

BC Cleantech Export Report: Transportation

About the Guests

Randy Zadra

Randy Zadra is managing director of Integris, and serves as advisor to several companies including the World Manufacturing Forum (WMF), PEM Motion GmbH, and Foresight Canada. He has also served as a board member of Automobility Enterprises, an electric vehicle company. His experience includes 15 years in senior executive roles in Montreal, Boston, and Washington D.C. with BCE Inc., Teleglobe, Orblynx, and Datawind. He also worked at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) where he led new international co-innovation initiatives, with project funding of over $200M, including many in the clean transportation sector. He has extensive experience in financing and advising early-stage technology companies and directed the Entrepreneurship and Development Program at the MIT Media Lab in Boston. He

taught several entrepreneurship courses, and served as a judge on the MIT business

plan competition for four years. He studied at the University of Windsor, Carleton University and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

David Agosti

David Agosti is the Director of Parking and Sustainable Mobility at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and is responsible for everything commuter-related across all three SFU campuses. 

 When looking at transportation, David analyzes consumer behaviour to better understand what motivates people to take different forms of transportation and what can be done to incentivize them to adopt more sustainable modes. Through incentivizing sustainable transportation methods, David’s department aims to help SFU achieve its 2025 Sustainability goal by reducing Scope 3 emissions from commuting by 25%. 

During David’s 10+ years at SFU, he has seen transportation at Universities shift from parking-focused departments to a more holistic viewpoint that takes into account the economic, environmental, and sociocultural impacts of our collective transportation choices.  David is currently focusing on the intersection of data & technology, consumer behavior, and sustainability in the transportation field in such areas as: electrification, micro-mobility, mode-shift, and connectivity.

About Foresight Canada

​​Foresight Canada helps the world do more with less, sustainably. As Canada's largest cleantech innovation and adoption accelerator, we connect public and private sectors to the world’s best clean technologies, de-risking and simplifying the adoption of innovative solutions that improve productivity, profitability, and economic competitiveness, all while addressing today’s most urgent climate challenges. 

We don’t just accelerate innovation. We are innovation. From humble roots in Vancouver, Canada, Foresight has rapidly scaled into a national, globally connected non-profit, driving the adoption of sustainable innovation in major industries worldwide, working with 200+ industry partners and actively engaging with 145+ federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and Indigenous rights holders.

Since 2013, Foresight has supported 1580+ ventures, 150+ industry partners, and 300+ investor firms to deploy $2.31B in capital, achieve $570M in revenues, and create 9,430+ high-paying jobs. Our domestic and international engagement includes working in collaboration with 2,000+ rights holders and partners. 

In the world we’re building, sustainability isn't a buzzword. It’s a fundamental driver of economic growth and prosperity, for people and planet. Find out how we’re redefining acceleration at foresightcac.com, and join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Credits

Host: Jeanette Jackson

Narrator: Tamara Stanners

Guests: Randy Zadra, David Agosti

Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith

Sound Engineer: Jordan Wong

Showrunner / Writer: Jessica Grajczyk

Editors: Kylie Williams & Stacey Armstrong

#CleantechForward #cleantech #EVcharging #BCNZIN

Conversations Driving Canada’s Future Economy

Cleantech Forward brings you in-depth discussions with the leaders, innovators, and experts shaping Canada’s cleantech landscape. Hosted by Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight, each episode explores the technologies, strategies, and policies driving sustainable solutions.

#podcast