The County of Wellington has partnered with SWR to help local businesses embed sustainability into their everyday operations.
As a social enterprise nonprofit with deep roots in Wellington County, SWR brings facilitation experience, established networks, and practical sustainability tools. Through SWR’s Impact Network, Wellington County businesses will now have access to emissions data tracking, action planning, annual reporting, workshops, webinars, and one-on-one support.
“Sustainability is a cornerstone of our ‘Future Focused’ climate change mitigation plan, and working with SWR helps put that commitment into action,” said Karen Chisholme, Climate Change and Sustainability Manager. “Through this partnership, we’ll work with local businesses and organizations to better understand their current sustainability practices and connect them with the networks, funding, and resources they might need to go further.”
As a first step, Wellington County is hosting a 'Sustainability Stocktake' on September 28, from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm, at the Wellington County Museum and Archives.
“This event will bring together professionals from the industrial and agricultural sectors to share, learn, and plan practical solutions for managing energy use and reducing footprints across Wellington County,” added Chisholme.
Participants will review sector-wide emissions data, highlight local climate mitigation success stories and lessons learned, explore funding opportunities for energy conservation projects, and chart a path forward for local sustainability.
“Energy costs continue to be an important consideration for local businesses,” said Christina Mann, Manager of Economic Development. “This is an opportunity to connect with others to learn new approaches, share successes and lessons learned, and explore support and funding to improve their bottom line while also helping the environment."
Anyone involved in developing, planning, or implementing energy management or greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction initiatives within their organization is welcome to register at sustainablewaterlooregion.ca. The event is free and lunch is provided; space is limited.
About Wellington County
Wellington County is an innovative upper‑tier municipality in southwestern Ontario, serving more than 97,000 residents across seven municipalities. With practical tools like the Home Energy Tool Kit and its role as a shadow municipality in CHBA’s Towards Net Zero Reno initiative, Wellington County is actively championing collaborative innovation to support energy-efficient living across Canada.
About SWR
SWR is a social enterprise nonprofit that’s committed to helping Waterloo Region, Guelph and Wellington, Perth County, and Oxford County become environmentally and economically sustainable and strong by supporting businesses and community scale actions. SWR’s mission is to lead the transformation to sustainable systems of energy, mobility and construction to help build a cleaner, more diverse economy, and a more just and equitable community.
Media Contacts:
Karen Chrisholme, Climate Change and Sustainability Manager, 519.837.2600 x 2063,
karenc@wellington.ca
Tova Davidson, SWR Executive Director, 519.603.2223, tova@sustainablewr.ca