Scotiabank Net Zero Research Fund

Deadline: 31-May-23

Applications are now open for the Scotiabank Net Zero Research Fund to support the efforts of academic institutions and think tanks that are leading decarbonization efforts in key sectors in countries across Scotiabank’s geographic footprint.

Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by their purpose: “for every future”, Scotiabank helps customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products, services and community investment. In 2019, Scotiabank published its Climate Commitments, a statement of its enterprise climate strategy to support the transition to a low-carbon and resilient future. In addition, Scotiabank has committed to establishing bank-wide, quantitative, time-bound targets for reducing GHG emissions associated with their lending activities, and to report on their plans and progress toward achieving these targets.

Scotiabank has established the NZRF to contribute to the transition to a net zero global economy by:

• Stimulating research, dialogue and understanding of the shift to a net zero emissions global economy by 2050 or sooner in order to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement
• Identifying initiatives that require investment to accelerate adoption or scale of application
• Strengthening relationships between academic and non-profit research institutes and the corporate  sector through collaboration and knowledge sharing
• Continuing to evolve the Bank’s climate change strategy and views on the transition to a net zero global economy

NZRF Research Themes

• Through this initiative, they seek research proposals that have the potential to accelerate the transition to a net-zero emissions future by 2050 or sooner. Successful proposals may focus on, but are not limited to, one or more of the following themes:
• Detailing of potential pathways for decarbonization:
  • On a national economy (e.g. Chile) or substantive sub-national economy (e.g. Province of Quebec) basis, across industrial economic sectors
  • On an individual industrial or economic sector basis (e.g., mining, cement, steel, built environment), across systems, processes, materials, etc.
• Identification and quantification of novel carbon sinks (sources of carbon sequestration) and specific mechanisms for carbon removal
• Emerging and innovative financing mechanisms to support acceleration of decarbonization efforts
• Public policy and/or regulatory changes required to enable or facilitate more rapid decarbonization
• Areas of innovation that need to be better understood or funded to accelerate decarbonization pathways. This includes improvements to greenhouse gas emissions-related measurements, data aggregation, and dissemination, especially in sectors with limited data availability and regional variability (such as agriculture and residential mortgages).
• Levers for increasing consumer, municipal, or industrial demand for drastically lower / zero carbon technologies Relevance to Scotiabank’s primary markets (Canada, US, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile), current priority sectors described in Scotiabank’s Net-Zero Report (oil and gas, power and utilities, agriculture, residential mortgages), and/or core business activities is an asset, but not a requirement.

Funding Information

• Scotiabank will award grants from a minimum of CAD $25,000 up to a maximum of CAD $100,000 through this 2023 Call for Submissions. Any submission not granted funds through this process may be re-submitted for a future Call for Submissions, with the next Call expected in Spring, 2024.

What makes a strong proposal?

• Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• The research being conducted is novel, filling a gap in knowledge or understanding (30%)
• The knowledge to be developed and disseminated is demonstrably beneficial to sectoral, national, or global decarbonization efforts and/or a financial institution’s ability to support those efforts (30%)
• The applicant has relevant research experience and climate change expertise as well as organizational staff resources to guide the development of the project (20%)
• The project has clearly articulated deliverables, timeline and budget (20%).

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for funding through the Scotiabank NZRF, partner organizations must be registered not- for-profit or charitable organizations in their jurisdiction.
• Any Not-for-Profit or Registered Charity in Canada, US, Latin America and the Caribbean.

For more information, visit Scotiabank Net Zero Research Fund.