Good morning.
I will be speaking French since it's my first language, but I do understand well if you have questions in English.
Good morning, my name is Dany Bonapace. I am a real estate developer who has had a good deal of success in his career, both here, in Canada, and internationally. I am worried about our children's future, given the major challenges caused by climate change and the fact that time is not on our side. In my case, it has become increasingly difficult to rationalize the situation and to continue to prosper in my industry knowing that so many sustainability issues exist. My reasoning was quite simple: we are few who must act for many, for all the people around the world who cannot act because they are fighting for their survival every day, as well as for those who do not want to act.
As a developer who has acquired money and experience over his 30–year career, I told myself that the most logical thing to do was work on large–scope business projects. That led me to carry out a first artificial intelligence project in building energy efficiency, a high–priority niche, considering the inefficiency of the global housing stock in that area.
I am not not talking about technology as much as the fact that it took me, in my opinion, a long time [technical difficulties] to create artificial intelligence. I feel that I won't be the only entrepreneur in Canada or on the planet who will tell themselves that we must participate in the war effort against climate change and who will have the means and the experience to do so. However, if we let all entrepreneurs work in isolation and take as much time as me to successfully carry out an initial project, we will never manage to accomplish what we need to do within the required time frames.
That is what has led me to recommend to the government strategies to foster the integration of those new players, who will go from their industry to energy [technical difficulties]. Those are things that can be quite simple for the government. For example, it is just a matter of explaining, as the orchestra conductor, the global decarbonization roadmap, the priorities and places where those entrepreneurs can invest their time and their money more quickly. A real estate developer should [technical difficulties] renewable. That is easier for them than to carry out an artificial intelligence project, as the same business structures are used and the same steps go into carrying out a renewable energy project.
Therefore, at the outset, accelerating the entrepreneur's involvement has an important impact. It is also a matter of promoting networking. I was not a multinational or Ontario Hydro. It took me forever to find an energy efficiency consultant who would accept me and would understand [technical difficulties], while it should take a day. The same goes for networking. Networks can be created among developers to integrate the market that is already taken up by large players. Large players need small players to achieve their goals, just as mining companies need beginners to build their company.
I will give you one last high-priority example. It is important for governments to close the gap between capital markets and developers. There is still a gap that is slowing down entrepreneurs' and developers' involvement in this industry. These are things that are both complex and simple, but capital must be made more accessible and less expensive for promoters. Perhaps it would be enough to guarantee [technical difficulties] the perception of credit and risk creates a problem.
In closing, we all have a role to play—individuals and entrepreneurs, governments and financial institutions. What I think is certain is that governments are the link that will help us all accelerate our transition and achieve our objectives. That would also give entrepreneurs an opportunity to sell their products and their services internationally to make our nation prosper.
Thank you.