Industry Leader Profile: Kristin Tollovsen

Information

Name: Kristin Tollovsen
Organization: Centurion Infrastructure Canada

Description / Background

Kristin is truly an industry leader in Alberta as she has brought the Carbon Leadership Forum to the province. As co-founder and chair, she has been offering embodied carbon reduction webinars and local events that empower industry professionals to radically reduce embodied carbon from buildings and infrastructure. 

Kristin’s leadership comes from her hands-on experience, proactive industry involvement, adaptability, focus on key environmental issues, appreciation for innovation, and a practical vision for the industry’s future.

Thanks for taking the time to tell us a little bit about yourself, Kristin! Read what she has to say below:

Q: Could you briefly introduce yourself and your background in the field of emissions neutral buildings? 

A: My name is Kristin Tollovsen and I am the Manager of Sustainability and Social Purpose at Centurion Infrastructure Canada.  I obtained a B.Sc. from UBC and have over 13 years of environmental experience including roles as an Environmental Scientist and as a Sustainable Project Manager. I have worked with sustainable building certifications, sustainable operations and policy, and life cycle analysis for buildings and I am now using those skills to lead Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) reporting initiatives and improve workplace diversity. I am the co-founder and chair of the Carbon Leadership Forum – Alberta Hub which has been offering embodied carbon reduction webinars since 2020.

Q: How did you get involved in this industry?

A: I was learning a lot about LEED and other rating systems. Carbon and specifically embodied carbon kept coming up and I realized how important it was to track this item.  So much progress had been made with operational carbon I knew the same would be possible with embodied carbon.  The Carbon Positive conference in March 2020 was definitely a turning point for myself and CLF Alberta was launched in December 2020. 

Q: Did you take specific training? 

A:  I did take a life cycle assessment course through the Canada Green Building Council and One Click LCA webinars then was figuring out the rest myself.  It was definitely a lot of learning from architects and structural engineers and what goes into the initial design process for the building and what material types can be considered when completing a Life Cycle Assessments to reduce embodied carbon. 

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring professionals who are interested in contributing to the development and implementation of emissions neutral buildings? 

A: Always be open to learning, trying new things.  New ways to measure, calculate, new products to consider.  New standards and regulations that are changing all the time.  Definitely have to be open to change and somewhat of a problem solver and investigative reporter. 

Q: What do you find most interesting/challenging/exciting about the job?

A:  The most interesting and exciting is definitely the innovation that comes with a changing industry, the types of low-carbon concrete mixes and steel manufacturing options to  sustainable wood.  Suppliers are having to consider the full circular life cycle of their product and coming up with innovative ways to get the product back to them and find what it can be used for next.

Q: How do you see the industry progressing in the next few years?

A: With embodied carbon regulations coming into play in municipalities and building codes, building projects that consider embodied carbon are better positioned to meet those requirements and in turn help reach federal climate goals. More and more consideration will be made for the types of materials used and the entire supply chain.