Robert Safrata, CEO, Novex Couriers/ CEO, Enterra Developmentnovex.ca, enterrabuildings.com
By now, most of us have seen An Inconvenient Truth. But very few can quote it from memory.Robert Safrata can.
The CEO of Novex Couriers and of Enterra Development, Safrata is one of four British Columbians trained to give Al Gore’s presentation. Originally struck by the film’s images of melting glaciers, he spent a day and a half of the workshop learning from Gore himself.
“Gore would throw up a slide…and set up the dance of the presentation,” says Safrata. “Members in the first group trained taught us the rest of the time. The number of presentations they had already given—more than a thousand in two months—was amazing.”
A one-time ski racer on Canada’s national team, Safrata’s involvement in the presentation reflects his commitment to sustainability. This value comes from the enjoyment he gains from skiing, as well as the “gentle prodding” of his wife, Jacqueline Koerner, chair of Ecotrust Canada.
At times, Safrata has faced challenges to executing this vision. When leading Novex to implement more eco-sensitive policies, he faced a roadblock: no Vancouver business offered environmental updates to industrial buildings. Enterra was founded as a solution. It now develops light-industrial buildings that aim for a reduced ecological footprint.
“I bring a perspective that some people may not have,” he says. “By choosing to work with the experiences of experts, I hope to marry the best of both worlds.”
Safrata will give at least 10 presentations of his version of An Inconvenient Truth in the next six months, including one at the EPIC sustainability conference, March 16 and 17. To arrange a presentation for your organization, visit climateproject.ca.
—Rob McMahon
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