'All of a sudden we’re cool' — Green builders draft a cleaner, more profitable blueprint for construction

Aug 8

Natalie Voland, president of GI Quo Vadis, at Complexe du Canal Lachine, a century-old former factory that is undergoing a net-zero renovation. Montreal, Quebec. June 28, 2024. (Photo by Nasuna Stuart-Ulin for Canada's National Observer)

By Darius Snieckus

Canada’s Green Buildings Strategy, Ottawa’s long-awaited plan to decarbonize millions of commercial, residential and institutional buildings to align with federal climate targets, has drawn a mixed reaction since its July 16 release.

There were high marks for a pledge to modernize energy efficiency standards, phase-out oil heating in new buildings by 2028, support heat pumps over central heating and cooling systems and a “buy clean” plan for federal infrastructure projects to promote low-carbon materials.

But the strategy did not tackle oil used in existing buildings, or impose limits on fossil gas used in 60 per cent of existing commercial and institutional structures, green building advocates said.

More importantly, there was no road map for an industry expected to build millions of new homes and buildings and retrofit millions more, while also cut emissions that account for nearly 30 per cent of Canada’s released greenhouse gases, they said.

The Canada Green Building Council, an industry body, said the strategy “misses the mark when it comes to mandating actions and setting milestones.”

Amid calls for an action plan to get the sector to net-zero by 2050, progressive developers are already leading by example on key issues of sustainable development finance, mandates and investments.

In the second part of our feature on green building pioneers, we take a closer look at an innovative retrofit of a Montreal factory into a low-carbon office co-op, a condo complex powered by geothermal energy in Toronto, and Canada’s first net-zero police station.

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