Overview
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has embarked upon a multi-year development project to introduce the next generation of LEED in Canada through the LEED Canada Initiative. In parallel to this effort, the CaGBC also launched the Green Building Performance Initiative—a focused effort to develop an affordable and easily accessible tool for energy and environmental management for new and existing buildings. Both initiatives will enable large-scale reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, energy savings, and other environmental benefits for all building types and communities across Canada.

Download an overview of the CaGBC's initiatives

Toward a Buildings-Centric Climate Change Strategy

Through market based solutions and provision of tools to industry and partners, the CaGBC aims to support the performance improvement of 100,000 buildings and 1,000,000 homes across Canada by 2015, with a verified 50% reduction in energy and water use from a 2005 baseline.  Realizing these goals could result in:  

  • 50 MT/year reduction in GHG emissions; 
  • pro-investment strategies where owners will invest in building improvements, across all regions of the country, to stay competitive in the marketplace and demonstrate corporate environmental responsibility; 
  • direct employment in construction, manufacturing and professional services, with new skills, products and markets; 
  • large, measurable, and immediate reductions in water consumption, use of resources and generation of waste; 
  • a receptive market for new, green technology, products and services; 
  • building renewal, and significant reductions of public-sector deferred maintenance liabilities; 
  • avoidance of electricity generation and transmission capacity;
  • reduced pollution and improved indoor environmental quality, with direct benefits to public and community health;
  • utility cost savings for homeowners and for public- and private-sector building owners, and  creation of a large supply of certified carbon credits.

Buildings represent the largest “no-regrets” opportunity to reduce GHG emissions and to contribute to economic growth. Through the next generation of LEED and the building performance management system, the CaGBC will provide the framework for building owners, corporations and policy-makers to guide continuous improvement towards these goals. 

A buildings-centric strategy will engage all Canadians in the climate change solution, leading the way to the broader societal changes required for a sustainable future.

Working Together

The CaGBC continues to work with governments, utility companies, associations, standard- setting organizations and other stakeholders to deploy LEED Canada and the building performance management system. These tools will guide and support public policy, program design, standards and be an invaluable resource for research. The Council intends to inform and  accelerate green building, energy efficiency and sustainable community market transformation.  The CaGBC invites collaboration and participation in a range of areas including:  

  • submitting owned buildings into one of the pilot projects; 
  • financial sponsorship of public- and private-sector participants in current and future pilots; 
  • program development and marketing; 
  • research and data sharing;  (utility companies) providing historical utility billing data.

For more information, contact:

Kris Munden
Coordinator, Special Projects, CaGBC

613-241-1184 ext.33
Toll free: 1-866-941-1184
kmunden@cagbc.org