CaGBC Launches Canada’s First Zero Carbon Building Standard

June 9, 2017

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has taken a major step toward helping Canada achieve its climate change commitments with the launch of the country’s first Zero Carbon Building Standard.

This highly-anticipated standard assesses carbon use in commercial, institutional and multi-family buildings in Canada. To achieve large-scale market transformation, it was designed to be broadly applicable for many types of new and existing buildings.

The most important factor in the carbon footprint of a building is often not energy performance, but the carbon intensity of the local electrical grid and the fossil fuels used. Recognizing these differences is critical to accurately assessing impacts and guiding investments in energy efficiency, heating technologies and renewable energy.

“While there is no doubt that Canada’s building sector has been dramatically transformed over the last two decades, the time has come to be bolder and more ambitious,” says Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the CaGBC. “The CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard brings focus to carbon emissions reduction, and defines new levels of building performance. This standard will help the building industry to show leadership in eliminating emissions from buildings and contribute to shaping of Canada’s climate future.”

The full requirements are now available in the official Zero Carbon Building Standard, which can be downloaded the CaGBC website by visiting www.cagbc.org/zerocarbon.