Canada Green Building Council pledges to battle climate change

OTTAWA—The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is making four new commitments to help fight back against climate change in Canada. The announcement was made as leaders from around the world gathered for the COP 21 Climate Change Conference in Paris.

The CaGBC is committing to:

•supporting the industry to move toward the wide adoption of net zero building in Canada. Part of this commitment means working towards bringing net zero rating verification to Canada;

•launching actions to increase investment in green buildings across Canada;

•working with Canada’s federal, provincial and municipal leaders to support the development of green building and sustainability policies across Canada; and

•working with CaGBC members and stakeholders to set and report against ambitious targets and action plans that will contribute to COP 21 goals.

"By greening the building stock across the country, we have reduced an estimated 822,731 C02E tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to taking over 155,000 cars off the road for a year," says Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC, in a statement.

The CaGBC also has reason to celebrate, with the 1,000th certified project in Ontario and the 175th Platinum certified project in Canada reaching completion recently. The country has the second highest number of LEED certified buildings in the world and the highest number per capita.

"Both achievements demonstrate Canada’s building industry is adopting green building practices across their portfolios, and pushing their environmental performance beyond the status quo," explains the release.

LEED certified projects are represented in all corners of the country for all building types, CaGBC states. Some of the key projects that have certified recently include:

•The TD Centre, in Toronto’s financial district, which has now earned LEED Platinum certification for all six of its towers, making it one of the largest LEED Platinum certified properties in North America. The 4.5-million-square-foot centre, which was built in 1967, achieved this feat through a number of initiatives, including its Occupant Engagement Program that encourages its 21,000 tenants to help meet progressive consumption targets;

•The West Don Lands at 585 King Street East, 40 Lower River Street and 45 St. Lawrence Street in Toronto. Certified LEED Gold and located on a 0.7 hectare brownfield site, this project consists of 243 affordable housing units and includes four fully accessible and barrier-free units, large multipurpose rooms and green roofs;

•The Sun Life Financial Tower at 150 King Street West in Toronto. This project earned a LEED Gold Existing Building Recertification, making it one of the first office towers to do so. Additions to the project that contributed to this achievement include conducting ongoing air quality audits and implementing a green cleaning policy.

•The new STGM Architects head office, in Quebec City, which certified LEED Platinum. It did so through its sustainability measures, which included ample access to fresh air, with the longitudinal shape of the building capable of opening laterally, creating a natural and effective form of cross ventilation. Mechanical systems were designed to cool and heat effectively at the same time and in different areas of the building.