The Canada Green Building Council’s annual conference attracts professionals and experts from across Canada’s building, real estate and finance sectors.

They come together to experience and participate in the panels and presentations. For over a decade Building Lasting Change has proven to be the leading destination for those looking to contribute to the conversation and unlock the value of green building. 

Held in downtown Toronto, Ontario, on June 5 and 6, Building Lasting Change or BLC brings together the business and technical expertise needed to accelerate low-carbon, sustainable and resilient buildings. With just weeks left until the conference, anticipation is building for the popular Day 1 Forums and Day 2 Sessions. 

Industry forums on Day 1

The first day, June 5, will kick off with green building tours, and a welcome lunch with CAGBC President and CEO Thomas Mueller and a panel of industry leaders including Kit Milnes of KingSett Capital, Kathy Wardle of Perkins&Will, Colin Guldimann of RBC’s Commercial Banking Group and Josée Lupien from Vertima Inc. 

One of the biggest draws are the Industry Forums. Curated to reflect critical trends in the building sector, these forums will provide attendees with opportunities to engage with industry leaders on evolving green building issues. Participants will be among the first to hear new announcements from CAGBC, its members and the industry stakeholders advancing the decarbonization of Canada’s built environment. 

Featured forums include a look at the latest green building standards, including a deep dive into LEED v5 with USGBC and CAGBC staff, as well as experts from Lyle Scott from Footprint and Marsha Gentile, Ledcor Construction Limited. CAGBC will also launch the latest version of the Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard with ZCB Program committee members including Wendy Macdonald of Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd., Alex Blue of Evoke Buildings Engineering Inc, and Guillaume Martel with Provencher_Roy Architectes. 

Other forums will examine the latest from the policy side of the table, the need to green affordable housing, and the role of developing successful transition plans to decarbonize existing buildings and portfolios. 

On the second day, CAGBC and BLC presenting sponsor Mitsubishi Electric Heating and Cooling Canada are excited to bring exceptional content across two key streams: Technical Pathways and the Business of Green Buildings. 

The Technical Pathways stream will explore the strategies, tools, and considerations that accelerate sustainably and drive down emissions through new zero carbon construction and deep carbon retrofits. Sponsored by Perkins & Will, PCL Construction, WSP, Ledcor Group and CertainTeed, the sessions in this learning track bring practical knowledge and real-world projects to bear as we explore pathways to decarbonization, accelerate multi-family housing, optimize retrofits and leverage new technologies to power, heat and cool buildings. 

“Technical solutions are readily available, but the challenge is funding projects and breaching psychological barriers for change. We need to simplify the decarbonization roadmap for owners, operators, and investors to reach their net zero goals,” said BLC presenter Samson Tam, Director of Development, Creative Energy. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with likeminded professionals at CAGBC to find creative zero carbon solutions for the built environment. “ 

The Business track recognizes that decisive action on carbon emissions is now a critical business priority. Sponsored by BDC, sessions in this track will highlight the business advantages of green buildings and retrofits, and their contribution to broader climate goals.  

Max Graham, Chief Performance Officer, Avenue Living Asset Management will be participating in BLC and is looking forward to engaging in discussions about the value of sustainable retrofits. 

“By blending perspectives from various industries, we can create a comprehensive blueprint for deep energy retrofits to be completed at scale across Canada,” Graham shared.  

The final plenary does just this. In “Global Innovation for Canada’s Zero Carbon Future,” global experts will share insights on the global innovations that could impact Canada’s zero carbon future. Featuring Fiona Cousins, Arup, George Carras, R-LABS, Peter Busby, Perkins & Will Canada, and Anna Dyson, Yale School of Architecture, and Xavier Biot, Schneider Electric, this final plenary offers a cross-sector view on the benefits, opportunities and potential for low-carbon materials, low-carbon energy, digital technologies, and nature-based solutions that will contribute to liveable and resilient cities and communities.

For BLC attendee and sessions presenter Andrea Yee, BLC offers an opportunity to advance the important work of the green building sector. 

“Over the next 25 years, we have much work to do, and there will undoubtedly be new challenges to overcome. Sharing lessons and learning quickly will help us all navigate this process more smoothly,” said Yee, Project Director with WSP. “I look forward to CAGBC’s Building Lasting Change conference, which is an important opportunity for the industry to come together, learn from each other, and collectively build the lasting change we desire—both carefully and quickly.” 

Learn more about Building Lasting Change at cagbc.org/BLC.