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Ten countries plan for zero carbon emissions buildings
Ten countries plan for zero carbon emissions buildings
The World Green Building Council’s goal to ensure that every building produces zero carbon emissions by 2050 took a major step forward this week as Green Building Councils in 10 countries, including Canada, made progress on their plans to introduce net zero certification or designation schemes within their own countries, at COP22.
Work Place Insight – CaGBC News Release – Zero Carbon Buildings Framework
TD Bank goes green with BullFrog Power
Working in conjunction with Bullfrog Power, TD Bank Group has just become one of the greenest companies in Canada’s greenest city, Vancouver. TD is using all of Bullfrog’s renewable energy products to clean up 100 per cent of its energy footprint in its Vancouver branches, as well as a portion of its business-related travel in the city.
Vancouver leads North America in passive house units
Vancouver contains more certified green buildings than any other city in North America, according to a new report from a clean-energy think tank. The Pembina Institute’s study examines the internationally recognized ‘passive house’ certification. To be certified, a building must meet certain energy usage, insulation and airtightness requirements.
US Green Building Council gains new president
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors announced today that Mahesh Ramanujam has completed the transition into his new role as president and CEO of USGBC, effective early November. He will also serve as president and CEO of USGBC’s sister organization, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI).
Partner with NRCan in high-performance building challenge
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) plans to launch a new National High-Performance Building Challenge to help bring the Canadian building market closer to a net-zero energy performance ideal. The challenge is expected to be officially launched by March 2017.
City of Toronto looking to build district energy system
The City of Toronto has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking partnerships and ideas for large-scale development of low-carbon thermal energy networks/district energy solutions. The purpose of this RFPQ is to establish a list of up to five pre-qualified respondents and get advice from the marketplace on partnership approaches for developing district energy in Toronto.”
GWL Realty Advisors shrinks the carbon footprint of buildings
GWL Realty Advisors introduced corporate sustainability into its property management service over a decade ago, but the company isn’t standing on its laurels. It continues to refine its environmental performance practices.
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BOMA Earth Award winner: Rockland Centre |
| Rockland Centre has long been recognized as one of Montreal’s top upscale fashion destinations, and now it’s been honoured as one of Canada’s greenest retail buildings. | |
| Property Biz Canada, November 24, 2016 |
Saskatchewan home showcase for Passive House technology
The home on Temperance Street runs on a well-insulated electric water heater and a super-efficient heat recovery ventilation and air distribution system that provides fresh air, and has 26 solar panels. The open house at the Temperance Street Passive House was part of an internationally planned event that hosted 300 passive home open houses around the world over the weekend.
Edmonton residential high-rise incorporating Passive House design
The Artists Quarters, which is poised to start construction early next year in Edmonton’s downtown east end, is taking the principles of passive house design seriously. The 65-unit residence, that will be a home and workspace for artists, is projected to have a payback of only 19 years on its high performance envelope and HVAC strategies.
Alberta industry adjusting to new building energy code
The National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB) 2011 has caused a stir throughout the construction industry in Alberta. As of this month it is required on all new construction. NECB was developed as part of the commitment to improving the energy efficiency of Canadian buildings and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Ontario builders readying for new energy efficient building code
Many of Ontario’s best home builders are learning more about energy efficiency in EnerQuality’s training sessions. The information packed half-day sessions delivered by subject matter experts are focused on “SB-12,” the Ontario Building Code (OBC) provision requiring all newly built homes, starting in January 2017, to be more energy efficient.
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BOMA Earth Award winner: 25 York Street |
| Menkes-owned and managed 25 York Street helped transform downtown Toronto’s South Core Business District when it opened in 2009, and it was recognized by BOMA Canada with its Earth Award for office buildings at BOMEX this year. | |
| Property Biz Canada, November 17, 2016 |
Carleton University receives green funding
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing $26.4 million towards sustainability and green infrastructure at Carleton University. The funding will be used for two projects that will support sustainability and green initiatives on campus, including supporting energy-efficient retrofitting and helping create sustainable built environments across Carleton University.
“Urban logging” a growing problem for cities
Just months after a developer made headlines for taking down 40 mature trees on a North York building site, CBC Toronto has learned of a second illegal “clearcut” – this time in an affluent Etobicoke neighbourhood. City forestry officials say it’s a growing problem: developers and homeowners illegally cutting down trees on their property, rather than applying for a permit.
B.C. eco-development aims to be sustainable
More than a residential community, Elkington Forest will also serve as an eco-forestry classroom. Located about 35 minutes north of Victoria, Elkington Forest is a 202-hectare hillside forest development that, when completed, will have 97 custom homes in three clustered hamlets, 25 businesses, and 65 acres for gardening, greenhouses, animal husbandry, and food production.
Texas neighborhood sets a world LEED first
The 700-acre Mueller redevelopment in Austin is the largest neighborhood in the world to become Stage 3 LEED-certified by the USGBC and the first neighborhood in Texas to earn LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) Stage 3 Gold Certification under the pilot program.
Products, Technology and Design
Green cement? Building material absorbs CO2 over time
Cement manufacturing is among the most carbon-intensive industrial processes, but an international team of researchers has found that over time, the widely used building material reabsorbs much of the CO2 emitted when it was made.
Living walls, green roofs, help harness civic pollution
A new report says that green building envelopes, often dismissed as architectural window dressing, are slashing by 20 percent street level air pollution and muffling traffic noise by up to 10 decibels in certain situations.
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Sustainable Biz advertising opportunity! |
| Sustainable Biz Canada (SBC) launched in 2016 and already has thousands of page views available for advertisers. Website exposure on RENX.ca, ads in the Green Real Estate Newsletter, writing services and more. | |
| Email sales@SustainableBiz.ca or call 1-855-569-6300 |
Market Trends and Research
Parking garages could be a poor investment in the future
City leaders in Des Moines, Iowa, are among several cities across the nation rethinking the future of parking downtown. They’re saying, ‘Don’t build parking lots, don’t build garages, you aren’t going to need them. And Altamonte Springs, Florida, solvesd its “last mile” problem, connecting popular destinations with public transit, by subsidizing Uber rides.
Municipal Policy and Urban Issues
Farmers using natural techniques hope for carbon credits
Margaret and Tom Towers ditched their tractors, stopped buying chemicals, closed their feedlot and transitioned to a way of farming that was less expensive and more natural about 25 years ago, and since then, they’ve been bucking the trend. The results? A thicker, more diverse pasture, higher profits, a healthier herd and more carbon in their soil.
City of Toronto, landowner clash over proposed development
The city is one step closer to a showdown with a landowner who’s determined to turn a retail site in northwest Toronto into a new residential neighbourhood — despite objections from local homeowners who fear it could turn an already-busy intersection into a traffic nightmare.
Renewable Energy
B.C. community wary of hydroelectric turbine proposal for beach
One of the popular swimming beaches in Atlin, B.C., could one day host a hydroelectric turbine. Some people who live nearby, however, are worried about the noise and feel that they’ve been left in the dark about the plan. The project is in the feasibility study phase. The B.C. government is accepting public comments until Dec. 5.
Commercial Green Buildings
LED company building new LEED-certified head office
LED lighting solutions company, Lumenpulse Group, is celebrating the start of construction for its future head office in Longueuil. The building will be applying for LEED certification, will be built and owned by MONTONI, a leading expert in sustainable building,
Residential Real Estate
Number of green-certified apartments rising
By year’s end, the US apartment industry is projected to have built 59,400 new green-certified apartments in 2016, four times the number built in 2011. The numbers come from a new RENTCafé study in which the online apartment-listing firm dissects the green building movement to find just how much of a movement it’s actually been.
Affordable housing is becoming greener
Global Green, with support from NeighborWorks America, recently released its much-anticipated 2016 report examining green building practices. The results are clear: more state housing finance agencies are deploying LEED and other third-party green building rating systems as tools.
Green building ratings
Dartmouth Hospital upgrade aims for LEED Gold
The Nova Scotia provincial government has contracted MMM Group Ltd. to upgrade Dartmouth General Hospital to a LEED Gold rating. The QEII Hospital redevelopment project is aiming for LEED Gold in of its new additions.
Government Programs and Incentives
B.C. government may move to discourage farm land speculation
The B.C. government will consider proposals to impose higher property taxes on investors who buy agricultural land then reap huge tax benefits intended for farmers. New foreign and local buyers are building mansions or applying to redevelop farmland around Vancouver, while enjoying extremely low property taxes meant to encourage farming.
Federal government defends proposed infrastructure bank
The Trudeau government is trying to dispel fears about its plan to tap some of the world’s wealthiest institutional investors to help fund infrastructure projects in Canada. Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi said the plan will not inevitably mean imposing road tolls and fees just to ensure that private investors can reap a return on their investments.
Home energy retrofit program not available for all in Ontario
Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault says he is working to ensure all Ontarians can take advantage of an energy retrofit program, after the NDP noted issues that made it largely inaccessible for some northerners. The retrofit program gives homeowners rebates generally between $500 and $2,000 toward renovations such as new, energy-efficient furnaces, windows and insulation
Corporate Sustainability
Green school ground movement brings nature to students
One of Evergreen’s longest standing partnerships and largest educational initiatives, the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds program continues to help Canadian students and teachers transform their school grounds into healthy places to learn, play and connect with nature. This year, the national program helped 559 schools with their efforts to green their outdoor spaces.
Municipal Policy and Urban Issues
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Sustainable Biz followers on Twitter |
| Follower The Buildings Performance Institute EU is a Brussels based think-tank delivering policy analysis, advice and implementation support for buildings energy performance. | |
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Transit, bikes and transportation
New Sudbury plan targets active transportation
A new plan envisioning how people in Sudbury, Ont., will be getting around their community for the next 15 years has been released and — for the first time — it focuses on active transportation. The new plan specifically goes beyond motorists, looking at cycling and walking.
Water Management
New wastewater system design heads off algae blooms
New wastewater system design guidelines developed at UBC can help municipal governments better protect aquatic life and save millions of dollars a year. In a recent study, engineers at UBC’s Okanagan campus developed guidelines that can tailor the design of specialized filters to local conditions and help prevent phosphorous deposits from forming in wastewater systems.
Low impact development leads to better water management
Imagine using an unassuming corner of your street, yard, or local park to improve the quality and security of water and the Great Lakes. It’s possible with green infrastructure and low impact development (LID). These approaches can create beautiful garden or landscape features that also remove some of the most problematic urban pollutants affecting our environment.
Water treatment company wins top honour in Quebec
H2O Innovation Inc. won the Visionary Company of the Year prize at the 2016 Vision Trophy Awards for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Quebec. The award was presented to H2O Innovation for its visionary spirit shown in its research and development, staff training, sustainable development and economic benefits for the Quebec region.
Waste Management
Food giants asked to clean up their mess
The waste and nutrient runoff caused by massive meat-processing facilities is increasingly under scrutiny. A group of institutional investors representing more than $1 trillion in assets is urging four of the largest meat producers in the world—Cargill, JBS, Perdue Farms and Smithfield Foods—to take more action to address both potential contamination and scarcity.
Consumers: Landfill waste is increasing
While the majority of consumers believe many of the issues related to recycling have improved since the 1970s, such as “ease of recycling” and the “amount of waste” that is recycled, most consumers feel the amount of waste in landfills and oceans is worse, according to the first Consumer Tracker Recycling Survey, released in mid-November.
Industry Events
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Zero Carbon Building Standards Interactive Workshop
Dec 10 2024
to Dec 12 2025
Online
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FCM’s Sustainable Communities Conference 2025
Feb 10 2025
to Feb 13 2025
Fredericton, NB
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GlobeXchange
Feb 11 2025
to Feb 14 2025
Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel
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BuildGreen Atlantic 2025
Apr 28 2025
to Apr 29 2025
Halifax, NS
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Building Lasting Change
Jun 18 2025
to Jun 20 2025
Vancouver, BC
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