A bold national plan for energy efficient buildings

A bold national plan for energy efficient buildings

As a collaboration of leading energy and building professionals, associations, non-government organizations, and businesses, our work now represents the future of the built environment in Canada. Many of the initiatives we are currently undertaking represent the leading edge on the path to a resilient and ultra energy-efficient/low carbon building sector.

Pembina Institute – Renew Canada

Green building leaders offer global perspective

Four green building council leaders from around the globe presented different perspectives on sustainable building world-wise at a recent Canada Green Building Conference panel.  “The World Green Building Council gives us a great global platform to talk about how to advance green buildings around the globe and in our respective countries,” said Canada Green Building Council president and chief executive officer Thomas Mueller.

Sustainable Biz Canada

How one major retailer buys energy

Gary Levitan, director of energy and facilities purchasing with Hudson’s Bay Company, shares how a career background in finance has influenced his approach to energy management at an influential luxury retailer. Founded in 1670, Hudson’s Bay Company is the oldest company in North America. The Toronto-based retailer operates six banners and over 350 stores in U.S. and Canada.

Green Biz

Leduc unveils Canada’s largest rooftop solar array

The City of Leduc’s massive rooftop solar array will increase Alberta’s solar capacity 10 per cent when it starts generating power at the end of this month. Currently, Alberta has the capacity to generate 10.3 megawatts of solar power. While that accounts for significantly less than one per cent of the province’s total electricity generating capacity, solar is gaining.

Edmonton Journal

BREEAM migrates to U.S.

When it comes to green building labels, Energy Star and LEED have plenty of name recognition in the United States. Now, real estate managers have another system to consider as an alternative for proving a property’s energy efficiency and sustainable operating credentials British based Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).

GreenBiz

Vancouver’s “zero-emission” ambitions

The modest four-storey building facing a park in Vancouver’s popular Kitsilano neighbourhood looks unmistakably modern compared to its neighbours. But just a look from the outside doesn’t show off what is truly different.  The Monad building is also a model for the aggressive new direction Vancouver wants to take to transform the city by 2050.

Globe and Mail – CBC.ca

Edmonton, Calgary residences high GHG emission producers

Calgary households generate more than three times the greenhouse gas emissions than their counterparts in Montreal, according to a study released Wednesday by the University of British Columbia.  Among seven major cities, Calgary households were second only to Edmonton in terms of emissions, the report found.

Ottawa Citizen

Green Building Councils unite globally

Green Building Councils globally are joining with cities world-wide to dramatically ramp up energy efficiency within buildings in a bid to double the rate of energy efficiency by 2030. The World Green Building Council and World Resources Institute’s Building Efficiency Accelerator are leading the initiative.

World Green Building Council

New building standard places premium on health

The WELL Building Standard is gaining traction in Canada.  It is the first building standard that that focuses exclusively on the health and wellness of the people who work in the building, paying close attention to the air, water, light, fitness, comfort, mental well-being, and even nourishment of the workers.

Daily Commercial News

The promise and problems of net-zero buildings

It is important to carefully integrate net-zero buildings into the power grid in order to prevent potential disruptions from the new technology, according to a new study that says net-zero buildings can also make the electric grid more sustainable.

Green Biz

Meet the top five net-zero innovators

Johnson Controls and SageGlass are among the top five companies leading innovation in net-zero building. 

GreenBiz

	New guide highlights energy efficiency leaders
	A guide to the key players in Canada’s smart energy communities space is now available and features companies that can help improve energy efficiency, enhance reliability, cut costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
	Globe-net.com, July 15, 2016

 

New tech looks to create smart, green buildings

Intel is developing a building management platform that will help real estate managers effortlessly monitor and control energy efficiency across their building portfolios.

GreenTech Media

Energy efficiency targeted in smaller buildings

New technologies are increasingly helping a large market –  small and medium sized buildings – reduce the amount of energy they consume.

Energy Manager Today

Singaporean company leads in realty sustainability

Singapore real estate giant, CDL, is showing the rest of the world how to create a sustainable property portfolio. It is ranked as one of the 10 most sustainable companies globally.

Eco-Business

India jump-starts LEED and WELL standards

Tata Housing will certify 20-million square feet of space to LEED and WELL standards. Back in June, USGBC and GBCI announced a strategic partnership with Tata Housing, one of India’s fastest-growing real estate development companies. The partnership is designed to jump-start the availability of LEED- and WELL-certified homes throughout India.

US GBC News Release

	Sustainable Biz is on Twitter
	SustainableBiz.ca opened February 2016 to provide news, information and commentary about environmental, social and governance issues as it pertains to sustainability.
	Follow BizSustainably, the most comprehensive news feed on Twitter for Canadian business concerned about sustainability.

 

Market Trends and Research

A grim map of California’s drought

While the country’s appetite for extreme weather news was filled (to the brim) this week by the polar vortex, spare a thought for sunny California, where exceptionally dry weather is provoking fears of a long, tough summer ahead. The state is facing what could be its worst drought in four decades.

CityLab

Commercial Green Buildings

Making buildings greener doesn’t have to be rocket science

For years, my brother complained about the heat in the summer cottage. I’d suggested that using a soaker hose to dampen the roof would turn the whole roof into a big air conditioning unit. He finally agreed to give it a try.

Read more

How many red buildings do you have in your portfolio?

Last year temperatures were the hottest on record, by a wide margin. According to the experts, it was a combination of El Niño and human activity. You only have to step out the door just about anywhere across Canada this summer to appreciate 2016 is out to give 2015 a run for its money.

Read more

Amazon goes for green roof in Seattle

The new Amazon.com Doppler and Meeting Centre in Seattle is incorporating a green roof, a growing trend that helps capture stormwater that would otherwise flow into city stormwater systems.

Commercial Property Executive

Dallas airport goes green

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has become the first carbon neutral airport in North America by switching to renewable energy sources and converting its bus fleet to compressed natural gas vehicles, among other low-carbon initiatives.

Government Programs and Incentives

U.S. Democrats focus on green buildings

Politics wasn’t the only thing under discussion at the recent Democratic National Convention. A number of panels focused on the importance of sustainable real estate. 

U.S. Green Building Council

Government Programs and Incentives

A new economy, a new LEED building

Croatia economy is steadily growing and its war-ravaged infrastructure is being given new life.  As if in recognition of Croatia’s resurgence, a new eight-story, 15,627 square meter LEED certified building—the Business Center Adris—recently opened for business. For the people of Croatia, this first-of-its-kind structure.

U.S. GBC

Corporate Sustainability

Joel Solomon: Vancouver’s smart financier

While he’s best known as the money behind Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Joel Solomon has been quietly building a reputation as one of the city’s smartest financiers. The 180-degree outlook from Joel Solomon’s 10th-floor patio deck is a perfect metaphor for his complicated and sometimes controversial world view.

BC Business

Cliff Majersik answers four quick questions

True or false: Many of the practices considered to have the best “bang for the buck” when it comes to promoting energy-efficient buildings are essentially standard operating procedure for most large real estate companies, including REITs? 

REIT.com

Competing REIT sustainability standards sow confusion

A dozen or so competing real estate sustainability standards present sustainability managers with difficult choices as they figure out how to find the best data related to energy, sustainability and governance, according to RealFoundations, a real estate consulting firm. 

REIT.com

Report finds sustainability and performance linked

A growing body of evidence tells us that companies with rigorous environmental, social and governance (ESG) programs outperform their peers. A 2015 report, an expansive review of more than 200 academic studies, news articles, books and industry reports, illustrated just how strong the link between sustainability and performance truly is.

REIT.com

Bikes and The City

New Bloor bike lanes in Toronto must pass ‘rigorous’ tests

In an effort to defuse the “war on the car” rhetoric that surfaces in most city hall debates over cycling, the new Bloor Street West bike lanes will be subject to an unprecedented battery of tests to evaluate their impact both on traffic flow and local businesses.

Globe and Mail

Waste Management

Wastewater plants strive for net-zero operations

Net-zero operations are within reach of wastewater treatment plants, says a new study. The study is meant to demonstrate ways the facilities can operate solely on the energy from the water and wastes they treat.

Water Canada

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