CAGBC announces new iteration of Zero Carbon Building standard
The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) introduced the latest version of its Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard earlier this month.
The council says the updated standard reflects evolving market needs and takes advantage of new technologies and processes to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions.
“The standard goes further than ever before, evolving in lockstep with the market,” said CAGBC’s vice president of green building programs and innovation, Mark Hutchinson. “Informed by hundreds of zero carbon building projects and the input of our technical advisory committees, this new version of the Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard is raising the bar for requirements on embodied carbon and electrification, reflecting the direction of the Canadian real estate sector. Yet, we’ve retained the flexibility of multiple pathways to zero to ensure every project can begin their decarbonization journey today.”
The updated addresses the building sector’s increasing need to achieve zero carbon buildings and deep carbon retrofits that can minimize emerging risks related to carbon and safeguard the value of building assets.
“The expectations of investors, tenants and policymakers are changing,” said Thomas Mueller, CAGBC’s President and CEO. “As real estate companies adopt ESG commitments and all levels of government implement climate policies, companies are increasingly required to follow and disclose their carbon emissions. With international carbon accounting and disclosure requirements bearing down on Canada, decarbonizing assets and whole portfolios is becoming a critical business priority. CAGBC is working with the Canadian real estate sector and governments to ensure efforts are aligned to drive toward tangible outcomes.”
Changes included in the newest version of the standard focus on embodied carbon, onsite combustion, resiliency, electrical grid impact, refrigerants, and building transition plans.
“To meet climate goals and to retain building value, every new building must be zero-carbon,” the council says. “CAGBC’s ZCB standards help developers, investors, and owners advance their transition to zero.”
In May, the council announced it had certified its 100th building in Canada under its Zero Carbon Building standards.