Green influencers at all career stages underpin the growing synergy of expertise and commitment around net-zero carbon in the construction, commercial real estate and facilities management sectors. The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) has bestowed 2023 leadership awards to four individuals and a company at the forefront of adopting and driving sustainable policies, practices and products.
“Celebrating leadership in advancing our thinking and our practices enables the green building community to recognize the progress we have made together,” Thomas Mueller, CAGBC’s president and chief executive officer, observed as the award winners were announced late last week to cap off the annual Building Lasting Change national conference in Vancouver. “The commitment and innovation represented by these award winners is what we need to move the industry forward at scale.”
Michael Brooks, chief executive officer of REALPAC, was honoured with CAGBC’s lifetime achievement to recognize contributions within his own industry organization and in multiple national and global advisory roles. In addition to steering REALPAC’s membership of many of Canada most prominent commercial real estate companies, property funds and investment managers, Brooks is a business advisor to Canada’s Sustainable Development Advisory Council and a member of the board of directors of the World Green Building Council. He previously served as a member of the property working group advising the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative and on the board of GRESB BV.
“Michael is a valued member of the green building community and is an ardent champion of sustainability and climate action,” Mueller affirmed. “His years of support for CAGBC’s mission to transform the industry has made a significant difference in shaping our strategy and programs.”
Kathy Wardle, principal and regional director of regenerative design with the architecture and design firm, Perkins&Will, was named CAGBC’s 2023 green champion. She spearheads the firm’s ESG strategy and is currently guiding several development proponents, including the University of Calgary and the University of British Columbia, in implementation of CAGBC’s zero carbon building standard.
Hillary Geer, an energy specialist with EQ Building Performance, is the CAGBC’s 2023 emerging green leader. She is a professional engineer and WELL accredited professional, working with developers pursuing a range of standards, including LEED, Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard, WELL, One Planet Living, Toronto Green Standard and Passive House.
André Cazelais received the government leadership award for 30+ years of efforts at the City of Montreal. Currently, he is head of ecological transformation and innovation within the city’s building planning and management services division, and was a key proponent in the development and implementation of policy requiring all new municipal buildings to achieve LEED Gold certification. Russell Horne, supervisor of energy and asset management for the City of Kingston, also received an honourable mention in this category.
Nerva Energy Group Inc. was recognized as the 2023 green building visionary for its AeroBarrier technology, supporting air-tightness of the building envelope. The technology is a GreenGuard Gold certified system for sealing leaks, which is applied internally. It contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other ingredients on the Living Building Challenge’s watch list of problematic substances, making it compatible for LEED, WELL or Fitwel certification requirements.
