The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) says LEED registered projects in Canada now total more than one billion square feet.
Provinces leading the pack across Canada at the end of 2016 are Ontario (147 certifications), Quebec (103), British Columbia (62), Alberta (61) and Manitoba (10). With a total of 406 LEED projects certified between January 1 and December 31, 2016, these numbers bring the grand total of certified projects in Canada to 2,990.
”We have just 13 years to reach aggressive national and international commitments to climate change,” says CaGBC President and CEO Thomas Mueller, commenting on the move to a low carbon economy. ”Our members, stakeholders and the green building industry have proven that we are ready to take on this challenge. With over one billion square feet of LEED projects across the country, a new more rigorous version of LEED, and the release of a net zero carbon standard for Canada coming mid-year – it is evident that we are ready to hit the ground running and do our part in the countdown to 2030.“
CaGBC is pushing higher standards for the performance of buildings (both new and existing) through LEED v4, and is providing Canada’s first guideline and third-party verification for zero carbon buildings. In addition, it is expanding research and consultations on existing buildings to determine how Canada’s infrastructure can be better managed and retrofitted – both to stimulate job growth and reduce GHG emissions.
Final 2016 totals of LEED certification level were:
- 70 LEED Certified
- 154 LEED Silver
- 152 LEED Gold
- 30 LEED Platinum
The rise of green building and its influence on climate policy in Canada is also detailed in an update to the LEED in Motion: Canada report from the U.S. Green Building Council, published on January 18, 2017, which includes key highlights on CaGBC’s progress in advocating for green buildings in 2016.
