Defining carbon neutral seems straightforward, at least in theory. To be carbon neutral is simply to have ‘net zero’ carbon emissions. But when trying to develop and promote carbon neutral buildings, determining what exactly counts as carbon neutral can lead to debate among industry members.

In the white paper, What is a Carbon Neutral Building, the Light House Sustainable Building Centre calls attention to this lack of clarity.

“Even when (carbon neutral) is well-defined, there are discrepancies between definitions such as the scope of emissions sources included, the targets for reductions of emissions and the quality of offsets used,” it states.

The paper concludes that a third party standard is required because there are many different definitions of a carbon neutral building.

“There is discussion going on (within the industry) about what constitutes a carbon neutral building,” says Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).

He explains the commonly held view is that carbon neutrality refers to a building that achieves zero carbon emissions through energy use and ongoing operations.

That said, there are different ways of achieving this goal. Mueller says building design, reduced energy usage, and on-site or off-site renewable energy sources – including solar, geothermal and wind – all play a role.

Carbon offsets, or credits, can also be used to balance emissions. However, they are, what Mueller calls, a “short-term solution.”

“It is a transitional requirement, not an end-game,” he says.

This is because carbon credits, which can include paying to plant forests, still require measurable reductions of carbon somewhere down the road to eliminate emissions.

As part of its Greenest City 2020 Action Plan, Vancouver will require all buildings constructed from 2020 onwards to be carbon neutral in their operations.

According to the city’s green building program manager, Mark Hartman, Vancouver classifies “carbon neutral building operations” as properties that use a low or zero carbon source for heating and hot water systems, and 50 per cent less electricity than the city’s current building code.

To meet this goal, the city has implemented three strategies for multi-residential and commercial buildings:

• Update Vancouver’s building bylaw over the coming years to require increasingly efficient performance up until 2020. This will allow developers to implement new sustainable practices and strategies incrementally.
• Update rezoning policies so that larger developments are required to meet a higher green standard. This will essentially require rezoning to build to future versions of the building code.
• Encourage the development of low carbon district energy systems in high-growth areas of the city, and require new properties in these locations to be adaptable in order to connect with future district heating systems.

“We have the technology to build carbon neutral buildings today but moving the dial on mainstream construction practices will take considerable time,” explains Hartman.

He says that energy-efficient buildings will ultimately lead to benefits, through lower operating costs over the life span of a building.

“The intent is that any incremental costs for a high-performance building would be offset through reduced operation costs – namely reduced energy bills and increased building durability,” he says.

However, one barrier preventing carbon neutral buildings from becoming mainstream tomorrow is basic economics.

“We don’t have strong regulations against carbon (in Canada),” says Mueller, adding that the abundance of cheap natural gas means buildings do not have to aim for energy efficiency. “There are no incentives for developers.”

But while developers may not always see the business case for carbon neutrality, Mueller says tenants and socially responsible corporations have taken up the push for green buildings. Pension funds are also investing in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings as part of their strategies.

“These buildings do actually provide a very good rate of return (for commercial owners),” he says.

Mueller’s main takeaway is that reducing carbon emissions, and trying to achieve carbon neutrality, is dependent on many factors. What is feasible in a development can come down to a building’s location.

Buildings in British Columbia receive much of their electricity from hydro, which is a significant advantage for achieving carbon neutrality. But not all cities are so lucky.

“If you’re in Edmonton, where you get electricity from coal, it is a lot harder,” says Mueller.

He points out that there are stepping stones toward carbon neutrality: there is low carbon, carbon neutral and carbon positive (a property that reduces more carbon than it uses).

“It’s a path of continuous improvement,” says Mueller.

And this path can be seen in Vancouver. Hartman says that after 2020, the city may look into reducing emissions from the manufacturing of materials used in buildings and construction practices.

Vancouver is not alone in the quest to reduce carbon emissions. Hartman points out that many North American cities have set goals to meet the Architecture 2030 Challenge, which requires an overall 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by the time Vancouver reaches its 2020 goal date.

“Vancouver will certainly have no shortage of competition in its plan to lead the world in green building and construction,” he says.

Daniel Viola is the online editor of Building Strategies & Sustainability and Canadian Property Management magazines. He is also the editor of Property Management Report.