# Green building in Canada

Green building in Canada refers to the design, construction, and operation of Canadian buildings with a focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, and reduced environmental impact on the Canadian environment.
The practice has developed in response to concerns about climate change, resource consumption, and urban development in Canada.
Various initiatives, including polices, regulations and third-party certification systems such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) influence the adoption of green building practices across the country.
The Canadian government, along with provincial and municipal authorities, has implemented various evolving strategies like advancements in materials, energy systems, and building technologies to support sustainable construction, including financial incentives, updated building codes, and emissions reduction targets
This article provides an overview on green building in Canada, including its policies, certification programs, notable projects, ongoing challenges, affordability, and design strategies.

## Background

The development of green building practices in Canada has been shaped by evolving environmental awareness, advancements in building science, and government initiatives. Early discussions on sustainability in construction were influenced by broader environmental movements and research on energy efficiency and climate-responsive design. Over time, the focus on reducing energy consumption and minimizing environmental impact led to the introduction of policies and programs aimed at improving building performance.
In response to rising energy costs and environmental concerns, Canada introduced initiatives such as the R-2000 Home Program in the late 1980s to promote energy-efficient residential construction. Throughout the following decades, additional programs expanded to address commercial buildings, indoor air quality, and the use of sustainable materials. These efforts contributed to the development of national standards and policies supporting energy efficiency and emissions reduction in the building sector.
In March 2006, Canada's first green building point of service, Light House Sustainable Building Centre, opened on Granville Island in the heart of Vancouver, BC. A destination for the public and professionals alike, the Light House resource centre is funded by Canadian government departments and businesses to help implement green building practices and to recognize the economic value of green building as a new regional economy.

## Government Policies and Initiatives
### Federal Strategies

The Government of Canada has implemented several strategies to promote green building practices and transition towards a net-zero emissions future. These initiatives aim to enhance energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the resilience of the building sector.

#### Canada Green Building Strategy

The Canada Green Buildings Strategy (CGBS) is a federal initiative aimed at making homes and buildings across the country more energy-efficient, affordable, and resilient to climate change. The strategy focuses on three main areas consisting of accelerating retrofits, building green from the start, and shaping the future of the buildings sector. It promotes the use of cleaner energy sources for heating and cooling, encourages sustainable construction materials, and supports measures to protect buildings from extreme weather. The goal is to improve energy efficiency while addressing housing affordability and economic growth.

#### Key Programs

The federal government has introduced several programs to support greener buildings. The Canada Greener Homes Grant and Canada Greener Homes Loan help homeowners make energy-efficient upgrades. The Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program provides support for switching to cleaner heating systems. The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program funds energy-efficient retrofits for public buildings, while the Greening Government Strategy focuses on making federal buildings more sustainable. These initiatives involve collaboration with provinces, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and private sector partners to drive progress toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.

### Provincial and Municipal
#### Green Municipal Fund

The Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is a program administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) that provides financial support for environmental projects undertaken by municipal governments in Canada. Funded by the Government of Canada, the program offers grants, loans, and loan guarantees to assist municipalities in initiatives that focus on improving air, water, and soil quality, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The GMF supports projects at various stages, including planning, feasibility studies, pilot initiatives, and full-scale capital projects.
Eligibility for GMF funding includes municipal governments, municipally owned corporations, non-profit affordable housing providers, and municipal partners such as private sector entities, Indigenous communities, and non-governmental organizations. The application process differs depending on each of the 2 primary funding streams, with Community Efficiency Financing (CEF) projects requiring a two-stage process and Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) projects allowing continuous application intake. The GMF is structured to provide financial and technical support to municipalities working toward sustainability and environmental resilience.

#### R-2000 & EnerGuide

Natural Recourses Canada (NRCan) implemented the voluntary R-2000 Home Program 1982 service organizations and certified professionals across the country to enhance construction building codes to increase energy efficiency and promote sustainability. Homes meeting the standard must comply with energy performance requirements that go beyond conventional building codes, with a focus on air quality, insulation, and efficiency in heating and cooling systems. The program has been updated several times to reflect changes in building science and technology. In 1995, technical requirements were advised to lower energy consumption targets and introduce indoor air quality and environmental considerations. Further updates, such as those in 2012, incorporate stricter energy efficiency measures and additional performance criteria like and not limited to enhanced air tightness, improved ventilation systems, stringent insulation requirements, advanced window performance.
A feature that functions alongside the R-2000 home program to asses its efficiency is the EnerGuide rating service. This service is available across Canada, allows home builders and home buyers to measure and rate the performance of their homes, and confirm that those specifications have been met.
Regional initiatives based on R-2000 include Energy Star for New Homes, Built Green, Novoclimat, GreenHome, Power Smart for New Homes, and GreenHouse.

## Canadian Green Building Certification Programs
### LEED Canada

Established in December 2002, the Canada Green Building Council obtained an exclusive licence in July 2003 from the United States Green Building Council to adapt the LEED rating system to Canadian circumstances. The path for LEED's entry to Canada had already been prepared by BREEAM-Canada, an environmental performance assessment standard released by the Canadian Standards Association in June 1996. The American authors of LEED-NC 1.0 had borrowed heavily from BREEAM-Canada in the outline of their rating system; and in the assignment of credits for performance criteria. The Canadian LEED for Homes rating system was released on March 3, 2009.

### BOMA BEST

The Building Owners and Managers Association manages the BOMA BEST (Building Environment Standards) certification, replacing their Go Green and Go Green Plus programs.

## Notable green buildings

* VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre
* Beamish-Munro Hall at Queen's University features sustainable construction methods such as high fly-ash concrete, triple-glazed windows, dimmable fluorescent lights and a grid-tied photovoltaic array.
* Gene H. Kruger Pavilion at Laval University uses largely nonpolluting, nontoxic, recycled and renewable materials as well as advanced bioclimatic concepts that reduce energy consumption by 25% compared with a concrete building of the same dimensions. The structure of the building is made entirely out of wood products, thus further reducing the environmental impact of the building.
* The Greenstone Building, which houses federal government offices in Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories, became the first LEED Gold certified building in Northern Canada in 2007.
* The City of Calgary Water Centre officially opened June 4, 2008 at the Manchester Centre with a minimum Green Building Council of Canada’s Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) level certification. The 183,000-square-foot (17,000 m$^2$) office building is 95 per cent day lit, conserves energy and water and fosters a productive, healthy environment for visitors and employees alike.
* Rodeo Fine Homes development in Newmarket, Ontario is first in Canada to be built entirely to LEED platinum eco-standard. The 34 homes in the EcoLogic development by Rodeo Fine Homes will use at least 50 per cent less water, have 35 per cent fewer discharge flows and generate 60 per cent less solid waste, greenhouse gas production and energy consumption than conventional homes. Local suppliers are featured, such as Forest Stewardship Council certified lumber from Kott Lumber in Stouffville and Mississauga cabinet manufacturer Aya produced the urea formaldehyde-free EVO cabinetry.