Paper 4c: Green Residential Building in North America:

The Benefits of a North American Strategy: 

A Perspective from Canada

The Sheltair Group (Innes Hood)
1

Contents

Summary _____________________________________________________________________ i

Context_____________________________________________________________________ i

Scope ______________________________________________________________________ ii

Potential Benefits ____________________________________________________________ ii

The Challenge ______________________________________________________________ iii

Creating a North American Vision for Green Residential Buildings _________________ iii

Realizing the Vision _________________________________________________________ vii

Chapter 1: – Introduction ________________________________________________________ 1

1.1 The Benefits of a North American Green Residential Building Vision______________ 1

1.2 Creating a North American Vision for Green Residential Building ________________ 3

Chapter 2: Background __________________________________________________________ 6

2.1 Baseline Information ______________________________________________________ 6

Chapter 3: Benefits of and Barriers to Green Residential Building ______________________ 16

3.1 The Benefits of Green Residential Building ___________________________________ 16

3.2 The Barriers to Increased Green Residential Building__________________________ 18

Chapter 4: Government Coordination _____________________________________________ 21

4.1 Coordination Among Multiple Levels of Government __________________________ 21

Chapter 5: Goals and Targets ____________________________________________________ 23

5.1 The Implementation Framework – Developing Goals and Targets for Residential 

Green Building _____________________________________________________________ 23

5.2 Proposed Vision Statement ________________________________________________ 27

5.3 Implementation Impacts __________________________________________________ 27

Chapter 6: Strategies ___________________________________________________________ 30

6.1 Actions and Strategies ____________________________________________________ 30

Strategy #1 – SHARED DIRECTIONS _________________________________________ 31

Strategy #2 – GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS_________________________________ 32

Strategy #3 – ANALYTICAL MODELS ________________________________________ 32

Strategy #4a – FINANCIAL INCENTIVES: Supply Side __________________________ 33

Strategy #4b – FINANCIAL INCENTIVES: Demand Side_________________________ 34

Strategy #5 – AWARDS PROGRAMS__________________________________________ 34

Strategy #6a – INDUSTRY EDUCATION ______________________________________ 35

Strategy #6b – PUBLIC EDUCATION _________________________________________ 35
2

Strategy #7 – PROCESS ALIGNMENT ________________________________________ 36

Strategy #8 – EMPOWER GREEN BYLAWS ___________________________________ 36

Strategy #9 – ENHANCED REGULATION _____________________________________ 37

Strategy #10 – PRICING _____________________________________________________ 37

6.3 Evaluation and Analysis of Strategies _______________________________________ 38

Chapter 7: Recommendations ____________________________________________________ 39

7.1 Actions for Implementation________________________________________________ 39

Chapter 8: Conclusions _________________________________________________________ 41
Background Paper 4c—Green Residential Building in North America:

The Benefits of a North American Strategy: A Perspective from Canada i

Summary

Context

Homes and buildings are among the defining elements of the urban environment. They give a 

community its character and offer landmarks that create a sense of place and identity. Homes and 

buildings can make communities attractive places where people wish to live, work and play. The 

quality of the built environment has a strong influence on the quality of the urban experience, but 

this influence is much deeper than purely social or aesthetic. 

The environmental impacts of homes and buildings is profound, as the building sector in Canada is 

responsible for: 

• 33 percent of all energy consumed;

• 50 percent of natural resources used;

• 12 percent of non-industrial water usage;

• 25 percent of landfill waste;

• 10 percent of airborne particulates; and

• 35 percent of greenhouse gases.1

In North America, people spend almost 90 percent of their time inside buildings. Poor design and 

construction practices can have a significant effect on the health of the building’s occupants and 

can produce buildings that are expensive to operate and maintain, and costly to renovate to 

accommodate the occupants’ changing needs or life stages. These impacts disproportionately 

affect the elderly and less affluent social groups. 

Over 80 percent of Canada’s citizens live in cities. Therefore, developing strategies to support 

sustainable residential buildings also requires consideration of residential building form in the 

context of urban planning. Increasingly, citizens are turning their backs on city centers, preferring 

to live on the periphery. They rightly feel that their well-being is affected adversely by pollution 

and the state of housing in urban centers. This sprawl into peripheral areas is resource intensive, 

depletes agricultural land resources, generates higher levels of traffic, and weakens the heart of the 

city. In summary, it is not sustainable.

The housing industry is international. Therefore, developing strategies to reduce the environmental 

impact of housing will be of benefit from an international perspective. For example:

• Building components designed in the United States may be manufactured in Mexico, and 

assembled on-site in Canada. 

• Product standards are increasingly international, with ongoing efforts to harmonize 

performance metrics across national boundaries. 

• Costs and environmental impacts of construction materials and practices are increasing 

globally and transcend boundaries.

A premise of this work is that enhanced integration and harmonization among Canadian, Mexican, 

and US construction industries will support improved environmental performance in the industry. 

 1(CaGBC 1, pg. 2)
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It is within this context that the current research seeks to offer a common vision to support 

enhanced environmental performance of the residential building sector, as well as providing a set 

of strategies to move the industry towards sustainability. 

Scope

While the issues associated with green buildings transcend traditional sectoral boundaries, the 

scope of the current analysis is the residential construction industry. Although social, economic 

and environmental aspects of sustainability are intimately interwoven, this study focuses on the 

environmental imperative, while acknowledging the other aspects of sustainability. The primary 

environmental impacts associated with housing include:

• Depletion of arable land resources and associated loss of habitat;

• Non-renewable energy use and associated emissions of greenhouse gas emissions;

• Water consumption; 

• Consumption of non-renewable resources; and 

• Emissions of waste into the atmosphere, aquatic bodies and ground.

Potential Benefits

Improving the ways that buildings and the built environment are designed, constructed, renovated 

and demolished has the potential to make significant improvements in the social, environmental 

and economic performance of communities and enhance the quality of life of citizens. When 

compared to conventional housing, green housing can significantly lessen these impacts by: 

• increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions—climate change 

contributions associated with a conventional inefficient building can be reduced by more 

than 70 percent when both material and energy use effects are minimized;2

• reducing water usage—green 

buildings can reduce potable 

water needs from 10 to 50 

percent and the generation of 

sewage waste from 50 to 75 

percent;3

• improving indoor air quality—

The use of non-toxic materials 

and natural ventilation is less 

harmful to the environment and 

to the health of occupants;

• consuming fewer resources for 

 2 (CGBC p. 8)

3 (GBC 1.1 p.3)

Objectives:

The objective of this report is to propose a vision and identify strategies and 

recommendations aimed at promoting more sustainable residential construction in a North 

American context.

A recent report by the Canadian Green Building Council 

describes the purpose of green buildings as follows:

Green buildings strive to balance environmental, economic, 

and social considerations in design, construction and operation. 

Energy, water and resource efficiency; occupant comfort and 

well-being; site development and community context; and the 

economics of building construction and operation are key 

considerations. In comparison to conventional buildings, green 

buildings take advantage of natural processes to generate less 

waste, less pollution, and reduce their overall environmental 

footprint.
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construction and operation—The use of local and reused materials can reduce 

construction and demolition waste by up to 90 percent and reduce operational waste by 

60 percent. 

In addition to the environmental benefits identified above, promoting the use of innovative green 

technologies can:

• enhance the quality of life and offer customer satisfaction, 

• offer flexibility and the potential to cater for user changes in the future, 

• provide and support desirable natural and social environments, 

• increase investment in people and equipment for a competitive economy, 

• achieve higher growth while reducing pollution and maximising the efficient use of 

resources, 

• share the benefits of growth more widely and more fairly, 

• improve our towns and protect the quality of the countryside, and 

• contribute to sustainable development throughout North America.

The Challenge

Supporting the development of a green and sustainable residential construction industry requires 

an understanding of the challenges to innovation facing the industry. As shown in Figure 1, 

challenges facing the industry include: 

1. Industry fragmentation; 

2. An industry focus on price and first cost instead of value;

3. Lack of performance targets beyond the minimum code requirements.

These challenges result in increased environmental impacts of housing, a cyclical boom/bust cycle 

in the industry and unmet user needs.

Figure 1: Industry Challenges, Impacts and Outcomes

Creating a North American Vision for Green Residential Buildings

The Vision

A North American vision for green residential building could result in the creation of a common 

set of sustainability principles and planning or design tools for green construction, with each 

country having region/context-appropriate policies and programs to address differences in building 

codes, regulatory environments, and climate. These tools would be used to enhance quality of life 

and balance environmental, economic, and social considerations and would reduce environmental 

Challenges

• Material and laborintensive

• Fragmentation

• Price- not valuebased

• Lack of performance 

metric

Impacts

• High resource use

• Labor intensity

• Slow to innovate

• No focus on end user

Outcomes

• Environmental impact

• Boom/bust

• Needs not met
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impacts through construction, operation and retrofit activities which focus on minimizing on a 

broader, life-cycle basis rather than short-term costs.

Achieving this vision will require more than just mitigating the environmental aspects of the 

construction industry. Rather, it will require a new way of thinking about the industry—one that 

fosters a long-term perspective, broad capacity building, and evolution to a service-based industry. 

This is reflected in the objectives proposed below for a green residential construction industry.

The Strategies

To support green residential buildings, a market transformation strategy is proposed to achieve the 

objectives noted above. Rather than prescribing the construction of buildings with specific ‘green’

building characteristics, the goal is to transform the market so that ‘green’ buildings are demanded 

and supplied, and so that the marketplace innovates continuously toward increasingly improved 

performance. Strategies proposed to enhance the performance of residential buildings include:

Strategy #1 – Shared Directions

1.1 Develop/adopt high–performance-enabling strategies / building policies to influence green 

buildings and to phase them into the regulatory environment for residential sector.

1.2 Explore opportunities for partnerships (federal government, Canada Green Building 

Council, utilities, municipalities)

1.3 Develop / adopt enabling strategies for the private sector

Residential Sector Vision:

Residential Buildings are designed, constructed, operated and decommissioned in a 

manner that supports a healthy, vibrant, inclusive and environmentally efficient economy, 

to support the well-being of Canada’s citizens and meet their needs in a sustainable 

manner, being sensitive to natural systems and working in harmony with them.

Objectives of a Green Residential Construction Sector

Environmental Stewardship Value, Not Price

Reduce consumption Life-cycle thinking

Renewable use of resources Define and monitor performance

Internalization of costs by occupants Communicate performance

Innovative and Learning Knowledge-based, Service-oriented

Create environmental tools Information-based processes

New materials and products Enhance quality

Continual improvement Provide service, not product
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Strategy #2 – Guidelines And Standards

2.1 Establish an integration team to help coordinate independent green guidelines and standards 

initiatives occurring across the country

2.2 Adopt a set number of standard building evaluation tools best suited to 

region/climate/density. Promote adoption in regions, provinces and municipalities, and 

facilitate their translation to other building types and market segments.

2.3 Develop an inter-jurisdictional ‘green’ building technical guideline (a multi-faceted toolkit) 

for residential construction (new/renovation, detached/townhouse/multi-unit, low-/med-/hirise). 

Strategy #3 – Analytical Models

3.1 Develop a common, simple and user-friendly assessment tool for infrastructure and 

environmental impacts of capital development.

3.2 Develop a life-cycle costing tool that incorporates risk assessment.

3.3 Develop/adopt a user-friendly energy consumption-modeling tool (coordinate / package 

available tools: e.g., CBIP-EE4, DOE-2, HomeRun).

3.4 Develop valuation procedures to account for the benefit of owning and operating a green 

building

Strategy #4a – Financial Incentives: Supply Side

4a.1 Establish a team, including financial authorities within governments, to complete a 

benefit/cost analysis on all supply- and demand-side financial incentives listed.

4a.2 Revise development cost charges (DCC) to account for ‘green' building features.

4a.3 Provide zoning/development bonuses for certified ‘green’ buildings.

4a.4 Develop and promote a national and international marketing program for Canadian ‘green’

building products and services.

4a.5 Leverage existing programs to provide financing incentives for private sector ‘green’

building upgrades.

4a.6 Provide a one-stop service center for access to all ‘green’ building financial incentives 

(supply- and demand-side audiences).

4a.7 Support government and industry partnerships to develop the capacity for supporting 

targeted R&D in green building design, technologies and products.

Strategy #4b – Financial Incentives: Demand Side

4b.1 Establish and/or enhance sustainable mortgage programs to decrease interest rates, increase 

approved property value, decrease down payment to favor ‘green’ buildings.

4b.2 Work with assessment offices to investigate a property appraisal method that recognizes the 

value of ‘green’ built space.

4b.3 Provide grants and low-cost loans as a coordinated and integrated suite of opportunities for 

green materials, components, systems and buildings (new or retrofit).

4b.4 Encourage uptake of graduated utility rates to encourage conservation and penalize 

excessive consumption (electricity, gas, water, sewer, storm water, etc.).

4b.5 Provide a one-stop service center for access to all ‘green’ building financial incentives 

(supply- and demand-side audiences).
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Strategy #5 – Awards Programs

5.1 Showcase ‘green’ buildings built in Canada. Take an exhibition of these projects on a crossCanada tour.

5.2 Develop an Awards Program for finished projects, recognizing all categories of stakeholders 

in collaboration with industry and other building industry award programs. 

Strategy #6a – Industry Education 

6a.1 Establish a ‘virtual’ green building technical resource and outreach center with targeted 

materials for all stakeholders in the building industry.

6a.2 Develop partnerships with the development industry, trade and professional associations, 

public agencies, universities and non-profit organizations to cooperate on curriculum 

development and training, research and development, networking and continuous learning.

6a.3 Develop/implement a targeted awareness campaign to illustrate benefits of: a) improved 

bottom line (including life-cycle cost analysis), b) increased market value and return on 

investment, c) better learning environments, d) improved productivity, e) increased retail 

sales, f) increased comfort, g) intangible values.

Strategy #6b – Public Education

6b.1 Conduct a general outreach campaign to key decision-makers within the community.

6b.2 Support point-of-purchase outreach for homebuyers as well as consumers (and realtors) of 

home construction and renovation materials and services. 

6b.3 Enhance school curricula with a unit on green buildings in addition to cross-disciplinary 

curricula on sustainable development and sustainable business. 

Strategy #7 – Process Alignment 

7.1 Implement an integrated permitting process within municipal approval processes, including 

expedited processing for green building submissions.

7.2 Consolidate government capital and operational budgets and integrate interdepartmental 

government infrastructure development teams.

7.3 Disseminate information on alternative forms of relationship contracting (3P, Design-build, 

Build-Own-Operate, etc.) 

Strategy #8 – Empower Green Bylaws 

8.1 Allow municipalities to enforce green development commitments.

8.2 Amend the Local Government Act to allow financial support for cleaning up brownfield 

sites. 

Strategy #9 – ENHANCED REGULATION

9.1 Amend building codes to include clear processes for obtaining equivalencies. 

9.2 Amend building codes to promote best practices. 

Strategy #10 – PRICING

10.1 Account for externalities in pricing natural resources.

10.2 Remove price subsidies for infrastructure and energy. 
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Targets

Targets are an essential component to enhancing performance, as they provide a means to measure 

progress towards a stated vision. Each of the strategies identified above will have associated with it 

a set of impacts and expected outcome. In aggregate, high-level environmental indicators and 

targets for the residential sector are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1: Environmental Targets for Residential Construction in 2030

Indicator Target for 2030

Depletion of arable land resources 

and associated loss of habitat

All new residential development occurs within a defined 

Urban Containment Boundary

Non-renewable energy use and 

associated emissions of greenhouse 

gas emissions

Eliminate non-renewable energy consumption associated 

with construction and operation of residence

Water consumption Water needs are provided within the capacity of the local 

watershed

Consumption of non-renewable 

materials 

Non-renewable materials are 100 percent recycled

Emissions of waste into the 

atmosphere, aquatic bodies and 

ground

Eliminate emissions of toxic waste into the atmosphere, 

aquatic bodies and ground associated with the construction, 

operation and demolition of residential buildings

Realizing the Vision

Following the European example, the three North American countries will require, first and 

foremost, a common vision for green residential building. It must be recognized that the barriers to 

the proliferation of green residential construction within Canada will be magnified by working 

across international borders. Both the diversity of the actors involved as well as the regulatory and 

non-regulatory barriers will need to be addressed and overcome. 

Coordination, particularly at the strategic level, will require trilateral agreement on the objectives 

of a sustainable residential construction sector, including:

• A consistent and comprehensive protocol to promote environmental stewardship

• Tools to support innovation and learning

• Performance metrics and tools to support value over price, and

• Capacity building within the industry to support a knowledge-based, service-oriented industry.

Just as the European Commission drove the process in Europe, the creation of a common vision or 

framework for green residential building across North America will require the leadership of an 

organization representing the interests of all three countries. The CEC may provide an instrumental 

role in driving the process of establishing a North American vision.

It must be stressed that this is not a job only for governments. Other key players such as the 

building industry and the financial sector must recognize the value in green homes and have a 

desire to promote their construction. In the end, consumer demand will be the main driving force 

for green residential. If green is seen as desirable, the market will respond.
Background Paper 4c

—Green Residential Building in North America:

The Benefits of a North American Strategy: A Perspective from Canada viii
Background Paper 4c—Green Residential Building in North America:

The Benefits of a North American Strategy: A Perspective from Canada 1

Chapter 1: – Introduction

1.1 The Benefits of a North American Green Residential Building Vision

A North American vision for green residential building can lead to common approach to green 

construction across the three North American countries, whether through the promotion of green 

building practices at the national or local levels, harmonization of green building standards, 

and/or facilitation of trade in green building products and technologies. These actions can have 

significant environmental, social, and economic benefits for Canada, Mexico, and the United 

States, individually and collectively. The three countries are facing many of the same social, 

environmental, and economic issues, particularly with regard to urban areas, including air 

quality, affordable housing, urban sprawl, aging infrastructure, and rising energy costs. However, 

local and national governments share the common objectives of resource conservation, increased 

health and wellbeing for citizens, and general economic prosperity. A North American vision for 

green residential building can assist governments in addressing these issues and meeting these 

objectives. 

A recent report by the Canadian Green Building Council describes the purpose of green 

buildings:

Green buildings strive to balance environmental, economic, and social considerations in design, 

construction and operation. Energy, water and resource efficiency; occupant comfort and wellbeing; site development and community context; and the economics of building construction and 

operation are key considerations. In comparison to conventional buildings, green buildings take 

advantage of natural processes to generate less waste, less pollution, and reduce their overall 

environmental footprint.

4

As appealing as green buildings may sound, they currently make up only a fraction of all new 

building construction in North America. This is due, in part, to the existence of numerous 

barriers that inhibit the wide-scale adoption of green building as well as to the large number of 

actors, levels of government, and regulations involved in the building industry. A North 

American vision for green residential building, supported by national and local strategies, could 

assist in overcoming these barriers. For example, a common vision would see resource-efficient, 

low impact, energy-efficient, healthy housing as the norm instead of the exception. This could be 

achieved though the creation of a common set of sustainability principles, accepted green 

standards, and planning tools for green construction, with each country having region/contextappropriate policies and programs to address differences in building codes, regulatory 

environments, and climate. These planning tools would be used to enhance quality of life and 

balance environmental, economic, and social considerations. 

However, the creation of a vision, principles, standards, and tools will be required a unified 

effort given that there are currently no green building practices, technologies, building codes, or 

building performance standards common to Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Indeed, 

 4 Canadian Green Building Council, CaGBC Municipal Green Building Toolkit (Ottawa: 2007), Chapter 1, p.3.
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practices, technologies, regulatory requirements, and performance standards often vary within

each country. For example, in Canada and the United States, building codes differ from province 

to province and from state to state. Generally desirable green building practices such as airtight 

construction may be effective in arid climates, but are problematic in rain forests due to humidity 

problems in building enclosures. As well, the same green building performance standard may 

have different requirements in different jurisdictions or be applicable only in certain locations. 

The Built Green Standard, for example, is valid only in Alberta and British Columbia and in 

certain US states. In Canada, the R2000 national standard for energy-efficient homes, is ideal for 

prairie environments, but can be problematic in humid areas. The Leadership in Energy and 

Environmental Design (LEED) performance standard, although widely recognized in both the 

US and Canada, currently applies only to multi-family residential buildings and is therefore 

relevant only in urban centers. In addition, performance metrics and certification requirements 

differ for all green building standards, and desirable green attributes and technologies vary from 

region to region. A North American vision could promote the use of recognized, quality green 

building standards that are appropriate to a variety of North American regulatory environments 

and climates. 

One of the goals of NAFTA is to promote trade and harmonization of environmental regulations 

across North America. Trade in green building technologies, however, is currently limited. This

may be because requisite testing and evaluation services for product acceptance in different 

jurisdictions can be difficult and costly. Moreover, test standards are not uniform across 

boarders, as technology objectives differ from place to place. For example, the ASTM 

International and the Canadian Standards Association have different performance targets for 

certain green technologies. As well, these standards are performance-based and provisions for 

environmental targets are absent. Incorporating region-specific environmental performance 

targets would promote the use of climate-appropriate products and technologies minimize the use 

of eco-inefficient products. Further, enhanced standards across North America could keep 

harmful or inefficient building products manufactured in one country from being dumped, and 

therefore used, in the market of another. The harmonization of product certification standards 

and the inclusion of environmental targets would facilitate and promote better quality and more 

environmentally friendly construction materials and methods within each country and trade of 

better products across boarders. 

A North American vision for green residential construction could also improve the 

competitiveness of the building construction industry by inspiring research and development 

activities and promoting knowledge sharing. Coordination of R&D and activities and networking 

between governments and key industry actors could speed product and technological innovations 

and transform the construction industry. A unified vision could also contribute to trade in new 

technologies and construction methods as well as to the harmonization of policies promoting 

green buildings. Increased trade would create markets for green building products and services 

and reduce costs and barriers to adopting new green housing components and technologies. 

At the building level, green residential homes have potential to generate such economic, 

environmental, and social benefits as: lower fuel/energy and water costs; lower environmental 

impact; improved indoor air quality; increased occupant comfort; lower maintenance costs; and 

increased market and resale value. These benefits, however, can be significantly magnified at the 
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community scale when green residential construction is integrated into sustainable community 

planning objectives. In developing a sustainable approach to land use, the challenge is to move 

from a separate use, automobile-oriented, low density planning paradigm to one that is 

integrated, mixed use, compact and pedestrian, cyclist and transit-oriented. This type of 

development is often called “smart growth.”

5

 Smart growth planning also advocates the use of 

green infrastructure, urban revitalization and a healthy working land base, and the creation of 

inclusive neighbourhoods and complete communities.6 A North American residential green 

building vision promoting green construction practices combined with smart growth principles 

and planning tools could change urbanization patterns, thereby reducing environmental impacts 

and resource needs, and contributing to the creation of more liveable and sustainable 

communities. 

1.2 Creating a North American Vision for Green Residential Building

Developing a vision promoting green residential buildings across North America will require a 

concerted effort across multiple levels of government and involve numerous key actors within 

each country. Such issues as sustainability principles and planning tools, green building 

objectives, green building standards and rating systems, common green product testing 

methods/codes; and accepted green building technologies will have to be considered and 

addressed. Although this may sound daunting, there is a best practice example of a continentwide approach to addressing pressing environmental concerns. 

1.2.1 Case Study: The European Union

The Commission of the European Communities’ Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment7

is one of seven European-scale thematic strategies intended to provide a holistic approach to key 

environmental issues that are characterized by their complexity, the diversity of actors 

concerned, and the need for innovative and multiple solutions. It was created in recognition of 

common problems facing Europe’s cities and towns and the opportunity, at the European Union 

level, to develop and facilitate the implementation of appropriate solutions. The goal was to 

develop a conceptual framework and implementation plan, which would be implemented at a 

local scale to achieve specific measurable benefits in European cities. The Thematic Strategy 

focuses on four cross-cutting themes, including sustainable urban management, sustainable urban 

transport, sustainable construction and sustainable urban design. 

The Commission’s vision with regards to sustainable construction was developed to support the 

strategy and provide guidance for its implementation at the local level. This vision states: 

Sustainable construction is a process where all the actors involved (e.g., owner, financier, 

engineer, architect, builder, material supplier, permitting authority) integrate functional, economic, 

 5 The 10 Smart Growth Principles can be found at: http://www.smartgrowth.bc.ca/index.cfm?Group_ID=3524

6 For a more detailed explanation of how green buildings contribute to the broader sustainability agenda see: West Coast 

Environmental Law, The Green Building Guide: Tools for Local Governments to Promote Site Sustainability (Vancouver, 2006), p. 9. 7 Commission of the European Communities, Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European 

Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Towards a Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment (Brussels, 2004).
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environmental and quality considerations to produce and renovate buildings and a built 

environment that is:

• Attractive, durable, functional, accessible, comfortable and healthy to live in and use, 

promoting the well-being of all that come into contact with it.

• Resource-efficient, in particular with respect to energy, materials and water, favoring the use 

of renewable energy sources and needing little external energy to function, making appropriate 

use of rain and ground water and correctly handling waste water, and using materials that are 

environmentally friendly, that can be readily recycled or reused, that contain no hazardous 

compounds and can be safely disposed of.

• Respects the neighborhood and local culture and heritage.

• Is competitively priced, especially when taking into account longer-term considerations, such 

as maintenance costs, durability and re-sale prices.

8

To move towards implementation, the Commission proposed that member states adopt 

international standards (e.g., setting high performance requirements using European harmonized 

standards and codes) and strengthen national programs (e.g., implementing a national sustainable 

construction program). Local authorities were encouraged to promote sustainable construction. 

In addition to Europe’s vision for sustainable construction and its strategy for a sustainable urban 

environment, the European Commission has recently created the European Construction 

Technology Platform (ECTP).9 Comprising stakeholders from every facet of the industry, 

including consumers, financiers, and academics, the ECTP’s objective is to raise the level of 

performance and competitiveness within the construction industry by analysing the major 

challenges faced by the sector in terms of society, sustainability, and technological development 

as well as to engage with and mobilise the wide range of leading skills, expertise, and talent 

available within the industry in order to meet the societal needs. These major challenges include:

• Creation of safe and healthy working and living environments for European citizens; 

• Participation in the work to streamline national and European legislation to create a truly 

common market for construction products and services; 

• Action to reduce the use of energy, materials, and other resources in construction and in 

the built environment; 

• Contribution to the improvement of the quality of the built environment that will be 

accessible for all; 

• Enhancement of the competitiveness of the European construction sector with respect to 

the USA and the low cost economies; and

• Creation of an understanding that the construction sector is innovative and researchdriven. 

The ECT has also developed its own vision for the European construction industry in 2030 that 

recognizes the transformation of the industry to a knowledge- and demand-driven sector with an 

emphasis on serving client and societal needs, contributing to quality of life and environmental 

health, meeting accessibility needs, and enhancing the attractiveness and competitiveness of the 

industry.10 Supporting this vision is the objective of becoming sustainable:

 8 Towards a Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment, p. 45. 9 See: http://www.ectp.org/default.asp 

10 See: http://www.ectp.org/documentation/ECTP-Vision2030-25Feb2005.pdf
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Europe combines ‘high tech’ with ‘high culture’, and is a natural leader in creating a sustainable 

built environment. The built environment links nature and citizens in a sustainable way. The built 

indoor environment enables health and comfort in living, moving and working. The negative 

impacts of construction’s whole life-cycle and of the built world on the environment are radically 

reduced, thereby substantially improving the sustainability of the construction sector in Europe, 

with policies such as zero-waste construction and an efficient use of all resources. Environmental 

life-cycle approaches are adopted for design, construction works, maintenance and operation, as 

well as in product development.11

Supported by and linked to the ECTP, numerous European countries have developed their own 

National Technology Platforms (NTPs). NTPs, led primarily by industry, share many common 

elements with the ECTP, such as involvement of all industry stakeholders and the aim of 

identifying technological, regulatory and financial challenges to improving the performance of 

the industry in terms of productivity and environmental impact. 

These European examples show us that green building can be promoted and mainstreamed at 

government and industry levels. Although this paper deals primarily with government actors, it is 

important to recognize that the construction industry has a key role to play in addressing 

economic and trade issues and in responding to societal expectations around the quality of the 

built environmental. 

Drawing from the European undertaking of creating a cross-border vision for sustainable 

construction, it becomes apparent that coordinated local, national, and international government 

efforts are essential, as well as the involvement of key industry actors. If North America were to 

follow the European example, national and local governments would work to build and 

strengthen residential building programs and set implementation targets. Consequently, it will be 

important for each country to understand the current state of green residential housing within its 

boarders. Particular attention should be paid the benefits of and barriers to the proliferation of 

green residential construction at the local and national levels, for it will be through the 

development and implementation of strategies to remove these barriers that the full benefits of 

green residential will be realized. These issues, as they pertain to Canada, are examined in the 

following chapters. 

 11 European Construction Technology Platform, Challenging and Changing Europe’s Built Environment: A vision for a sustainable and 

competitive construction by 2030 (Brussels: February 2005).
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Chapter 2: Background

2.1 Baseline Information 

2.1.1 History of Green Housing Activities in Canada

Green building has its roots in the solar and earthen homes constructed during the 1970s and 

1980s. The type and number of green homes grew as builders and developers began to 

incorporate other forms of energy efficiency and strategies for resource efficiency and healthy 

building materials. Over the last two decades, a variety of standards for green residential 

construction have been developed and are recognized across Canada. The best known of these 

standards include the following:

EnerGuide12

Run by the Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), 

EnerGuide is a national, voluntary program. Its purpose is to promote and improve energy 

efficiency for both new and existing homes. For new homes built to this standard, an EnerGuide 

advisor becomes involved prior to construction, reviewing building blueprints and 

recommending energy-saving upgrades concerning: 

• air leaks and sealing;

• the proposed structure's resistance to heat loss;

• the energy efficiency of building components such as windows and doors;

• passive solar heat gain and the house’s orientation;

• heating system efficiency and heat distribution; and

• air exchange systems, including exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms.

Based on the blower door testing and the upgrades implemented, homes are given an EnerGuide 

rating of 0-100. A typical new house has an Energuide rating of 68 to 70. An energy-efficient 

new house has an Energuide rating of 80.

R200013

Introduced in the 1980s, R-2000 is another initiative of the OEE. Also a national, voluntary 

standard, the R-2000 program is designed to promote the use of cost-effective, energy-efficient 

building practices and technologies. R-2000 homes must be constructed by R-2000 certified 

builders and meet rigorous energy consumption targets. They must also meet other technical 

requirements, including water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and recycled materials 

content. R-2000 homes are about 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional new homes 

and achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of at least 80 on the EnerGuide rating scale

 12 See: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/new-homes.cfm?attr=4 13 See: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/new-homes/r-2000/About-r-2000.cfm?attr=4
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Built Green14

Built Green is a certification program for new single-family homes and row houses. Managed by 

the Built Green Society of Canada, the program currently operates in Alberta and British 

Columbia. Its purpose is to encourage homebuilders to use resource-efficient and 

environmentally friendly technologies, practices and products. Certification (at the bronze, silver, 

or gold level) requires meeting minimum energy efficiency performance standards as well as 

achieving a set number of points from a prescriptive checklist addressing a range of "green" 

items. During different phases of construction, Built Green conducts random audits to verify 

conformance with the Built Green checklist. This standard makes use of EnerGuide, with a gold 

rating requiring a score of 77 or higher. 

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)15

Launched by the US Green Building Council and adopted by the Canadian Green Building 

Council (CaGBC), the LEED rating system certifies buildings as silver, gold or platinum based 

on a point system. The LEED rating system uses a whole-building perspective and takes into 

consideration the specific goals and constraints of each project. The rigorous performance 

standards evaluate the design, construction and operation of a building and require specific 

documentation for all credits. At present, the LEED system applies only to multi-family 

residential buildings, but a LEED for Homes standard is currently in the pilot phase.

2.1.2 Canada’s Housing Characteristics 

Housing Stock16

In 2001, according to that year’s national census, Canada had approximately 1.6 million 

occupied dwellings in its residential stock. Single detached homes constituted over half of that 

housing stock, maintaining a trend that has existed for the last 25 years. Detached homes are 

more prevalent in small centers and in rural areas, where they comprise over 80 percent of the 

housing stock. In large urban centers, higher land costs and density patterns result in a greater 

mix of housing types. 

Canada’s housing stock can be broken down as follows17: 

• Single detached: 57 percent

• Semi-detached: 4.9 percent

• Row house: 5.3 percent

• Single attached: 0.4 percent

• Duplex: 3.6 percent

• High-rise apartment: 9.1 percent

• Low-rise apartment: 18 percent

Housing Size 

While household size has been decreasing, the size of homes has been steadily increasing. In 

2001, the average number of occupants per private household was 2.6, compared to 3.6 in 

 14 See: http://www.builtgreencanada.ca/

15 See: http://www.usgbc.org 

16 Figures in this section are derived from Canada’s 2001Census. The 2006 Census results pertaining to dwelling characteristics will be 

released in September 2007. 17 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Canadian Housing Observer 2004 (Ottawa, 2004), p. 10. 
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1971.18 Still, new single-family homes built in the 1990s were, on average, up to twice the size 

of homes built in the 1940s.19 Since 1993, the average heated area of a detached single-family 

home has increased from 1378 sq. ft. to 1425 sq. ft.20 By comparison, row houses and low-rise 

apartments, with their significantly smaller footprints, average 861 sq. ft. and 1266 sq. ft., 

respectively.21

Occupancy and Land Development Patterns

Despite the trend to urbanization and a recent rise in the construction of multi-family dwellings, 

Canadians continue to own and inhabit single detached homes. In 2001, two-thirds of dwelling 

units were owner-occupied. Approximately 90 percent of single detached homes were owned, 

whereas 81 percent of low- and high-rise apartments were rented.

In 2001, 79.4 percent of Canadians lived in urban centers, more than double the figure of 100

years ago. According to a UN Report on World Urbanization Prospects (March 2002), Canada is 

projected to have 85.1 percent of its population residing in urban areas by 2030. Yet low density, 

dispersed development is still the norm in many Canadian municipalities. Even in locations with 

aggressive growth management policies, such as the Greater Vancouver Regional District 

(GVRD), the size of the urban environment (as measured by area of serviced land) is increasing 

faster than the population growth rate. This is known as urban sprawl. 22

One of the more pressing issues related to type and amount of land is the relative inefficiency of 

land use associated with single detached housing development. This is a significant issue for a 

number of major metropolitan areas in Canada, notably Toronto, the Lower Mainland of British 

Columbia, and the Calgary to Edmonton corridor. In the City of Vancouver in 2001, for 

example, single-family dwellings accounted for 28 percent of housing stock. Forty percent of the 

population lived in single-family dwellings that consumed 86 percent of the residential land area. 

Stated differently, 60 percent of Vancouver’s population is accommodated in non-single-family 

dwellings on only 15 percent of the residential land base.23

Current Demand and Consumer Preferences

Demand for housing has been strong since the late 1990s, due primarily to increasing rates of 

employment and income and low mortgage rates. In 2004, housing starts were at their highest 

level since 1987. The decline in housing starts in 2005 indicates demand has been absorbed and 

is beginning to match Canadian demographics. A 16-year peak in single detached home starts 

was also marked in 2004, while 2005 saw 19-year high in multi-family housing starts (semidetached, row, and apartment units). Demand for multi-family housing is expected to be 

sustained as the population continues to age and looks for ways to manage issues of health and 

independence (e.g., closer proximity to services, smaller homes).24

 18 Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Canadian Housing Observer 2006 (Ottawa, 2006). See table Households by Age of 

Maintainer and Tenure, Canada 1971-2001, p. a-18. 19. Canadian Housing Observer 2006, p. 51 20 Natural Resources Canada. 2003 Survey of Household Energy Use (SHEU) (Ottawa, 2005), p.4. 21 2003 Survey of Household Energy Use (SHEU), p.9 22 The Sheltair Group. Land Use and the Built Environment (Vancouver: May 2005), p. 25. 23 Land Use and the Built Environment, p. 9. 24 Canadian Housing Observer 2006, p.5.
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A recent survey by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) on Home Buying 

Intentions confirms Canadian consumers’ strong preference for ground oriented detached 

dwellings. Across the six centers in the study, nearly 60 percent of respondents expressed a 

preference to purchase a single detached home. Consumer demand for singles is particularly high 

in Halifax (76 percent) and Calgary (72 percent). A further 25 percent of potential buyers across 

the six centers expressed a preference to buy a semi-detached, row or town house. This 

preference is strongest in Montreal and Ottawa.25

Environmental Impacts

In Canada, despite increases in energy efficiency and more environmentally friendly construction 

technologies, buildings are still huge consumers of resources, responsible for:

• 33 percent of all energy produced;

• 50 percent of natural resources;

• 12 percent of non-industrial water usage;

• 25 percent of landfill waste;

• 10 percent of airborne particulates; and

• 35 percent of greenhouse gases26

Although the residential sector has a lower impact on the environment than the 

industrial/commercial sector, it is still a major consumer of energy and resources. In 2003, the 

residential sector accounted for 17 percent of Canada’s secondary energy use and 16 percent of 

the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Over 81 percent of this energy was associated 

primarily with space and water heating, while 13 percent was attributable to appliances.

27

2.1.3 Best Practices in Green Building 

Canada has many examples of state-of-the-art green housing initiatives. The Dockside Green 

project in Victoria, British Columbia, is one of these. 

Green Development: Dockside Green28

Dockside Green is an 11.5-acre housing, industry, and retail project located on a former 

brownfield site along Victoria’s harborfront. The development uses a “triple bottom line”

approach, which encompasses social, economic and environmental considerations in its 

development. The aim is for all buildings in the project to obtain LEED Platinum ratings and for 

the development to be carbon neutral. Among the highlights: 

• Potable water savings are projected at 66.5 percent, or 70 million gallons of water per 

year.

• Sewage treatment is proceeding, with 100 percent of all sewage to be treated on site.

• Building energy modeling projects energy savings of 50 to 52 percent.

• Meters will be installed in each residential unit to measure hot and cold water, heat and 

electricity, ensuring that building occupants pay for what they use and eliminating free 

riders.

 25 Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Consumer Intentions to Buy or Renovate a Home (Ottawa, 2005). 26 CaGBC Municipal Green Building Toolkit, Chapter 1, p. 2. 27 Office of Energy Efficiency. The State of Energy Efficiency in Canada, Report 2006 (Ottawa, 2006), p. 13. See: 

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/Publications/statistics/see06/pdf/see06.pdf 28 http://www.docksidegreen.ca/index.php
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2.1.4 Driving Forces for Green Housing 

Growth Projections 

It is estimated that Canada’s population will be approximately 36 million by 2020, with 85 to 90 

percent of the population and the vast majority of jobs located in the major urban centers. Most 

people will be living in the 25 largest urban regions, with six of these regions home to more than 

half of Canada’s residents. The following Statistics Canada’s projections for population growth 

in the eight largest Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) are based on continuing trends in 

fertility, mortality and migration: 

• Toronto CMA – to 6.6 million;

• Montreal CMA – to 3.8 million;

• Vancouver CMA – to 3 million;

• Ottawa-Gatineau CMA – to 1.3 million;

• Calgary CMA – to 1.2 million;

• Edmonton CMA – to 1.1 million;

• Winnipeg CMA – to more than 700,000; and

• Halifax CMA – to almost half a million.29

Faced with the challenge of accommodating growth, an increasing number of communities are 

looking at intensifying and renewing existing neighborhoods through infill development, 

adaptive reuse and conversion, redevelopment of brownfields, and secondary suites.

Consumer Demand 

Consumer demand for green housing is growing, albeit slowly. One factor is increased and 

awareness of the adverse impacts of poorly designed houses and communities on the 

environment and on personal and public health. A recent CMHC poll surveyed 150 British 

Columbians to assess demand for green housing. Respondents ranked quality of construction as 

the key factor influencing home buying decisions. Environmental sustainability ranked ninth out 

of a list of 12, scoring 7.2 out of 10.30

Urban development over the last 50 years has been driven by the availability of energy and land 

resources. As scarcity for these goods increases, the cost will increase, resulting in increased 

efficiency of use as well as substitution. Rising energy prices well may prove the strongest 

driving force for consumer demand in green housing, as homeowners and builders look to costand energy-efficient homes. In the above CHMC study, energy efficiency was ranked highest for 

features influencing green housing purchase decisions. 

Growing consumer interest may be also be attributable to the work of NGOs such as Smart 

Growth, The Net-Zero Energy Home Coalition, and the Urban Development Institute Canada, all 

of which cite within their mandate healthy housing and communities. Municipalities and regional 

districts are also working to mainstream green construction. Toronto’s Living City Campus, an 

initiative of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, is working to move the city 

towards widespread implementation of green buildings by involving individuals, businesses and 

governments in education and training programs (the Sustainable Schools program), through 

 29 Land Use and the Built Environment, p. 25. 30 Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. UniverCity: Assessing Consumer Demand for Sustainable Development (Ottawa, 2004).
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showcasing sustainable technologies (the Renewable Energy Project), and by inspiring 

leadership (the Mayors’ Megawatt Challenge).31

Energy and Land Availability and Price

Urban development over the last 50 years has been driven by the availability of energy and land 

resources. As scarcity for these goods increase, the cost will rise resulting in increased efficiency 

of use as well as substitution. This will drive the market for green building as increasing land 

prices limit sprawl and energy sprawl becomes more expensive. However, as free goods, both 

energy and land tend to be under-priced and thus over utilised. Getting the correct price for 

natural resources is an ongoing issue at all levels of the energy policy debate. Externalities, 

subsidies for oil and gas research, and the public goods nature of environmental amenities 

contribute to under-pricing energy and land resources. Concerns over competitiveness with 

trading partners further complicate the pricing of energy and land resources. This under-pricing 

contributes to sprawl development.32

Aging Housing Stock and the Renovation Market

Canadians spend significant amounts renovating their homes. Spending on alterations and 

improvements reached about $28 billion in 2004.33 This may be attributable in part to the fact 

that Canada’s housing stock is aging. More than 46 percent of the country’s housing stock was 

built before 1970.34 Of dwellings constructed prior to that year, 44 percent were in need of major 

repairs. As renovations are required, energy efficiency measures may well be considered and 

incorporated. 

For the 54 percent of housing stock built after 1970, much of it likely has never been upgraded. 

Not surprisingly, central Canada and the eastern provinces contain a considerable percentage of 

this older stock. Significant percentages of space heating equipment fall into age brackets that 

will offer replacement opportunities in the near term. Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Use 

Outlook attributes large energy savings over the next decade to the replacement of older, 

inefficient space heating equipment and appliances with relatively efficient new products. While 

replacement will occur in due course, as the useful life of the equipment comes to an end, 

opportunity exists to accelerate this cycle.

Regulations/Voluntary Guidelines

Nowhere in Canada do regulations require green residential building, although some minimum 

green technologies, materials or practices may be incidental to regulated standards such as 

Canada’s National Building Code or National Plumbing Code. Other codes, such as the Model 

National Energy Code, do not apply to residential housing. These codes, however, do not 

promote best practices; rather, they set minimum legal standards. 

Voluntary guidelines are more commonplace than regulations. For example, Health Canada’s 

Exposure Guidelines for Residential Indoor Air Quality may advocate practices similar to those 

found in green building standards. In January 2007, the federal government introduced the 

 31 CaGBC Municipal Green Building Toolkit, Chapter 4, p. 9. 32 Land Use and the Built Environment, p. 24. 33 Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Canadian Housing Observer 2005 (Ottawa, 2005), p. 27. 34 Canadian Housing Observer 2006. See table: Dwelling Condition by Tenure and Period of Construction,

Canada, 2001, p. 101.
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ecoENERGY Initiative to help Canadians use energy more efficiently, boost renewable energy 

supplies, and develop cleaner energy technologies. The Energy Star program is designed to assist 

consumers in selecting energy-efficient products. 

At the national level, the Kyoto Protocol, ratified in 2005, has committed Canada to a reduction 

of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 to 6 percent below 1990 levels. If Canada moves to 

meet this commitment, it is likely that the government will impose regulations requiring energy 

efficiency standards throughout the building sector. 

Policies

Canada does not have a national building or housing policy. The provinces and territories are 

responsible for designing and delivering housing policy and programs within their respective 

jurisdictions. Although many provinces have policies relating to greening new government 

funded buildings, they have not established policy related to green residential building. In fact, it 

is municipalities that have led the way in setting policies and guidelines around green 

construction across the country. 

While jurisdictions are not yet mandating green housing, some municipalities are instituting 

incentives for green housing and adopting guidelines and voluntary standards. A case in point is 

Whistler, BC, where the municipality is encouraging all new housing to meet its Whistler Green 

building standard. The municipality is currently reviewing the possibility of making this standard 

mandatory for all new construction.35 The city of Vancouver is currently developing a green 

building strategy that will apply to high-density residential buildings. The object is for buildings 

to meet a new minimum performance baseline that meets civic and environmental objectives.36

For the most part, local governments have established guidelines and plans to promote 

sustainability in communities and housing. Vancouver’s recently launched EcoDensity program 

is one such example. It is designed to create greater density throughout the city in a way that 

lowers environmental impact, ensures the existence of necessary physical and social amenities, 

and supports new and different housing types as a way to promote greater affordability. Many 

other municipalities have incorporated policy statements in their official community plan (OCP) 

to support smart growth planning principle or green design. Municipal bylaws and capital 

expenditures must align with the OCP.37

At the federal level, the government has undertaken several key policy-related initiatives in the 

areas of sustainability and urban issues. 

• The Prime Minister’s Caucus Task Force on Urban Issues, established in 2001, 

completed its mandate at the end of 2002. It examined the role of the federal government 

in addressing opportunities and challenges facing Canada’s urban regions.38

• National Roundtable on Environment and Economy. In 2003 the NRTEE published a 

State of the Debate Paper concerning environmental quality in Canadian Cities. It made a 

broad range of recommendations, with particular emphasis on federal fiscal policy as it 

 35 See: http://www.whistler.ca/content/view/219/226/

36 CaGBC Municipal Green Building Toolkit, Chapter 5, p. 10. 37 CaGBC Municipal Green Building Toolkit, Chapter 5, p. 3. 38 Sgro, J., Canada’s Urban Strategy: A Blueprint for Action. Prime Minister’s Caucus Task Force on Urban Issues, (Ottawa: November 2002).
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relates to urban form, including, for example, recommendations to encourage the efficient 

use of energy and land.39

• The External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities is intended to provide the 

Prime Minister with recommendations and advice as part of the government’s New Deal 

for Canadian Municipalities.40 The mandate of the Committee includes: developing a 

long-term vision on the role that cities should play in sustaining Canada’s quality of life 

by looking at such issues as the environment, competitiveness and social cohesion; 

providing advice as policies are developed related to cities and communities; and 

enriching the discussion of policy options by bringing regional and issue-specific 

expertise to the table.

Economic Policies

While Canada has no national economic policy promoting green building, all levels of 

government have the opportunity to employ economic policies as incentives to building green. 

For example, at the provincial level, Hydro-Quebec offers cash grant for homes built to Quebec’s 

green residential standard, Novoclimat.41 At the municipal level, certain cities have offered

economic incentives for green buildings and renovations. The City of Toronto provided financial 

incentives to citizens to replace old water-consuming toilets with reduced water consumption 

models. (The incentive proved less costly than increasing the capacity of the city’s infrastructure 

by adding a new treatment facility.42) Cities have also attempted to tie certain development costs 

to the property, which can allow the financial capital cost of green features to be shared by all 

owners over time and not borne solely by the developer or initial owner. These costs are 

transferred with the property to the new owner when the building/unit is sold. Employing this 

strategy, a Toronto development financed its high efficiency heating system by including the 

costs in the residents’ strata fees. 

Financial institutions are also playing a role in using economic policies to promote green 

building. The CMHC, for example, offers a 10-percent mortgage loan insurance premium refund 

to buyers purchasing energy-efficient homes. 

2.1.5 Building and Development Sector Primary Actors

Canada, Mexico and the United States are all expected to experience increasing housing demand 

for over the next few decades, particularly Mexico. In Canada, the public, governments, and the 

building industry are the key players on the supply side of the building and development sector. 

Decisions made by these players in responding to this demand will determine housing form and 

location as well as building standards and construction materials. These decisions will ultimately 

influence urbanization patterns in the years to come. Consequently, support for green building by 

these actors can have far-reaching impacts. 

 39 National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. State of the Debate: Environmental Quality in Canadian Cities: The Federal 

Role, (Ottawa, 2003). 40 The New Deal for Municipalities has three components: reliable, predictable, long-term funding; a new relationship among orders of 

government; and looking at federal activities through an urban lens. 

41 http://www.hydroquebec.com/residential/novoclimat/ 42 CaGBC Municipal Green Building Toolkit, Chapter 3, p. 14.
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Federal Government

The federal government plays a limited role with regard to housing development, but a large role 

with regard to the provision of mortgage insurance, lending programs and taxation. This 

financial role enables the promotion of green standards through federal economic incentives. 

Another role is the setting of standards that comprise the national building and plumbing codes, 

the purpose of which is to ensure that all building construction meets acceptable measures of fire 

safety, structural soundness, accessibility and environmental health. 

The federal government has also been responsible for the development of key standards for green 

residential building, e.g., the EnerGuide and R2000 programs for homes. In the 1990s, CMHC 

launched Healthy Housing, a program that promoted design principles addressing occupant 

comfort, energy efficiency, resource conservation, environmental impact, and affordability. The 

program evolved into the Net-Zero Energy Healthy Housing Program, which advocated housing 

that adheres to the Healthy Housing principles and produces as much energy as it consumes. This 

program was recently renamed EQuilibrium Housing,43 and its goal is to reduce a home’s 

environmental impact to an absolute minimum.

Provincial Governments

Land use planning at the provincial level involves multiple statutes and agencies. These, in turn, 

vary by province. In general, however, statutes pertaining to land use are a provincial 

responsibility that can be delegated to other bodies such as local governments. Although 

provincial governments draft the applicable building codes, provincial governments generally 

authorize local governments to deal building through power over activities such as zoning and 

the issuing of building permits. 

Municipalities/Local Governments

While municipalities may be the greatest force behind green building and have a variety of tools 

through which to regulate land use, they are still subject to provincial frameworks or regional 

government growth management strategies that can support or work against urban sustainability. 

Local governments can develop official community plans that provide a general statement of 

broad objectives and policies respecting the form and character of existing and proposed land use 

and servicing requirements in the area covered by the plan. They can use zoning bylaws to 

regulate the use and density of land, buildings and structures. And they can establish green 

building policies and targets or demand-side management programs that encourage water 

conservation, waste reduction and recycling.44

Associations and Trade Groups

Building developers, trades and consultants are the other major player driving green building. 

The Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) represents the residential construction 

industry across the country. It provides information, education, and training for members, serves 

as an advocate on issues affecting the residential construction industry, and provides tools and 

resources to the public for buying, building, and renovating homes. The CHBA has been 

developer and promoter of green standards, having assisted the federal government with the 

 43 See: http://cmhc.ca/en/en_001.cfm 

44 CaGBC Municipal Green Building Toolkit, Chapter 1, p. 6.
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development of the R2000 standard. The CHBA is also responsible for the adoption and 

promotion of the Built Green Standard for Alberta and BC. 

The Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) administers the LEED rating system in Canada. 

It was created to promote and accelerate the design and construction of high performance 

buildings. The Council, comprising design and building industry representatives, has created a 

vision for a transformed built environment leading to a sustainable future. Through its 

membership, the CaGBC works to identify industry-based opportunities to affect market 

transformation by promoting better environmental building practices through professional 

training and awareness. The CaGBC also works collaboratively with local decision-makers to 

design tools for municipal policy-making and programs for green building implementation. 

Both these professional associations have great potential to move the green building agenda 

forward in Canada through the promotion of recognized green standards and the provision of 

training and education to their members, the public, and decision makers.

Financial and Appraisal Institutions

Despite the positive economic performance of green homes, banks, real estate agents, values and 

appraisers have been slow to recognize the benefits of green buildings. A recent study by the 

GVRD found limited evidence linking green building features and related performance in terms 

of valuation. In other words, a green building that is not appraised any differently than a 

conventional building is shortchanged by from not having the green performance of its green 

features adequately valued. Players in these industries have an obligation to be informed and the 

potential to move green building forward, first, by recognizing that value is a consideration in 

building design and, second, by ensuring that appraisals properly reflect the attributes of green 

buildings,

The CMHC and a handful of other financial institutions are moving in this direction by offering a 

mortgage loan insurance premium refund to households that purchase an energy-efficient home 

or make energy-saving renovations. 

Other Key Players:

Other key players in the housing and building market include: 

• Private sector: designers, architects, engineers, product distributors and manufactures, 

home inspectors, building consultants.

• NGOs: Net-Zero Energy Home Coalition, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Urban 

Development Institute Canada.

• The public: homebuyers and owners.

• Standards organizations: Canadian Standards Association.

• Utilities commissions 

2.1.6 Supply Chain of Materials and Products 

While the basic materials are likely procured locally, certain products related to green housing 

are currently traded across America. These include high efficiency glazing, mechanical systems 

and electrical components.
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2.1.7 Assessment of Industry Issues 

Supporting the development of a green and sustainable residential construction industry requires 

an understanding of the challenges to innovation facing the industry. As shown in Figure 2, 

challenges facing the industry include: 

1. Industry fragmentation 

2. An industry focus on price and first cost instead of value

3. Lack of performance targets beyond the minimum code requirements.

These challenges result in increased environmental impacts of housing, a cyclical boom bust 

cycle in the industry and unmet user needs.

Figure 2: Industry Challenges, Impacts and Outcomes

Chapter 3: Benefits of and Barriers to Green Residential 

Building

3.1 The Benefits of Green Residential Building

The Benefits 

As discussed in Chapter 1, green residential homes have potential to generate environmental, 

social, and economic benefits at both the building and the community scale. Specific examples 

follow. 

Environmental

Residential housing design from construction materials to appliance selection has environmental 

impacts. When compared to conventional housing, green housing can significantly lessen these 

impacts by: 

• increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions – Climate change 

contribution associated with a conventional inefficient building can be reduced by more 

than 70 percent when both material and energy use effects are minimized; 

• reducing water usage – Green building strategies can reduce potable water needs from 

10-50 percent and the generation of sewer waste from 50-75 percent;

• improving indoor air quality – The use of non-toxic materials and natural ventilation is 

less harmful to the environment and to the health of occupants;

Challenges

•

• Material and 

Labour Intensive

• Fragmentation

• Price not value 

based

• Lack of 

performance metric

Impacts

• High resource Use

• Labour Intensity

• Slow to Innovate

• No focus on End 

User

Outcomes

• Environmental 

Impact

• Boom/Bust

• Needs not met
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• consuming fewer resources for construction and operation – The use of local and reused 

materials can reduce construction and demolition waste by up to 90 percent and reduce 

operational waste by 60 percent; and

• promoting the use of innovative green technologies.45

How we use land in terms of space and intensity has a tremendous impact on sustainability and 

liveability, influencing our transportation choices, our reliance on infrastructure, and our 

integration into the community. Smart growth planning advocates compact neighbourhoods, a 

variety of transportation choices, diverse housing opportunities, and preservation of open spaces 

and environmentally sensitive areas. Residential development that adheres to these principles can 

reduce sprawl and create structural shifts from single-family detached homes to multi-family 

buildings. 

Social

The World Health Organization has included housing and health in its list of environmental 

health indicators. This is a strong indication that the condition of housing, from building material 

to air quality, can directly affect occupant health. Green homes can:

• reduce occupant exposure to allergens and molds through the use of less toxic materials 

and climate-specific building design;

• promote occupant health, wellbeing, and productivity though improved indoor 

environmental quality, enhanced penetration of daylight, improved thermal quality, and 

natural ventilation;

• adapt, though design solutions, to occupants’ changing needs and capabilities (e.g., 

physical) over their lifetime; and

• provide occupants with a level of security from fluctuations in energy pricing by 

producing their own energy.

Green housing can also have social implications at the community scale, such as: 

• encouraging the development of local skills and expertise in the area of green 

construction practices and building technologies;

• contributing to more liveable neighbourhoods;

• reducing costs associated with vehicle-dependent communities;

• comprising part of an affordable housing strategy, particularly though multi-family 

housing, which is more affordable to own, operate and maintain due to reduced input and 

operating costs, shared infrastructure costs, and reduced land requirements;

• providing an adequate supply of mixed housing types; and 

• creating greater opportunities for socialization and leisure activities.

Economic

Green buildings provide greater value than conventional buildings through: 

• lower operating costs from reduced energy and water consumption;

• reduced maintenance costs through material efficiency and durability;

• opportunities for cost offsets through grants, incentives and subsidies;

• lower depreciation; 

• higher return on investment; and

 45 CaGBC Municipal Green Building Toolkit, Chapter 1.
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• greater marketability.

On a larger scale, the reduction in resource consumption leads to a reduced demand for, and 

therefore funds directed to, developing and maintaining infrastructure. This can benefit 

developers, consumers, and municipalities. Market transformation is another potential economic 

benefit. Green building certification schemes such as LEED aim to encourage market 

transformation by creating and supporting a demand for green products, green technologies and 

green services. Further, as the LEED standard favors locally manufactured products, wide scale 

use of this building standard can stimulate local economic development through the creation of a 

green building industry. 

3.2 The Barriers to Increased Green Residential Building

Despite considerable knowledge related to the techniques and technologies required to 

implement green residential projects, numerous barriers, real and perceived, regulatory and nonregulatory, have slowed the pace at which green residential building is becoming standard 

practice in Canada. This section provides an overview of the barriers classified as the “five A’s”:

1. Availability

2. Accessibility

3. Awareness

4. Affordability

5. Acceptance

Availability addresses the availability of current technology to satisfactorily meet desired green 

building standards. Certain barriers limit the availability of higher performance green building 

components in the Canadian market. For example, there is an absence of high efficiency hot 

water tanks in Canada. As well, certain products are designed for the average North American 

dwelling. This means that builders and developers cannot use the most energy efficient or 

environmentally low impact products for their specific region or climate. Local capacity to 

design and construct certain green building products, such as photovoltaic systems, is also 

lacking in Canada. 

Accessibility refers to the ability of the market to respond to the improvements required for 

green building products/systems/standards for residential buildings without undue supply 

constraints or other limitations. Having a sufficient number of market actors/players 

(manufacturers, distributors, manufacturers, installers/contractors) with expertise or interest in 

green residential construction is one part of the challenge. The other is having a construction 

industry willing to adopt new practices and a regulatory industry able to accept new practices 

and technologies. Builders and developers generally prefer to repeat past successes rather than 

assume the risk of innovation and are reluctant, therefore, to adopt new practices such as 

advanced framing or air-tight construction or to attempt to meet green standards. Furthermore, 

our legal and administrative institutions have created regulatory barriers, such as building codes 

and planning, zoning and health regulations that can hamper green building by impeding the easy 

adoption of technological innovations and new land-use patterns by key actors. For example, an 

absence of green building equivalencies in building codes perpetuates the use of conventional 

construction materials, since proving compliance can be onerous and costly. Zoning bylaws can 
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also thwart such green planning practices as increased density, by restricting secondary suites, 

infill development, and the number and location of private entrances. 

Awareness refers to the industry actors’ knowledge of the relevant green building technologies, 

products and practices. The lack of education, training and technical expertise within the 

building industry and within relevant municipal departments can slow use of green building 

technologies and the adoption of green building standards, making building green more difficult, 

time-consuming and costly. 

• a lack of training and education in green design and construction;

• a lack of technical understanding of green building materials, methods and systems 

among building industry members—designers, developers, contractors and inspectors;

• poorly accessible information on green products and building systems;

• a lack of information on performance and cost attributes of building elements, which can 

force projects to depend on specialized consultants;

• a lack of understanding of the interactions between the many green building standards;

• a lack of product information such that designers and builders risk costly call-backs to 

remedy green products that may not perform as intended;

• traditional project design/delivery processes that discourage integration, keeping each 

project phase working in isolation, with different project goals and separate budgets;

• longer up-front planning/design time requirements;

• delays and greater cost to obtain green equivalencies or project approvals; and

• a lack of experience in the building trade and/or the absence of data on given green 

technologies and innovative practices, leading to a perception of undue risk. 

Affordability addresses the financial barriers related to technologies and processes required to 

build green. Affordability can be defined on a first cost and a life-cycle cost basis. For example, 

although green buildings can be less expensive to build and operate, higher capital costs, 

including the additional costs of design, analysis, engineering, energy modeling, commissioning, 

etc., can act as deterrents to building green. The tendency of the development community to base 

decisions on a first cost basis rather than through life-cycle costing poses a significant barrier to 

the adoption of higher performance components. This is particularly evident in the residential 

sector, where building builders/developers do not intend to retain ownership of the property 

beyond completion. 

Other affordability barriers include: 

• Service fee structures do not account for the recovery of long-term savings. Additional 

costs for green building incurred by developers cannot be easily passed on to owners.

• A lack of incentives for builders and designers means that they do not profit directly from 

a building’s operational cost savings, environmental performance or worker productivity. 

• Integration among incentive programs (e.g., rebates, loans, technical assistance) is 

lacking, and confusing application procedures exist. 

• Certain bylaws (e.g., development cost charges that fail to consider a green building’s 

lower environmental impact) make green technology and innovations less competitive. 

• Costs associated with obtaining green standards such as LEED or Built Green can be a 

disincentive to certification.

• The process of applying for building code equivalencies can cost in both time and money. 
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• Financing decisions are generally made for the short-to-medium term, an obstacle for 

green buildings, which may not realize economic gains within this timeframe. 

• Property valuers and appraisers have also been slow to recognize the value in green 

features. 

• Hidden subsidies to automobile infrastructure and distorted perceptions of the feasibility 

of car travel in more populated regions promote the residential housing status quo.

Acceptance refers to the acceptance of the green building materials, practices and standards as 

the norm by both the supply- and demand-side actors. On the supply side, although Canada’s 

three levels of government are involved in residential housing development in one form or 

another, no level has set specific policies, standards, or targets to encourage or regulate green 

residential building. The financial and insurance sectors have also been slow to accept green 

buildings in terms of valuing social and environmental benefits or performance and recognizing 

long-term potential for economic gain. These risk-adverse industries continue to demonstrate a 

general preference for financing and insuring traditional building projects rather than those using 

new and innovative green technologies. 

Although interest in green building on the part of developers and homebuyers is growing, market 

demand is still small. Barriers to wider acceptance also include: 

• consumer preferences for low-density detached single-family homes with private yards;

• a “not in my back yard” (NIMBY) position to mixed use and higher density; 

• vested interests of developers with large tracts of land on the urban periphery;

• pressure placed on municipal councils by the development industry to approve 

developments on a site-by-site basis;

• a perception among individuals and the building trade that green buildings are more 

expensive to build; 

• a lack of appreciation by homebuyers of the long-term cost savings and associated 

benefits of green building practices;

• a lack of public and industry education around green building;

• the absence of a one-stop source for green products, technical information, and best 

practices for the building trade; and

• a misperception that environmental protection and land development are incompatible.

A national vision and shared goals for green residential construction are likely to evolve around a 

wide-scale realization of the benefits from green building discussed in section 3.1. Targets could 

be linked to these benefits, and strategies to achieve these targets could be focused on removing 

barriers to green buildings. However, reaching this stage, the initial step of establishing a 

national vision for green residential building, will require the coordinated efforts of government 

actors. 
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Chapter 4: Government Coordination 

4.1 Coordination Among Multiple Levels of Government

One of the greatest hurdles Canada will face in contributing to a North American vision for green 

residential building or in developing a national vision, goals, targets, or strategies will be the 

Canada’s regulatory environment and current lack of a unified approach to green residential 

building. Developing a Canada-wide vision will require a degree of coordination among all 

levels of government and necessitate an understanding of jurisdictional conflicts and 

opportunities for harmonization. 

4.1.1 Jurisdictional Conflicts

In Canada, all levels of government are involved in housing issues to one degree or another. 

Standards, policies and funding support for green building initiatives vary across jurisdictions. 

Although constitutional authority for housing is vested with the provinces and territories, 

responsibility for housing standards and land-use planning is generally delegated to local 

governments. At the federal level, a number of government departments influence housing policy 

and technologies. CMHC, for example, deals with home mortgages, conducts research on 

housing issues, and pilots initiatives such as the EQuilibrium Housing project. The National 

Research Council is responsible for the National Building Code and other construction-related 

codes, and Natural Resources Canada and its Office of Energy Efficiency set energy efficiency 

standards and run building initiatives such as R2000 and EnerGuide. Industry Canada deals with 

emerging technologies, which are often related to energy production. 

The number of government actors, each with their own interests, mandates and priorities, will 

make it particularly difficult to get agreement around a unified vision. Within the federal 

government alone, there is no unified approach to green residential building across the many 

departments that directly affect housing. Policies and programs in one department do not 

necessarily support or enhance green building initiatives promoted through another. At the 

municipal level, municipal or regional growth strategies that promote sustainability planning and 

encourage green building can be at odds with municipal bylaws that serve to obstruct or prevent 

such initiatives. Varying mandates may stand in the way of developing standards for green 

building techniques or technologies. Provinces, for instance, have a vested interested in 

promoting their own green or energy-efficient technologies over adopting “imported” ones. 

Building codes differ from province to province and zoning bylaws from municipality to 

municipality. However, some regulatory decisions made the federal level will directly affect the 

potential range of actions possible at lower levels of government. Examples would be changes to 

federal energy efficiency regulations dictating new minimum efficiency standards for home 

appliances and equipment, or increasing “green” components in the national building code. 

These changes would require provinces to amend their related legislation. In the absence of 

regulatory changes, leveraging common interests and shared goals will be instrumental in 

developing a green residential housing vision. 
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4.1.2 Opportunities for Government Coordination 

All levels of government in Canada profess an interest in both environmental preservation and 

energy conservation. This interest manifests itself through a variety of policies and programs, 

often dealing with sustainable community planning, green building and/or energy efficiency. The 

majority of Canada’s provinces have instituted policies requiring new provincial buildings to 

achieve LEED standards. Many of the larger urban centers have established green building 

policies or have set LEED standards for new municipal buildings. The federal government has 

been instrumental in piloting and promoting green residential building programs such as R2000, 

EnerGuide for Homes, and EQuilibrium Housing. 

Sustainable community planning generally incorporates or promotes green residential practices. 

More and more communities across Canada are incorporating sustainability guidelines or 

principles in their official community plans or in the creation of sustainable communities. 

Through its various initiatives to understand and assist municipalities in addressing key 

economic and environmental challenges, the federal government has shown a strong interest in 

such issues as the environment and sustainable community planning in municipalities. A recent 

National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy report even sets out a vision of 

urban Canada in 2050 that is based on the large-scale implementation of sustainable planning 

principles and energy-efficient measures.46 In fact, all three levels of government share a 

growing interest in developing and implementing energy efficiency measures. Whether due to 

rising energy prices, climate change, or public pressure, governments have been developing 

policy or implementing measures for energy efficiency. The soon-to-be-released Clean Air Act

will articulate the federal government’s role in addressing climate change issues.

These shared interests and objectives could be leveraged to build a common vision for green 

residential housing in Canada. This resulting vision must be supported by goals and targets and 

moved forward through the development of corresponding strategies. 

 46 National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, Advice on a Long-term Strategy on Energy and Climate Change (Ottawa, 

2006), See: http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca/eng/newsletter/Summer2006E/summer_2006_e.pdf
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Chapter 5: Goals and Targets

5.1 The Implementation Framework – Developing Goals and Targets for 

Residential Green Building

Creating a North American or national vision for green residential construction will require 

coordinated effort by government and industry actors—not only to create this vision but also to 

establish goals and set corresponding targets. Following the European example of a vision and 

strategy for sustainable construction, it is anticipated that a North American approach will be 

scaleable, with goals and targets internationally supported by implementation targets at the 

national, local level and/or building scale. However, a key to moving this agenda forward will be 

to ensure that our goals and targets and flexible and adaptable. 

5.1.1 Rationale for a Management Framework

A practical way of creating targets and strategies for a North American approach to green 

building is to utilize a management framework or logic model. As shown in Figure 3, this 

program model provides a structured way to ensure transparency, consistency, and accountability 

at all levels of program development and implementation. It also ensures that inputs are linked to 

desired outcomes by allowing for the continued evaluation of targets and strategies against 

objectives. 

Figure 3: Logic Model47

 47 Source: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodel.html.
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The main components this framework are situational analysis, identification of inputs, outputs 

and outcomes, and the evaluation of assumptions and external factors. These steps can be applied 

to any process or program used by municipal, national and international governments. 

Situational Analysis 

A situational analysis can be as simple as working through the above flowchart presented, or 

represent a detailed baseline analysis of the state of green residential building at the local and 

national, levels. It is important to conduct a situational analysis and to identify priorities and 

potential synergies and barriers as context for identifying “low hanging” fruit. At this stage, 

priorities and targets will be identified. 

Identification of Inputs

Inputs to be considered include resources (financial or in kind), contributions, or investments that 

go into the program (e.g., marketing support from the communications department for an R2000 

homes marketing program).

Identification of Outputs 

Outputs of a program can include activities, services, events and products that reach people who 

participate or who are targeted. These are generally direct outputs of the program (e.g., 

marketing materials for a R2000 housing program).

Identification of Outcomes

Desired outcomes are often identified at the beginning of the program planning process and the 

program designed around them. Ideally it is an iterative process that identifies outcomes, and 

verifies that they can be achieved given the resource available (inputs) and anticipated outputs. 

Outcomes are the results or changes for individuals, groups, communities, organizations, 

communities, or systems. Programs may have short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes. For 

example:

• Short term: A 20 percent increase in the number of R2000 homes built in the community.

• Medium term: All new construction is R2000.

• Long term: The municipality is recognized as a leader in energy-efficient new homes.

External Factors

As the outcomes become longer term, more external factors may come into play, which can 

influence the program action. For example, the federal government could introduce a new 

incentive program that significantly subsidizes R2000 home construction. An analysis of external 

factors including issues such as energy supply, price shocks, and projected growth and 

demographics is particularly important for programs in which governments are investing 

significant resources.

Chapters 2 and 3 provided the situation analysis for the state of green residential building in 

Canada and a look at inputs to some green building initiatives. The next section identifies desired 

outcomes and targets from green building initiatives currently underway in Canada. 
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5.1.2 Canadian Green Residential Initiatives

To date, only one federal government initiative and one industry association has set concrete 

goals or targets around green residential building. As discussed earlier, provinces and 

municipalities have developed green building guidelines and policies to promote the construction 

of green residential buildings but none are mandatory; therefore, no clear targets have been 

established. The federal government has several initiatives that have yielded loose goals and 

objectives around sustainable communities and the proliferation of green housing technology. 

These high-level visions and initiatives, along with the handful of concrete targets, may provide 

direction in establishing clear national and local level green building goals and targets. 

Canada’s Housing Vision

The 2006 Report on Energy and Climate Change, prepared by the National Round Table on the 

Environment and the Economy, sets out a vision of urban Canada in 2050 that is tied to a 

scenario of GHG emissions reduced by as much as 60 percent from today’s levels.48

Housing densities have increased and Canadian homes are much more energy efficient – solar 

heating and power systems are the norm. The majority of jobs are in services and light 

manufacturing, and these land uses are integrated into residential developments so that it has 

become more common to live and work in the same “walkable” neighbourhood or work at home a 

few days each week...Canadians who travel to work are more likely to use public transit, which has 

become more efficient and convenient as a result of higher density and improved design.49

Although this vision clearly involves sustainable community planning principles and green 

building initiatives, it does not specify how the 60 percent emission reduction target can be 

achieved beyond deploying all the potential GHG reduction technologies, particularly in the 

areas of personal and freight transportation, and residential and commercial buildings. 

EQuilibrium

In 2006, the federal government launched the first phase of a net-zero energy housing initiative. 

This initial phase is part of a five-year, community-scale demonstration aimed at completing 

1,500 net-zero energy homes across Canada by 2011. Run by CMHC, the goal of the 

EQuilibrium initiative is to demonstrate a new approach to housing in Canada by supporting the 

building of sustainable, healthy houses that are also affordable and efficient in terms of both 

energy and resources. Twelve pilot projects were recently selected for the building of 

demonstration homes. EQuilibrium homes will be designed to produce as much energy as they 

use on an annual basis, delivering electricity back to the grid. The homes will also promote water 

conservation, healthy indoor environments, durability, and reduced pollutant emissions.50

Net-Zero Energy Home Coalition

This coalition of representatives from Canada’s building and construction industry has set out the 

following vision: 

 48 The advisory report assumes Canada has a population of about 45 million in 2050, a larger economy—more than double in real 

terms—and growth in oil and gas production that outstrips growth in domestic demand. The analysis is limited to existing technologies. 49 National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, Advice on a Long-term Strategy on Energy and Climate Change (Ottawa, 

2006), See: http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca/eng/newsletter/Summer2006E/summer_2006_e.pdf. 50 See: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/eqho/eqho_008.cfm
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Through the combined use of on-site renewable energy generation and energy efficiency 

technologies and appliances, new home construction design by 2030 will meet a net-zero energy 

standard, resulting in the benefits of an expanded renewable energy industry in Canada, cleaner 

air, climate protection, and recognition for Canada as the world’s first to adopt a national 

residential strategy for net-zero energy building design and construction.

51

To reach this vision, Net-Zero proposes a national plan for all new home construction that 

combines R2000/Energy Star or higher energy efficiency standards with a minimum 3kW 

photovoltaic rooftop array or equivalent on-site renewable energy generation source. 

Implementation incentives would include GST exemption (up to 75 percent) and PST or 

equivalent exemption (100 percent), with other incentives for early adopters. 

Kyoto Commitments

Canada’s former Liberal government ratified the Kyoto Protocol, committing the country to

reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to 6 percent below 1990 levels—i.e., a 240-megatonne 

(MT) reduction in GHG production by 2012. The same government drafted a Climate Change 

Plan for Canada, in which it acknowledged that the built environment plays a significant role in 

GHG emissions and committed Canada to taking measures to lower emissions related to urban 

transportation and building energy use. One of these measures was requiring R2000 energy 

efficiency for all new housing by 2010.52 While it is unclear where the current government 

stands in relation to meeting Kyoto targets, rising energy prices and increasing public and 

political pressure may induce the government to set some clear energy reduction targets. 

5.1.3 International Green Residential Initiatives

Canada may be moved to set housing emission targets or other green standards by following best 

practices and initiatives arising in other countries. 

Architecture 2030

Launched in 2006, Architecture 2030 has as its goal a phased-in approach to carbon neutrality in 

the built environment by 2030. This initiative is supported by major building players in the 

United States, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the US Green Building 

Council (USGBC) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), as well as by 

the US Conference of Mayors and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers. The Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC) has also signed on 

as a supporter. 

This approach would see all new buildings, developments and major renovation projects 

designed to use half the fossil fuel energy they would typically consume. The fossil fuel 

reduction standard for all new buildings would be increased to 60 percent in 2010, to 70 percent 

in 2015, to 80 percent in 2020, to 90 percent in 2025, and, finally, to carbon-neutral by 2030. 

Critical to the success of this initiative is the definition of a baseline by which to measure all 

energy reductions. Baselines and corresponding reduction targets have been set for residential for 

energy-use reduction.53

 51 See: http://www.netzeroenergyhome.ca/aboutthecoalition.htm

52 State of the Debate: Environmental Quality in Canadian Cities: The Federal Role. See: http://www.nrteetrnee.ca/Publications/PDF/SOD_Urban_E.pdf

53 http://www.architecture2030.org/home.html 
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Residential Sector Vision:

Residential Buildings are designed, constructed, operated and decommissioned in a 

manner that supports a healthy, vibrant, inclusive and environmentally efficient economy, 

to support the well-being of and meet the needs of Canada’s citizens in a sustainable 

manner, and be sensitive to and work in harmony with natural systems.

United States Green Building Council

Although the USGBC’s LEED for Homes is currently in its pilot stage, the Council has targets 

for market penetration. The LEED for Homes program is designed to provide industry best 

practices on how to “green” any new home. The voluntary program will target that country’s top 

25 percent of green homebuilders. However, the expected penetration of this +/-500,000 

homes/year market is not known.54

Zero Energy Homes

At the same time, the US Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Homes (ZEH) initiative is 

bringing the concept of no-emission homes to homebuilders across the United States. 

The program was launched in 2002 with a 20-year goal of increasing the widespread availability 

of new residential buildings that produce as much energy as they consume and are competitively 

priced. While standard ZEH designs are still a few years off, a recent report from the National 

Association of Home Builders’ Research Center suggests that zero energy homes could hit the 

homebuilding mainstream by 2012.55

5.2 Proposed Vision Statement

A North American vision for green residential building could result in the creation of a common 

set of sustainability principles and planning tools for green construction, with each country 

having region/context-appropriate policies and programs to address differences in building 

codes, regulatory environments, and climate. These tools would be used to enhance quality of 

life and balance environmental, economic, and social considerations and would reduce 

environmental impacts through construction, operation and retrofit activities which focus on 

minimizing on a broader life-cycle basis rather than short-term costs.

Achieving this vision will require more than just mitigating the environmental aspects of the 

construction industry. Rather, it will require a new industry perspective—one that fosters longterm thinking, broad capacity building and evolution to a service-based industry. This is reflected 

in the objectives proposed below for a green residential construction industry.

5.3 Implementation Impacts 

As noted in Chapter 1, green residential homes have potential to generate environmental, social, 

and economic benefits at both the building and community scale. The Canadian government and 

Net-Zero Energy Home Coalition have articulated and quantified the implementation impacts of 

some of the initiatives discussed in the previous section. 

 54 http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1611

55 See: http://www.nahbrc.org
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Environmental

The Climate Change Plan for Canada56 was designed to achieve the following GHG emission 

reductions through sustainable community planning and the use of green building techniques:

• increased use of urban transit, alternative approaches to passenger transportation, and 

sustainable urban planning (7 MT);

• demonstration of integrated strategies, technologies and planning to reduce urban 

transportation emissions (0.8 MT); 

• energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings (1.2 MT);

• energy efficiency evaluations for homeowners (0.7 MT); and

• R2000 energy efficiency for all new housing by 2010 (0.7 MT).

Moving towards R2000 homes alone has the potential for huge reductions in energy 

consumption. New homes built to the R2000 standard use at least 30 percent less energy than a 

conventional new home.57 Each building constructed to an efficiency level 35 percent better than 

the current energy code will save 10,000 tonnes of emissions and some $2 million in energy 

costs over its life.58 Net-zero energy homes by 2030 would reduce NOx, SOx and GHG emissions 

by up to 325 megatons over a 50-year period and lessen the need for construction of large-scale 

power generating stations across Canada.

Social

Homes built to R2000 standard or by EQuilibrium or Net-Zero principles would provide better 

indoor air quality, thereby helping to safeguard the health of for occupants. Good health 

translates into less strain on the health care system as well as broader savings in the form of 

fewer lost workdays and increased productivity.

A proliferation of net-zero energy homes would require decentralized renewable energy 

technologies and on-site generation, leading to the addition of residential-scale renewable energy 

production to meet household needs. Community energy systems would allow communities to 

become more energy self-sufficient and resistant to fluctuations in energy supply and price.

 56 Although this plan will not be implemented, it is still worth discussing as the Clean Air Act, currently in development, may have 

similar targets for the reduction in GHGs. 57 R2000 certification is about 40 percent above building codes.

58 See: http://www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/media/newsreleases/2007/200704a_e.htm.

Objectives of a Green Residential Construction Sector

Environmental Stewardship Value, Not Price

Reduce consumption Life-cycle thinking

Renewable use of resources Define and monitor performance

Internalization of costs by occupants Communicate performance

Innovative and Learning Knowledge-based, Service-oriented

Create environmental tools Information-based processes

New materials and products Enhance quality

Continual improvement Provide service, not product
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Economic

R2000 homes create energy savings for homeowners. For conventional homes built after 2000, 

the averge annual energy cost is approximately $2,300; the average cost for R2000 homes is 

$1,700. Both the Net-Zero and R2000 homes would lessen the strain on municipal energy 

infrastructure, lowering the costs for maintenance and distribution. 

Nationally, the Net-Zero Coalition predicts expanded manufacturing bases in sectors such as the 

solar thermal and photovoltaic industries. The coalition estimates the creation of up to 5,100 jobs 

in the Canadian photovoltaic sector as well as the construction of upwards of 40 new factories, 

resulting in $900 million in tax revenue to governments. Using the Pembina Institute’s estimate 

that every $1 million invested in on-site renewable electricity systems results in the creation of 

eight jobs, implementation of the Net-Zero Energy Home proposal has the potential to yield a 

total of 168,000 new jobs.59

 59 See: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/rei-ier.nsf/en/nz00062e.html
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Chapter 6: Strategies 

6.1 Actions and Strategies

In earlier sections, we have described the need for a North American vision for green residential 

building, entailing the creation of a North American vision, as well as goals and targets at the 

national and local levels. At this time, Canada or its municipalities have no clear visions for 

green residential beyond a desire for a general increase in green building. Only a handful of 

green residential targets linked to specific programs have been identified. In many cases, 

strategies to reach these targets are lacking. As discussed in Chapter 3, numerous regulatory and 

non-regulatory barriers are preventing the deeper market penetration of green residential building 

across the country. An initial goal for Canada, therefore, can be the removal of these barriers to 

allow the proliferation of green housing. Strategic actions must address both the regulatory and 

non-regulatory barriers that currently affect the full range of actors in the building process.

6.1.1 Market Transformation Strategies

Market transformation occurs when market barriers—including frictions and failures—are 

reduced, thereby allowing the adoption of new products, techniques and practices in a sustained 

manner. In terms of green buildings, the market can be considered as having been transformed 

when buildings recognized as ‘green’ become normal practice. Rather than prescribing the 

construction of buildings with specific ‘green’ building characteristics, the goal is to transform 

the market so that ‘green’ buildings are demanded and supplied, and so that the marketplace 

innovates continuously toward increasingly improved performance.

Market failures are part of the normal operation of free markets that interfere with product and 

service improvements that can be expected through competitive innovation. They are not selfcorrecting, but require public intervention, and include:

• asymmetrical distribution of information: buyers are unaware that buildings with 

dramatically improved resource consumption rates are available or possible at prices 

similar to status quo facilities; 

• unpriced externalities: energy rates are lower than they should be because they fail to 

account for the cost of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration;

• public goods: the benefits of investment can be enjoyed without paying for it, as in the 

case of corporate investments that increase the cost of products to the firm while reducing 

air pollution for the public;

• interference with the market: any constraint hindering allocation of resources to the 

highest and best use (e.g., construction codes that prescribe methods of achieving levels 

of performance can be less effective and efficient than would be possible if the market 

were able to innovate, and hence they are often modified to specify performance only).

Market frictions, on the other hand, are normal to the marketplace and are often a reflection of 

rational decision-making that considers return on investment, available capital, variable discount 

rates (given various investment horizons), and risk. Direct measures to reduce these frictions can 
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disturb the efficient operation of the market, and must be used with an understanding of that 

impact. But often such frictions reflect a deeper failure in the market. This is the legitimate area 

for government intervention, as addressing a market failure reduces a market friction. 

Market transformation strategies accelerate what might otherwise be a natural process and 

involve implementing strategies that are made up of a number of tools in a sequential manner, 

with different tools appropriate at different stages of the market diffusion process. Since a range 

of organizations is best able to implement the various tools, collaboration and coordination 

amongst the different agencies and groups are both essential components of the smooth transition 

toward market transformation.

6.1.2 Regulatory Strategies 

Land use, building design, and construction materials and practices are the subjects of extensive 

regulations. Although regulations work to provide health, safety, and environmental standards, 

certain regulations can actually work counter to improving these standards. For example, 

regulations can impede the proliferation of green building by hindering or preventing the 

adoption of green designs and/or technology that could have positive environmental impacts or 

enhance occupant health. Existing regulations can also perpetuate the current land use patterns 

that tend to support unsustainable growth—i.e., low-density developments and urban sprawl. 

A regulatory barrier can be defined as “a barrier that makes the regulatory system more 

cumbersome for innovative projects, or where a regulation creates an economic or other 

barrier.”

60 These can include zoning bylaws, development cost charges, code requirements, 

approval processes for rezoning and development permits, and approval processes for building 

permits and occupancy permits.

The following strategies are designed to address the key non-regulatory and regulatory barriers 

to green residential building. Although there is no scope here to discuss all market and regulatory 

barriers and their corresponding strategies, the recommendations below are designed to serve as 

possible solutions to key barriers that prevent transforming the Canadian market and regulatory 

environment to allow for the proliferation of high performance green residential buildings. 

Strategy #1 – SHARED DIRECTIONS

STRATEGY

Promote the expectation that the construction of high performance buildings will become 

common practice in Canada.

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

This strategy seeks to raise awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of high 

performance construction.

 60 For a detailed explanation of regulatory barriers, see West Coast Environmental Law, Cutting the Green Tape: An Action Plan for 

Removing Regulatory Barriers to Green Innovations (Vancouver: April 2002), p. 25. 
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PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

1.1 Develop/adopt high–performance-enabling strategies / building policies to influence green 

buildings and to phase them into the regulatory environment for residential sector.

1.2 Explore opportunities for partnerships (federal government, Canada Green Building 

Council, utilities, municipalities)

1.3 Develop / adopt enabling strategies for the private sector

Strategy #2 – GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

STRATEGY

Develop a consistent set of performance targets supported by local best practices.

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY 

Guidelines and standards set minimum levels for satisfactory performance and compliance 

behavior in the industry. They should be used, therefore, to backstop local best practices 

discovered through other strategies that encourage innovation, or to force new minimum 

standards where improvement is environmentally and/or politically urgent (e.g., greenhouse gas 

reductions to meet climate change obligations). A consistent and non-contradictory suite of 

standards will help galvanize the industry to work together to solve common problems quickly. 

To address consumer confidence in ‘green’ product reliability, commonly accepted and easily 

verified product labeling and building performance assessment protocols will reduce ‘greenwashing.’ Three key performance standards for residential buildings exist in Canada—Built 

Green, LEED for Homes, and R2000. Technical knowledge on how to design and build to meet 

these standards is needed. It is also suggested that design professionals be trained and regularly 

tested to self-certify projects and avoid the formal process if formal recognition is not required. 

Universal application in all building jurisdictions is the goal.

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 Establish an integration team to help coordinate independent green guidelines and standards 

initiatives occurring across the country.

2.2 Adopt a set number of standard building evaluation tools best suited to region/climate/density. 

Promote adoption in provinces and municipalities, and facilitate their translation to other building 

types and market segments.

2.3 Develop an inter-jurisdictional ‘green’ building technical guideline (a multi-faceted toolkit) for 

residential construction (new/renovation, detached/townhouse/multi-unit, low-/med-/hi-rise). 

Strategy #3 – ANALYTICAL MODELS

STRATEGY

Develop expert tools to quickly understand the impacts of alternative design approaches, and 

improve the effectiveness of available tools. 
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PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

To facilitate innovation, it is important to be able to see quickly the impacts of alternative 

approaches to system integration, product selection and various configurations in the use of 

renewable and non-renewable resource throughputs. Such factors include life-cycle costing and 

the impacts on municipal services, utilities, and distribution networks, especially as related to 

energy consumption and various modes of on-site and off-site energy production. It is also 

important to reduce the upfront costs and time intensities associated with existing simulation 

tools.

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1 Develop a common, simple and user-friendly assessment tool for infrastructure and environmental 

impacts of capital development.

3.2 Develop a life-cycle costing tool that incorporates risk assessment.

3.3 Develop/adopt a user-friendly energy consumption-modeling tool (coordinate / package available 

tools: e.g., CBIP-EE4, DOE-2, HomeRun).

 3.4 Develop valuation procedures to account for the benefit of owning and operating a green building.

Strategy #4a – FINANCIAL INCENTIVES: Supply Side

STRATEGY

Provide incentives to offset incremental costs of ‘green’ buildings to building producers where 

they are created by market failures and frictions, with clear exit strategies once new construction 

practices are entrenched.

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

Where market pricing fails to account for the value of scarce resources because of unaccountedfor externalities (i.e., environmental and social costs not included in the price of materials and 

product and asymmetrical distribution of economic information), or where market frictions need 

to be overcome in the short-run (future values of current investments undervalued due to 

conservative discount rates), financial incentives may help alter market behavior. But it is 

necessary to ensure that other strategies quickly remove industry reliance on these mechanisms 

so that market competition continues to innovate toward greater efficiency in the allocation of 

scarce resources. It is important to remember that implementation of these strategies require that 

municipalities have bylaws allowing them to implement these financial incentives. 

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS 

4a.1 Establish a team, including financial authorities within governments, to complete a benefit/cost 

analysis on all supply- and demand-side financial incentives listed.

4a.2 Revise development cost charges (DCC) to account for ‘green' building features.

4a.3 Provide zoning/development bonuses for certified ‘green’ buildings.

4a.4 Develop and promote a national and international marketing program for Canadian ‘green’

building products and services.

4a.5 Leverage existing programs to provide financing incentives for private sector ‘green’ building 

upgrades.

4a.6 Provide a one-stop service center for access to all ‘green’ building financial incentives (supply- and 

demand-side audiences).
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4a.7 Support government and industry partnerships to develop the capacity for supporting targeted R&D 

in green building design, technologies and products.

Strategy #4b – FINANCIAL INCENTIVES: Demand Side

STRATEGY

This strategy seeks to provide incentives to offset incremental costs of ‘green’ buildings to 

building consumers where they are created by market failures and frictions. 

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

Where market pricing fails to account for the value of scarce resources because of unaccounted 

externalities, asymmetrical distribution of information, etc. (see section 6.1), it is in the public 

interest to tax scarce environmental resources and/or to provide economic incentives to correct 

market behavior. These incentives are designed to remove the social wage from energy and 

resource pricing by first encouraging capital expenditures that neutralize the impacts of increased 

resource costs. They are directed at consumers and provide market signals and information that 

distinguish the building market and allow a higher valuation for green buildings.

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

4b.1 Establish and/or enhance sustainable mortgage programs to decrease interest rates, increase 

approved property value, decrease down payment to favor ‘green’ buildings.

4b.2 Work with assessment offices to investigate a property appraisal method that recognizes the value 

of ‘green’ built space.

4b.3 Provide grants and low-cost loans as a coordinated and integrated suite of opportunities for green 

materials, components, systems and buildings (new or retrofit).

4b.4 Encourage uptake of graduated utility rates to encourage conservation and penalize excessive 

consumption (of electricity, gas, water, sewer, storm water, etc.).

4b.5 Provide a one-stop service center for access to all ‘green’ building financial incentives (supply- and 

demand-side audiences).

Strategy #5 – AWARDS PROGRAMS

STRATEGY

Reward the entire team involved in the production of green buildings through high profile public 

recognition.

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

Various stakeholders can use the status and market profile of being distinguished by their ability 

to participate in the production of ‘green’ buildings. For instance, developers can achieve higher 

triple–bottom-line accountability; contractors and consultants can market their demonstrated and 

recognized expertise, and the specialty equipment and material supply industry and market niche 

products to a larger market.

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Showcase ‘green’ buildings built in Canada. Take an exhibition of these projects on a cross-Canada 

tour.
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5.2 Develop an Awards Program for finished projects, recognizing all categories of stakeholders in 

collaboration with industry and other building industry award programs. 

Strategy #6a – INDUSTRY EDUCATION 

STRATEGY

Provide technical training for actors in ‘green’ building production (coordinate with Strategy 2).

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

Developers tend to repeat past successes to mitigate risk and maintain profitability. Given 

relatively low margins, they are reluctant to assume the risks of innovation. Building design 

consultants, concerned over liabilities, need access to technical information on theoretically valid 

and tested applications. Contractors need to understand how high performance installations differ 

from conventional practice. Commissioning agents need to understand how to evaluate ‘green’

performance.

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

6a.1 Establish a ‘virtual’ green building technical resource and outreach center with targeted materials 

for all stakeholders in the building industry.

6a.2 Develop partnerships with the development industry, trade and professional associations, public 

agencies, universities and non-profit organizations to cooperate on curriculum development and 

training, research and development, networking and continuous learning.

6a.3 Develop/implement a targeted awareness campaign to illustrate benefits of: a) improved bottom line 

(including life-cycle cost analysis), b) increased market value and return on investment, c) better 

learning environments, d) improved productivity, e) increased retail sales, f) increased comfort, g) 

intangible values.

Strategy #6b – PUBLIC EDUCATION

STRATEGY

Educate ‘green’ building consumers.

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

To create consumer demand for green buildings through increasing public awareness and 

understanding of green buildings and their benefits. To increase the understanding that early 

decisions on green building elements will optimize resources and require the least investment. To 

increase general understanding amongst the public of the interrelationships between the built 

environment, economics, building performance and human health.

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

6b.1 Conduct a general outreach campaign to key decision-makers within the community.

6b.2 Support point-of-purchase outreach for homebuyers as well as consumers of home construction 

and renovation materials and services.

6b.3 Enhance school curricula with a unit on green buildings in addition to cross-disciplinary curricula 

on sustainable development and sustainable business. 
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Strategy #7 – PROCESS ALIGNMENT 

STRATEGY

Expedite and facilitate all decision-making and approval processes within the building 

production and consumption cycle to favor high performance buildings.

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

Sustainable building solutions require the integrated participation of all building stakeholders to 

overcome the ‘business as usual’ approach characterized by sequential decision-making. The 

decisions that shape performance expectations and the cost of buildings occur early in the 

process when the perspectives and expertise of only a few stakeholders take precedence. The 

cost of changing course to improve building performance increases as the building production 

process proceeds. It is important to increase innovative teamwork early in the process and to 

align the decision-making and approval processes of the different stakeholders. 

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1 Implement an integrated permitting process within municipal approval processes, including 

expedited processing for green building submissions.

7.2 Consolidate government capital and operational budgets and integrate interdepartmental 

government infrastructure development teams.

7.3 Disseminate information on alternative forms of relationship contracting (3P, Design-build, BuildOwn-Operate, etc.)

Strategy #8 – EMPOWER GREEN BYLAWS

STRATEGY

Amend Local Government Acts to empower municipal actors to facilitate green buildings and 

green developments.61

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

Local Government Acts often inhibit or prevent municipalities from removing barriers inhibiting 

green building development. Although the powers of municipalities differ between provinces, 

some having broader regulatory authority than others, the provinces can remove or reform these 

regulatory barriers, allowing municipalities access to broader use of planning and zoning tools to 

promote green development. With additional power, municipalities can use bylaws to encourage 

sustainable communities through increased density, mixed zoning, redevelopment of brownfield 

sites, etc. (Certain bylaw-enabled strategies, such as negotiating lower DCCs for developments 

with lower servicing costs and allowing density bonusing for green development, have been 

discussed in Strategy 4.)

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

8.1 Allow municipalities to enforce green development commitments.

8.2 Amend the Local Government Act to allow financial aid for cleaning up brownfield sites. 

 61 Cutting the Green Tape: An Action Plan for Removing Regulatory Barriers to Green Innovations, p. 25.
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Strategy #9 – ENHANCED REGULATION

STRATEGY

Amend building codes to allow for and to encourage green building practices.62

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

All buildings are required to meet the standards set by both national and also provincial codes. 

However, a number of green building practices are prohibited or discouraged by these codes. 

Utilizing green technologies often requires that equivalencies be granted in order to meet code 

requirements, but the absence of green building equivalencies or the lack of clear processes for 

obtaining them can perpetuate the use of conventional construction materials, since proving 

compliance can be onerous and costly. As well, construction codes do not currently promote best 

practices or contain environmental goals; rather, the codes set minimum legal standards. 

Regulations can be used to facilitate and promote the use of cleaner and greener building 

techniques and technologies—for example, by setting best practice standards for energy 

efficiency or by allowing grey water recycling and reuse. 

 PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

9.1 Amend building codes to include clear processes for obtaining equivalencies. 

9.2 Amend building codes to promote best practices. 

Strategy #10 – PRICING

STRATEGY

Use pricing mechanisms to set the correct prices for natural resources. 

PURPOSE OF STRATEGY

There is a cultural dimension to resource consumption. How much and in what way our society 

consumes resources are the results of our collective and individual choices and expectations. The 

expectations around how and where we live and what are our behavior patterns indicate our 

accepted standard for comfort and convenience. These expectations and standards are so 

entrenched in our society that they are reflected in regulations such as building codes and bylaws 

that encourage single-family dwellings and have created land development patterns that 

encourage sprawl and automobile dependence. However, cheap and available resources, as well 

as subsidized infrastructure, land, and energy, have influenced these expectations and behavior 

patterns. In addition, resources are undervalued, as their cost does not account for externalities. 

For example, energy prices do not factor in the costs of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon 

sequestration. Employing pricing mechanisms to do so can help shift our expectations and 

change the way we use our resources and live our lives. 

PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

10.1 Account for externalities in pricing natural resources.

 62 Cutting the Green Tape: An Action Plan for Removing Regulatory Barriers to Green Innovations, p. 46
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10.2 Remove price subsidies for infrastructure and energy. 

6.3 Evaluation and Analysis of Strategies

The strategies described above work towards market transformation and the removal of 

regulatory and non-regulatory barriers to green residential building. The application of an 

adaptive management model provides for the continued evaluation of strategies to ensure that 

they continue to move actors towards desired objectives. Once key goals have been met, new 

strategies can be developed that meet new or revised targets. For example, once certain market 

barriers have been removed, allowing for the proliferation of green building, more tangible 

building-scale or community targets can be set to allow key actors to assess their progress in 

greenhouse gas reduction, water conservation, storm water management, waste reduction, and 

recycling, and prioritize their green building initiatives.
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Chapter 7: Recommendations

7.1 Actions for Implementation

Both regulatory and non-regulatory mechanisms can be used to accelerate market transformation 

and encourage the proliferation of green residential buildings and sustainable community 

development in Canada. For the strategies recommended in Chapter 6, implementation 

frameworks are presented, identifying challenges related to norms, financial considerations, 

market conditions, acceptance, and participation by various levels of government will be 

assessed for each of the prioritized action items. Monitoring the results of each suggested action 

is essential for determining the success of actions and applying continuous improvement 

principles to implementation programs. Consequently, for each action, an indicator has been 

proposed to enable monitoring of the impacts of each strategy.

Targets

Targets are an essential component to enhancing performance, as they provide a means to 

measure progress towards a stated vision. Each of the strategies identified above will have 

associated with it a set of impacts and an expected outcome. In aggregate, high-level 

environmental indicators and targets for the residential sector are summarized in Table 1.

Table 2: Environmental Targets for Residential Construction in 2030

Indicator Target for 2030

Depletion of arable land resources 

and associated loss of habitat

All new residential development occurs within a defined 

Urban Containment Boundary

Non-renewable energy use and 

associated emissions of greenhouse 

gas emissions

Eliminate non-renewable energy consumption associated 

with construction and operation of the residence

Water consumption Water needs are provided within the capacity of the local 

watershed

Consumption of non-renewable 

materials 

Non-renewable materials are 100 percent recycled

Emissions of waste into the 

atmosphere, aquatic bodies and 

ground

Eliminate emissions of toxic waste into the atmosphere, 

aquatic bodies and ground that are associated with the 

construction, operation and demolition of residential 

buildings

Realizing the Vision

Following the European example, the three North American countries will require, first and 

foremost, a common vision for green residential building. It must be recognized that the barriers 

to the proliferation of green residential construction within Canada will be magnified by working 

across international borders. Both the diversity of the actors involved as well as the regulatory 

and non-regulatory barriers will need to be addressed and overcome. 
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Coordination, particularly at the strategic level, will require trilateral agreement on the objectives 

of a sustainable residential construction sector, including:

• A consistent and comprehensive protocol to promote environmental stewardship

• Tools to support innovation and learning

• Performance metrics and tools to support value over price, and

• Capacity building within the industry to support a knowledge-based, service-oriented 

industry.

Just as the European Commission drove the process in Europe, the creation of a common vision 

or framework for green residential building across North America will require the leadership of 

an organization representing the interests of all three countries. The CEC may provide an 

instrumental role in driving the process of establishing a North American vision.

It must be stressed that this is not only a job for governments. Other key players such as the 

building industry and the financial sector must recognize the value in green homes and have a 

desire to promote their construction. In the end, consumer demand will be the main driving force 

for green residential building. If green is seen as desirable, the market will respond.
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Chapter 8: Conclusions

A North American vision for green residential building can generate significant environmental, 

social, and economic benefits for Canada, Mexico, and the United States, individually and 

collectively. A common approach across North America has the potential to green construction 

practices, promote accepted green building practices, harmonize green building standards, and 

facilitate trade in green building products and technologies, as well as creating local and 

international markets for green housing materials, components and technologies. However, the 

creation of a North American vision will require a concerted effort across multiple levels of 

government and key industry actors within each country. Issues caused by the diversity of the 

actors involved as well as the regulatory environments must be addressed and overcome. 

Coordination, particularly at the strategic level, will require trinational agreement on:

• sustainability principles and planning tools;

• green building objectives; 

• common green building standards and rating systems; 

• common green product testing methods/codes; and 

• accepted green building technologies.

For Canada, Mexico, or the United States to participate in the development of a North American 

vision, it will be valuable for each country to have its own vision for green residential 

construction. A unified national vision could draw on common interests and objectives shared by 

key government and industry actors. For example, a Canadian vision for green building will 

require collaboration within and across all levels of government and throughout the industry 

sectors. It will also require a shared recognition of the importance of green residential 

construction in improving urban environmental quality, reducing environmental impacts, 

improving affordable housing, or in meeting Kyoto or energy efficiency targets. This resulting 

vision must be supported by national and local goals and targets and moved forward through the 

development of corresponding strategies. Given the numerous regulatory and market barriers that 

are currently preventing the widespread adoption of green building practices in Canada, market 

transformation strategies will be essential removing these barriers and mainstreaming green 

residential construction. 

It must be stressed that realizing widespread green residential construction in Canada is not only 

a job for governments. A range of other key players must be interested in realizing the benefits 

from green residential building. The construction industry must see opportunities for increased 

competitiveness and positive transformations. The financial sector must recognize the value in 

green homes and have a desire to promote their construction. In the end, however, consumer 

demand will be the main driving force for green residential building. If green is seen as desirable, 

the market, and regulators, will respond.

Just as the European Commission drove the process in Europe, the creation of a common vision 

for green residential building across North America will require the leadership of an organization 

representing the interests of all three countries. The CEC may provide an instrumental role in 

driving the process of establishing a North American vision.