by Brianna Crandall — March 30, 2016—Two recent releases from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) testify to the growth of green buildings in Canada and their impact, demonstrating that green building is not just good for the environment, but also for the economy.
Green Building in Canada
A report from CaGBC and The Delphi Group titled Green Building in Canada: Assessing the Market Impacts and Opportunities details the wide economic impact that the green building industry has had in Canada over the past decade, including generating $23.45 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) and representing 297,890 full-time jobs in 2014 — more jobs than Canada’s oil and gas extraction, mining and forestry industries combined.
Canada is said to be a global leader in green building, with the highest number of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings per capita in the world. The report finds that when indirect and induced contributions are included, the overall economic impact of Canada’s LEED projects certified from 2005 – 2015 will lead to $128 billion in gross output over their lifetime, $62.3 billion in total GDP, and create 701,700 jobs.
CaGBC asserts that a national, cross-sector strategy, led by industry and supported by all levels of government, could help further accelerate the market transition toward an economy and communities that benefit from reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The report, sponsored by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), provides an overview of the current status of activities in Canada’s green building industry. Highlights include:
- Ontario and British Columbia had more green building jobs as a percent of their total labor force than any other areas of the country in 2014 – equal to 2.1% and 1.6% respectively, due in part to greater market leadership, progressive building code requirements, and provincial and municipal green building policies.
- Companies active in the construction and trades segment accounted for the largest percentage (55%) of green building employment and GDP in Canada, equal to approximately 164,445 jobs (some 13% of Canada’s total construction work force) and $13.13 billion dollars in GDP.
The market penetration of LEED certified buildings in Canada has been growing over the last decade, from 0.8% across all asset classes for the period of 2004-2009, reaching 10.7% for all new construction floor space (for the period of 2009 to 2014). Leading the way, 22% of all new commercial buildings and approximately 30% of all new institutional buildings constructed in Canada over the last five years were LEED certified.
Among the report’s suggestions to promote green building are:
- Invest in research and innovation;
- Address the gap between building design and performance;
- Support industry training and continuing education; and
- Develop supportive policy and incentives.
The full 94-page Green Building in Canada: Assessing the Market Impacts and Opportunities report is available to members through the CaGBC. The Executive Summary is free to the public.
LEED certification
CaGBC saw a steady increase in LEED certifications in 2015, a result of green building’s growing impact as one of the most effective solutions to climate change, according to the second release. A total of 527 LEED projects were certified between January 1 and December 31, bringing the grand total of certified projects in Canada to 2,576 – a total of 34,054,312 million square meters of certified space.
Among the most notable statistics for the year was the growth of certifications at LEED’s most rigorous levels, Gold and Platinum, which increased over 2014 by 6.2% and 28.6%, respectively. Canada also saw its first LEED v4 certified project in October, and ended the year with a total of 13 projects registered under the newest version of the rating system.
Totals by LEED certification level for 2015 were:
- 97 LEED Certified
- 187 LEED Silver
- 207 LEED Gold
- 36 LEED Platinum
The top provinces for LEED certification across Canada in 2015 were :
- Ontario – 198
- Quebec – 121
- British Columbia – 83
- Alberta – 75
- Manitoba – 19
- Nova Scotia – 17
In 2015, Canada was named the top country for LEED projects internationally by the USGBC for the second year in a row [see last year’s international rankings on FMLink], and Dunbarton High School in Pickering, ON, was named Greenest School on Earth.
A searchable LEED project database with further detail, including project scorecards and photos, can be viewed on the CaGBC LEED Project Profiles Web page. To view detailed case studies on various green building projects, visit the CaGBC Web page.
