by jbs010609a3 — January 8, 2010—The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and BC Hydro have launched a joint effort to help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of buildings in British Columbia through energy conservation. The two organizations are partnering to improve the design, construction and operation of buildings in this province.
The two organizations will work together to develop customer-focused programs for energy conservation for buildings; increase the number and skill level of industry professionals focused on energy efficiency through joint training programs; create demonstration projects featuring sustainable communities and energy infrastructure; and look for opportunities to promote the LEED green building rating system in conjunction with Power Smart.
CaGBC and BC Hydro share the goals of improving the energy efficiency of buildings (which they say account for 30 percent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions) and promoting a conservation culture. The CaGBC has a goal to improve the performance of 100,000 commercial buildings and one million homes in Canada by 2015, with a verified 50 percent reduction in energy and water use from a 2005 baseline. BC Hydro is working to make B.C. electricity self sufficient by 2016, and will meet 50 percent of new electricity demand through conservation by 2020.
