flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Canada GBC launching Zero Carbon Buildings Initiative

Codes and Standards

Canada GBC launching Zero Carbon Buildings Initiative

First step toward Zero Carbon Building Standard.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | November 18, 2016

Pixabay Public Domain

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) recently launched the first phase of its Zero Carbon Buildings Initiative.

The new framework is a precursor to the launch of a Zero Carbon Building Standard in spring 2017. Canada is striving to develop more lower-carbon commercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings in an effort to reduce greenhouse gases by 30% by 2030.

The Zero Carbon Buildings Framework establishes five key components for evaluating building carbon footprints:

• Greenhouse gas intensity metric for assessing a building’s emissions taking into account  regional emissions factors

• Energy intensity metrics to incentivize design of highly efficient, reliable, and resilient buildings

• Peak energy demand metric to encourage the use of peak-shaving measures

• Embodied carbon metric to recognize importance of building material lifecycle impacts

• Requirement that renewable energy be generated on-site or procured directly 

Upcoming phases of the Zero Carbon Initiative will include the identification of specific pathways to zero carbon, a zero carbon building pilot program, and the development of a verification program.

Related Stories

| Mar 22, 2012

Bill would reintroduce “opt-out” provision in lead paint law

The Lead Exposure Reduction Amendments Act of 2012 (S2148) would restore the "Opt-Out" provision removed from the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead Renovate, Repair and Painting (LRRP) rule in April 2010.

| Mar 15, 2012

New Florida building code establishes flood and storm surge provisions

The new 2010 code establishes minimum design and construction requirements to protect buildings from wind, rain, floods, and storm surges.

| Mar 15, 2012

Illinois city rejects international code due to home sprinkler requirement

Macomb, Illinois aldermen voted to recommend that the city not adopt 2012 international building and residential code standards requiring the installation of overhead sprinkler systems in newly constructed one-family and two-family homes.

| Mar 15, 2012

Tenant advocates propose licensing landlords in New York City

With thousands of New York City rental units posing potential dangers to tenants, city advocates are proposing measures to make landlords improve building safety.

| Mar 15, 2012

Construction industry a big winner in federal small disadvantaged business procurement

Last year, only 5% of federal contract dollars went to small disadvantaged businesses. Construction and facilities support firms were the biggest beneficiaries.

| Mar 15, 2012

ANSI approves new fall protection standards

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved two American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) standards addressing fall protection.

| Mar 8, 2012

Engineering innovation provides new option for meeting seismic codes in skyscrapers

Two University of Toronto engineers have developed “viscoelastic-energy-dissipating dampers” to replace many of the heavy concrete beams used in tall structures.

| Mar 8, 2012

CSI webinar on building code compliance March 22

A March 22 webinar will provide an overview of a 28-step process during the design of a building to ensure compliance with building codes.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021