NET ZEROING IN Technology is On Target, Labour and Financing Less Certain A new report from the Canada Green Building Council and the Delphi Group reiterates that technology is the easy part of hitting ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Building design and operations specialists typically know what to do and where to do it. The greater challenges lie in financing and workforce capacity. The following is an excerpt – Editor. CANADA’S GREEN RETROFIT economy is primed for significant growth over the next three decades and this growth can come with many benefits. These include: contributing to net-zero climate targets; making the built environment more resilient to climate change and extreme weather events; providing rewa rding job opportunities across many occupations and skill levels; and strengthening domestic supply of low-carbon products and services. In order to realize this growth and 18 July 2022 | Canadian Property Management
associated benefits, the existing approach to retrofit projects will need to level up and transform to a more systematic ecosystem of aggregated project and investment opportunities. Building owners and managers will need expert support in developing and implementing transition plans to leverage building renewal cycles and market opportunities. The good news is that many of the required technologies are available today and innovation is already happening in communities large and small across the country. There are three main technical
strategies that can serve as a starting point for transition planning and retrofit project development for most large building types in Canada: • reduce or replace fossil fuel use for space heating, mainly through electrification (including heat pumps); • implement measures to reduce energy demand; • incorporate on-site renewable energy systems. DEEP RETROFIT PRIORITIES Large building retrofits represent significant
