www.shiftingintothemainstream.ca

DATE: Wednesday, June 11 - Thursday, June 12, 2008

Canada Green Building Council to launch climate change solutions for the mainstream

Toronto, July 10, 2007 - Today, at the World Green Building Council Congress, the Canada Green Building Council announced its first national green building event will be held in Toronto, June 11th and 12th, 2008.

The event will attract all sectors of Canada's building industry with a program focused on moving leading green building practices into the mainstream. Increasing access to proven solutions will help jump start the coast-to-coast effort required to make measurable progress towards  cutting greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing buildings.

Canadians recognize climate change is a serious concern that requires immediate action, says Thomas Mueller, president of the CaGBC. What most people don't know is that the buildings where we live, learn, work and play contribute more than 30% of our national GHG emissions. Improving the energy efficiency of our homes and buildings is crucial to helping the environment and it will save everyone a lot of money.

The CaGBC national event, Shifting Into the Mainstream, will showcase the best of Canadian solutions for achieving high performance buildings, including measurable reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Scalable and sector-specific programs will demonstrate the role of buildings in meeting the objectives of local and national climate change strategies.

In Canada, buildings represent the single most important opportunity to achieve significant GHG reductions. By 2015, the CaGBC aims to certify 100,000 commercial and 1,000,000 homes with documented GHG reductions that will help Canada meet its Kyoto commitment.

CaGBC is the leading national industry organization advancing green building practices for livable communities. The CaGBC represents 1,400 member organizations involved in the design, construction and operation of buildings. The Council implements the LEED® Green Building Rating System in Canada.

Contact:
Nancy Grenier, CaGBC
604-908-6242
www.cagbc.org * www.shiftingintothemainstream.ca