100 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario
November 27, 2025
- Rating System/Standard
- LEED 2009
- LEED v4.1
- Zero Carbon Building
- Certification Level
- Certified
- Gold
- Building Type
- Office
Dual certifications at the heart of a world-class office tower
Located in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, 100 Yonge Street is a Class A, 18-storey commercial office tower directly connected to Scotia Plaza, one of Canada’s most prestigious office buildings. With access to the city’s PATH system, public transit, and an abundance of downtown amenities, the building offers both convenience and prestige for its tenants.
Beyond maintaining 100 Yonge Street’s status as a premier office space, KingSett Capital as owner and BentallGreenOak (BGO) as property manager are both committed to optimizing energy performance and reducing the building’s environmental impact.
The building, constructed in 1988, has been the focus of strategic retrofit initiatives led collaboratively by both companies. Through their joint efforts over the years, they have significantly reduced the office tower’s carbon emissions, earning multiple LEED Operations and Maintenance (LEED: O+M) and Zero Carbon Building – Performance Standard™(ZCB-Performance) certifications.
| Certification year | Rating System | Version | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | LEED O+M: Existing Buildings | 2009 | Gold |
| 2020 | LEED O+M: Existing Buildings | v4.1 | Gold |
| 2023 | LEED O+M: Existing Buildings | v4.1 | Gold |
| 2023 | ZCB-Performance | v2 | Certified |
| 2024 | ZCB-Performance | v2 | Certified |
Case Study Team
- Project Owner
- Kingsett Capital
- Energy and Sustainability Consultant
- Continual Energy
- Property Manager
- BentallGreenOak
A shared path to decarbonization
Decarbonizing the built environment requires close coordination and collaboration between property owners and managers. At 100 Yonge Street, KingSett Capital and BGO are each pursuing distinct but aligned carbon objectives.
KingSett is committed to developing asset-level zero carbon transition plans for all its assets and is aiming to reduce carbon emissions across its Canadian Real Estate Income Fund (CREIF) portfolio by 35% by 2027.
BGO conducts yearly emissions reporting to evaluate its assets under management to identify and address climate-related risks and prospects, and identify strategic opportunities for deep carbon reductions within its real estate portfolios. BGO, as a member of the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative, has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. As part of this commitment, they are collaborating with their clients to help meet their decarbonization objectives and have set 2030 interim targets for the assets under their management.
Phasing out combustion system while sustaining recertification
The building team at 100 Yonge Street continuously tracks, measures, and reports greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Through continual tweaks and improvements, the two companies have significantly reduced the office tower’s carbon emissions, earning industry recognition for their building performance.
In 2013, the building achieved its first certified Gold under the LEED O+M 2009 rating system. In 2020, it was recertified at the Gold level under the updated LEED O+M: Existing Buildings v4.1 standard.
Our property management team leverages the building’s robust metering and energy monitoring system to record and drive decision-making from real-time interval consumption data. The level of detail allows for a comparison of current energy consumption against energy budget estimates, real-time variations in energy use, and fast detection of anomalies, allowing for swift corrective actions and continuous performance optimization.
Marvin Morgan – General Manager, KingSett Capital
Between October 2021 and February 2023, KingSett and BGO collaborated on a series of energy efficiency and carbon reduction solutions, strengthening their commitment to operational sustainability. With guidance from Continual Energy Inc., the design-build contractor, the retrofit targeted the central heating and cooling systems of the building, without any changes to the base building systems such as lighting or the building envelope.
Energy performance improved by 30% between September 2022 and September 2023, resulting in a reduction of 369 tonnes of carbon.
Improvements involved the complete decarbonization of the heating system, resulting in a 100% reduction of Scope 1 emissions, and the replacement of end-of-life chillers without interrupting operations. Two new magnetic bearing centrifugal chillers, each with a capacity of 150 tons, were installed, along with heating provided by two water-to-water heat pumps that recover waste heat from the condenser water loop. Additional capacity was supplied by air source heat pumps with variable refrigerant flow. The makeup air unit was refurbished with a new coil, humidification system, and updated controls. Furthermore, the heating and cooling plant footprint was condensed into the mechanical penthouse, freeing up 1,600 square feet of space.
These efforts contributed to achieving CAGBC’s ZCB-Performance Standard v2 certification in 2023, maintaining their LEED O+M: Existing Buildings v4.1 Gold certification that same year, and earning recertification to ZCB-Performance v2 in 2024.
The removal of all onsite combustion contributed to eliminating over 500 tCO2e emissions per year. Scope 1 emissions were reduced by 100%, while total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions decreased by 76%.
Joint leadership
Together, KingSett Capital and BGO’s coordinated efforts have made 100 Yonge Street a leader in performance and sustainability. In addition to achieving the ZCB-Performance and LEED O+M certifications, the building has earned a several other third-party recognitions, including BOMA BEST Gold, the BOMA Certificate of Excellence, WELL Health-Safety Rating, Fitwel Viral Response, Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certified Gold, and, most recently, the 2024 Kingsley Tenant Satisfaction Award, celebrating its consistent delivery of an exceptional tenant experience.