CAGBC Responds to 2025 Federal Budget Announcement

OTTAWA, ON — The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC), the voice of Canada’s green building sector, welcomes the confirmation of the made-in-Canada Sustainable Investment Guidelines (Green and Transition Taxonomy) and the development of climate disclosures as presented in the 2025 Federal Budget. The green building sector, with over 500,000 workers and contributing $81 billion to Canada’s economy, offers a significant opportunity for investments. 

With urgent challenges around housing affordability and climate competitiveness, CAGBC was looking for federal action on two key priorities: integrating sustainability into the housing strategy and advancing a Canadian sustainable finance taxonomy for buildings.

“We welcome the commitment to develop sustainable finance tools including a Canadian taxonomy and climate disclosures — it’s a critical step in mobilizing capital for high-performance buildings,” said Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council. “However, as Build Canada Homes continues to grow and deliver housing, it is imperative to put a stronger focus on sustainability. Energy-efficient, climate-resilient homes are essential to ensure low energy bills for renters and operating cost for the not-for-profit owners while future-proofing our communities. Affordability and sustainability must go hand in hand.”

CAGBC’s 2025 pre-budget submission outlined four high-impact, scalable recommendations to align Canada’s building sector with climate and economic goals:

• Retrofit federal buildings to meet the objectives of the Greening Government Strategy.
• Allocate at least two-thirds of Build Canada Homes funding to energy-efficient and climate-resilient housing;
• Finalize and implement a Canadian taxonomy for buildings by Fall 2026;
• Invest in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to support data-driven building performance;

CAGBC will continue to work with both public and private sector partners to advance practical, scalable solutions that support affordability, climate resilience, and economic opportunity.

A more detailed budget analysis will follow.

About the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC)

The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) represents 800 companies and 13,000 individual members working in the green building sector. It provides the market-oriented products and services the building sector needs to construct and manage buildings that are easier on resources, healthier for people, resilient and cost-effective. CAGBC works with the sector to influence standards, develop best practices, and educate the market on green buildings.