CAGBC celebrates 100 ZCB-Design certifications
100 building designs across Canada have been certified under CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard.
Green Building Team on February 13, 2025
- Rating System/Standard
- Zero Carbon Building
- Theme
- Zero Carbon
As 2024 came to a close, CAGBC proudly marked a major milestone — 100 building designs certified to the Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard™. In fact, certifications to ZCB-Design more than doubled in 2024, rising from 48 at the end of 2023, reflecting significant momentum in the market.
With more than 300 additional designs registered to be certified, ZCB-Design continues to demonstrate its value to the market. As the industry shifts to meet growing expectations for energy-efficient, zero-carbon buildings, ZCB-Design certifications are setting the bar for new construction and major renovations. More owners and developers are striving to achieve industry and ESG carbon targets, and ZCB-Design is proving to be an essential tool for providing the third-party verification needed to demonstrate meaningful progress and leadership.
Investors are increasingly directing capital toward buildings that target sustainability benchmarks and standards, making certifications a critical tool for securing investment and future-proofing portfolios. Businesses embracing ZCB-Design today are positioning themselves ahead of the industry, ensuring their buildings remain competitive and align with the evolving market.
By the numbers
The 100 ZCB-Design certifications reflect diverse building types, sizes, regions, and more, demonstrating wide coverage across the sector:
Building types:
Of the 100 certifications, half are commercial buildings. Industrial buildings lead with 33 certifications, offices follow with 17, and multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) account for 14.
Regional leaders:
ZCB-Design certifications are spread nationwide, across provinces and climate zones. Ontario leads with 47 certified projects, followed by Quebec with 18, and British Columbia with 17.
Floor area:
The total certified floor area under the ZCB-Design Standard now exceeds 1,390,425 m².
Building systems:
75 percent of certified designs are fully electric with no combustion.
For more information about the Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard and how certification can support your project, visit here.