CAGBC pre-budget submissions for the 2023 budget

Part of CAGBC’s advocacy work involves working with and informing government on the needs and potential of the green building sector. This includes recommendations to the federal Commitee on Finance in advance of budget planning. Budget 2023 will set the pace for decarbonizing of the built environment through zero-carbon buildings and retrofits. To accelerate that pace, CAGBC provided the following recommendations to prioritize the policies and public and private sector market support needed:

1 – To supercharge Canada’s retrofit economy, the government should

Require zero-carbon transition plans and support their development as part of any deep carbon retrofit program for all building types. Transition planning will ensure the effective timing and sequencing of carbon reduction measures. Recommended investment of $3 million over three years to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

2 – To stimulate Canada’s supply chain of low-carbon construction materials, the government should:

Create a grant program to build additional capacity for life cycle assessments and environmental product declarations (EPD) for products manufactured by small- and medium-sized Canadian companies. Recommended investment of $25 million over three years to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

3 – To set the foundational blocks for decarbonizing Canada’s large buildings, the government should:

Fund a Building Data Strategy and define the structure that will collect and disclose data, and enable the labelling of industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) sector buildings. Recommended investment of $35 million over three years to NRCan.

Read the full submission here.