CIB commits $100M to help building owners lower environmental footprints

Supporting upgrades to smaller and medium-sized buildings across Canada

Press release on May 12, 2023

TORONTO – The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is expanding its retrofit initiative and earmarking $100 million towards building upgrades by owners who want to improve the environmental footprints of their small and medium-sized buildings.

Low carbon retrofits which qualify for certification under the Canada Green Building Council’s Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE)  or Zero Carbon Building standards (ZCB) will have access to a financial product through banks and credit unions which have partnered with the CIB. BMO is the first to partner with the CIB on this initiative.

Through this partnership, participating building owners, who would not typically qualify for loans from the CIB, can now access financing to accelerate green building upgrades. Eligible owners of commercial, industrial, office and multi-residential properties are required to seek a minimum of 30 per cent greenhouse gas emissions reductions through initiatives such as enhancing energy efficiency, advancing heating decarbonization and installing electric vehicle chargers.

NX building retrofit

Retrofit News

Buildings are one of the largest sources of carbon emissions. They use about one third of the energy produced in Canada and generate about 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. The International Energy Agency has identified building retrofits as an important opportunity for energy savings.

With a climate ambition to be its clients’ lead partner in the transition to a net zero world, BMO is identifying commercial property owner clients who are motivated to undertake energy efficiency retrofits. BMO will market, originate, underwrite and administer the loans. BMO will discount or waive administrative fees associated with the refinancing of retrofit debt for projects that cut emissions by at least 50%

This is the CIB’s fourth investment under its retrofit aggregator model. It could serve as an opportunity for other Canadian financial institutions which want to help their customers to retrofit their smaller to medium-sized buildings.

Quick Facts

  • To date, the CIB has committed approximately $1 billion toward building energy retrofits.
  • The CIB’s Building Retrofit Initiative targets building retrofit projects with a minimum of 30 per cent greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction at the building level.
  • As part of its mandate, the CIB seeks to invest at least $10 billion into green infrastructure which supports climate change action and sustainable economic growth.
  • All CIB investments are subject to approval by its Board of Directors.

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