National Summit kicks off action towards embodied carbon reductions

CAGBC was pleased to host the second National Embodied Carbon Summit on June 18, 2025, in conjunction with Building Lasting Change. The event built on the success of the 2024 summit, which saw 60 participants identify gaps, barriers, and potential solutions to the creation of a national approach to addressing embodied carbon reductions. The outcomes were captured in a report, Reducing Embodied Carbon in Canada’s Buildings.

This year’s participants discussed seven of the most critical solutions identified in 2024, with the goal of developing practical strategies to move each solution forward. It is expected several working groups will be formed to address the most critical topics – stay tuned for updates. The summit generated significant enthusiasm, which carried into Building Lasting Change and grew as the conversations spread. 

The discussions included next steps and milestones, assignment of responsibilities, funding requirements, and consideration of political resiliency. Topics included the establishment of a national database for whole building life cycle assessment (wbLCA) results, aligning wbLCA tools, harmonizing wbLCA frameworks, addressing embodied carbon in the building code, facilitating costing data collection, increasing market awareness, and ensuring appropriate industry expertise.

This year, the group expanded to 80 participants from across the industry, including design professionals, contractors, developers, manufacturing associations, software tool developers, and all levels of government. Several American experts, including a representative from the Carbon Leadership Forum, also travelled to Vancouver to support alignment of our collective efforts.

The CAGBC is grateful to Natalie Douglas of the Zero Emission Innovation (ZEIC) who again volunteered her facilitation skills. She offered some early insights from the event:

• Simplify where possible: To meet the urgency of the moment, we must avoid adding unnecessary regulatory complexity with embodied carbon.
• Build political resilience: We need to better communicate cost-saving opportunities that can come from reducing embodied carbon – framing climate action as both an economic and environmental win can help sustain support.
• Engage builders early: Effective policy and programs require buy-in from the people doing the work, and they are often the best source of practical, low-cost, and multi-faceted innovations.
• Move from “growing the tent” to meeting people in their “tents” – recognize and engage with communities already doing similar work.
• Don’t wait for perfect: Continue to pursue strategic reductions while standards and processes are being refined.
• Strengthen year-round communication.

This event would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: the Cement Association of Canada, CertainTeed, and back for a second year of sponsorship, Provencher Roy. The CAGBC also thanks the Summit Planning committee for their efforts in helping to organize the event:

• Anthony Pak, Priopta
• Ben Amor, National Resource Council Canada
• Heather Knudsen, National Resource Council Canada
• Kelly Alvarez Doran, Ha/f Climate Design
• Laura Husak, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
• Natalie Douglas, Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC)
• Paul Steenhof, Canada Standards Association
• Ryan Zizzo, Mantle Developments
• Ryley Picken, Treasury Board Secretariat
• Stephanie Dalo, Carbon Leadership Forum BC
• Zahra Teshnizi, City of Vancouver