Reaffirming sustainability leadership through policy support

Heading into 2026, CAGBC continues to build on our advocacy work, championing sustainable building policies across Canada. At a moment when long-term value and resilience matter more than ever, there is an opportunity to advance progress through strong, credible green building certifications and the verification of building performance. Our efforts focused on ensuring that different orders of government maintain momentum on climate action and leverage trusted building performance standards to verify sustainability goals. Key highlights include:

Provincial level

• Alberta: urged Alberta Infrastructure to reinstate LEED certification requirement for public buildings to protect public investments, reduce operating costs, grow industry capacity, ensure resiliency, and preserve the province’s leadership in sustainable infrastructure.

Municipal level

• Vancouver: urged Vancouver City councillors to uphold the full capacity of the city’s climate and sustainability department, in particular the green building team who provide policy leadership at home and abroad to maintain leadership, attract investment, and ensure long-term resilience and affordability.

• Toronto: Sent a letter to the mayor’s office supporting the resumption of consultations on credible building energy performance standards (BEPS), aligned with other leading regions, and recommended engaging the provincial government to promote harmonization.

Much of the progress made across Canada in sustainability has been enabled by voluntary certifications and performance-oriented policies that governments and industry chose to adopt  and leverage for their consistency and credibility. Sustainability is increasingly integrated into business models. Policy can’t be the laggard. In a world where investment diversification is key, policy needs to help attract capital rather than deter it.

Looking ahead, CAGBC remains committed to advancing sustainable building practices at all levels of government. By continuing to collaborate with municipal, provincial, and federal partners, we aim to create healthier, more resilient communities across Canada, improve building performance, and accelerate climate action.