Tackling building emissions at the municipal level, with City of Kingston

Responsible for managing and maintaining the City of Kingston‘s buildings, infrastructure, and construction projects, the Facilities Management & Construction Services (FMCS) team is setting a new municipal standard for climate leadership. Thanks to a centralized management model, the team in charge of over 160 municipal facilities has successfully deployed a Net Zero Transition Plan that resulted in a 21 percent reduction in GHG emissions per square foot since 2018, a remarkable accomplishment recognized by the CAGBC Award for Government Leadership. In this interview, FMCS Director Speros Kanellos sheds light on the team’s winning approach.

Can you tell us a bit about the FMCS team and its role in promoting sustainable practice?

FMCS plays a central role in ensuring that the City’s buildings are safe, efficient, and sustainable. Beyond managing day-to-day operations and maintenance for municipal facilities, FMCS leads the integration of sustainability into both construction and ongoing facility management. This includes implementing energy-efficient systems, tracking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and incorporating low-carbon technologies in new builds and retrofits. FMCS also drives preventive maintenance and asset management strategies that extend building life and reduce waste, while ensuring that projects align with the City’s decarbonization and operational goals. By embedding sustainable practices into planning, design, construction, and operations, FMCS not only optimizes municipal assets but also contributes to broader community and environmental objectives.

One of the city’s priorities is to embed climate considerations throughout infrastructure, policy and investment opportunities. Can you tell us a bit about how the city is doing this?

In facilities, all new projects and major retrofits are designed with energy efficiency, electrification, and resilience in mind, ensuring buildings minimize emissions and withstand climate impacts. Policy-wise, climate action is integrated into corporate plans, procurement guidelines, and capital prioritization processes, ensuring every investment decision aligns with the City’s net-zero and sustainability goals. The City leverages funding programs and grant opportunities to support low-carbon technologies, renewable energy projects, and sustainable transportation initiatives. By connecting asset planning, policy, and financial decisions, Kingston ensures that climate considerations are not an afterthought but a core component of municipal decision-making and long-term community resilience.

One of your initiatives identified 61 municipal buildings responsible for 90 percent of all facility related GHG emissions. How do you prioritize these projects?

We use a data-driven approach that balances emissions reduction potential, asset condition, and operational impact. Buildings with the highest emissions intensity and the greatest opportunities for energy savings are assessed first, alongside considerations such as system age, risk of failure, and service delivery importance. Projects that can achieve significant carbon reductions while extending asset life or improving occupant comfort are given higher priority. We also factor in cost-effectiveness, available funding, and alignment with the City’s net-zero goals to ensure that investments deliver both environmental and operational value. This structured approach allows us to focus resources on interventions that have the largest impact on overall emissions while supporting long-term sustainability across the municipal portfolio.

Under the City’s Net Zero Transition Plan, your team has driven a 21 percent reduction in GHG per square foot since 2018. What benefits are you seeing, and how does that help figure into which buildings you will tackle next?  

Achieving a 21 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per square foot since 2018 has delivered multiple benefits, including lower energy costs, improved building performance, and enhanced occupant comfort. It also provides a robust data set that allows us to identify which strategies are most effective in different building types and systems. This insight informs our prioritization for future projects, enabling us to target facilities where additional retrofits or upgrades will achieve the greatest emissions reductions and operational efficiencies. By measuring results and understanding performance trends, we can replicate successful approaches across similar assets, optimize investments, and accelerate progress toward the City’s net-zero goals.