Carbon Transition Planning Guide
Prepare your buildings to meet the highest performance codes, regulations and decarbonization targets
A Carbon transition plan is a building-specific cost plan that outlines how a building will adapt over time to remove combustion
from building operations. Sometimes called a decarbonization plan.
The Carbon Transition Planning Guide is a critical step in expanding the building sector’s capacity to plan and implement effective zero-carbon building transitions. It explains decarbonization is necessary, and outlines how to identify transition risks, evaluate building retrofit opportunities, develop a carbon transition plan, and align that plan with typical capital renewals. The approach outlined in this guide is applicable to different building types across Canada and is flexible enough to accommodate a range of building projects and timeframes.
With this guide, project decision-makers will learn how to:
- Align transition plans with typical capital renewals for holistic prioritization.
- Understand and assess the national and regional context, to help building owners identify associated transition risks.
- Assess and prioritize building retrofit opportunities within a portfolio.
- Develop transition plans for both a portfolio of properties and a single existing asset.
- Identify practical measures that drive significant reductions in building-related emissions.
Readers can follow the guide’s four-stage process to develop and implement a comprehensive carbon transition plan:
Stage 1: Preparation and Planning
Building a solid foundation for the transition process.
During this stage, the project team works to understand the owner’s goals and assembles a multidisciplinary team to encourage an integrated design approach from the outset. Occupant engagement is initiated to understand comfort and climate-related needs, and a climate resilience assessment is conducted to identify hazards and vulnerabilities. The team sets clear decarbonization and energy-reduction targets, explores available incentives and certification options, and helps to align all interested parties.
Stage 2: Plan Development
Creating a comprehensive building transition plan.
During this stage, the team identifies and evaluates potential decarbonization and retrofit measures and considers system interactions and holistic building performance. Energy modelling and cost estimates can be used to analyze retrofit options and inform decision-making. At this stage, the transition plan is developed in detail, including bundled retrofit options, high-level design, scope of work, schedule, and integration into the capital plan.
Stage 3: Design and Implementation
Moving the project from planning to action.
During this stage, the project team produces detailed design documents and specifications, finalizes the pre-tender budget with accurate costing and contingencies, and determines the most suitable project delivery method, such as Design-Bid-Build or Construction Management. During construction, project teams focus on coordination, communication, and risk management. Near the end of construction, systems are commissioned to verify performance and optimize operation.
Stage 4: Post-Retrofit
Sustaining the benefits of the retrofit over time.
During this stage, system performance is optimized through ongoing commissioning and monitoring, while training and education are provided for operations staff and building occupants to support proper use and maintenance of new systems. A plan is often implemented to confirm that energy and emissions reduction targets are met. Project outcomes may also be assessed through project team debriefs and occupant feedback.
How can CAGBC’s Carbon Transition Guide support your decarbonization journey?
- A national tool from Canada’s green building leader: CAGBC’s Carbon Transition Guide provides a framework that’s applicable across Canada and draws on 20+ years of leadership advancing national building codes, regulations and green building standards.
- Covers all asset types: These resources address transition planning across a wide range of asset classes including MURBs, office, retail, and industrial buildings.
- Designed for sustainability and climate resilience: Helps project teams address both physical climate-related risks and energy transition risks within broader decarbonization and retrofit planning.
- Prepare for NECB and regional high-performance building codes: Roadmaps are designed to encourage adoption of and compliance with the highest tiers of the NECB and regional high-performance codes and regulations, and can set buildings up for success pursuing CAGBC’s certification programs such as LEED® and Zero Carbon Building Standards™.
- Accounts for industry and regional diversity: Acknowledges and reflect the needs of municipal, non-profit, and Indigenous building owners aligned with funder expectations including different ownership models, decision-making contexts, and financial return considerations.
This planning guide is a key resource developed under CAGBC’s Transition Planning project, funded by Natural Resources Canada’s Codes Acceleration Fund. It is purpose-made to support existing building owners as they adopt and comply with the highest performance tiers of the
National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB) and regional high-performance codes and regulations to significantly reduce carbon emissions.