CAGBC Response to the Draft 2026–2029 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy
The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) welcomes the opportunity to provide recommendations on the draft Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS). Buildings are central to the outcomes the FSDS seeks to advance, including housing affordability, energy
efficiency, emissions reduction, climate resilience, public asset management, and clean economic growth.
CAGBC’s recommendations are intended to support that delivery-focused approach by identifying practical ways to embed measurable building-performance outcomes into federal housing programs, procurement, real-property decisions, and departmental implementation plans.
1 – Strengthen acceptable and resilient housing
Federally funded housing initiatives, including Build Canada Homes and related programs, incorporate scalable building-performance requirements to support low emission, resilient, and affordable housing without slowing time-to-market. Requirements should be grounded in recognized standards and measurable performance indicators while allowing flexibility in the pathway to achieving outcomes.
2 – Improve accountability for federal real property emissions reductions
Federal departments apply transparent performance requirements and independent verification for new construction, major retrofits. FSDS create a roadmap for future Scope 3 measurement and reporting, focusing on embodied carbon in construction materials, and supply chains.
3 – Integrate climate risk and building performance
Integrate building envelope performance, energy-system resilience, passive survivability, and adaptation measures into climate risk assessments for federal real property.
4 – Make energy efficiency outcomes measurable, scalable, and integrated
Supplement the national energy-savings benchmark with whole building performance metrics that reflect actual operational outcomes, including energy use intensity, thermal energy demand intensity, greenhouse gas intensity, and peak demand reduction.
5 – Scale deep retrofits through practical tools, technical support, and
performance accountability
Strengthen deep retrofit programs by aligning incentives and technical assistance with measurable performance outcomes.
6 – Create a more integrated federal building-performance approach
Adopt a more integrated ‘green buildings’ policy approach. This should include clear standards, measurable indicators, recognized
pathways for compliance, third-party certification and verification where appropriate, and transparent reporting.