Nov 26th

Sustainable Buildings Canada

Buildings in a Carbon-Constrained World

Buildings in a carbon-constrained economy

• The impact of building developments on climate change

• Emerging trends • Government initiatives• Private initiatives

• Carbon markets and their relationship to buildings• Gap analysis – what’s needed?

Resourcedepletion

Acid rain damage

Water pollution

Air pollution

Climate Change

The Perfect Storm…

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Pie

Scope of Impact from Buildings

Life Cycle Assessment Approach

The rest of the story is the energy to make and move

energy — called pre-combustion in LCA

End use energy estimates just one

part of the story

Even source energy doesn’t

get it all

LCA of Energy Supply

Users only fillin yellow cells

Instant answers

GHG Policy – Kyoto & Canada

• The Kyoto Protocol - 5.2% below 1990 by 2012

• Canada Federal• Cap & Trade for large final emitters by January 1, 2010 (based on carbon

intensity reductions)• Target of 20% below 2006 levels by 2020• Harper proposal (Oct 08) for a cap-and-trade system with Mexico and the US to

take effect in 2015• BC Gov’t

• 33 % emissions reduction below 2007 levels by 2020• 80% by 2050• Carbon neutrality for it own operations by 2010

• Ontario Gov’t• 6% below 1990 levels by 2014• 15% by 2020• 80% by 2050

• Manitoba – 23% below 1990 levels by 2012

GHG Policy - United States

• US draft cap-and-trade bill to reduce emissions 80% below 2005 levels by 2050

• All new federal buildings:• carbon-neutral by 2025• 40% improvement in efficiency within five years (2013)• 25% improvement in the efficiency of existing buildings by 2013

• All new buildings • Same as federal but deadline extended 5 years to 2018

• California – reach 1990 levels by 2020• U.S. Supreme Court can now regulate greenhouse gases as

pollutants

Buildings & Climate Change Direct Initiatives

• World Bank – Community Development Fund • UN – Sustainable Buildings & Construction Initiative• EU Directive 2002/91/EC – Energy Performance of

Buildings• Climate Trust (US)• Philanthropic organizations (US)

Business Sector• Origin Energy’s ‘Carbon Reduction Scheme’

N.AmericanCap & Trade Systems

Private Initiatives – Voluntary Carbon Market

Carbon & $$$

• The worldwide carbon market >US$30 billion• N.American voluntary market = $700 M/yr (2008)• In the US, $11.8 billion was invested in 58 separate

carbon funds as of March 2007.• California State carbon offsets $400 M/yr • BC Gov’t carbon offsets $20 M/yr • Voluntary carbon credit prices have continued an

upward trend with 26% increases in 2008 over 2007 and 60% over 2006 prices.

Buildings & Climate Change Non-profit Initiatives

• USGBC - LCA into LEED 2009 • Architecture 2030 – 2030 Challenge• PEW Centre – Meeting GHG targets through

buildings• CaGBC

• “Towards A Buildings-Centric Climate Change Strategy”

Canada Green building Council

“Turning the Corner” - Canada's Offset System for Greenhouse Gases

• Offset projects must be:• Real• Incremental• Quantified• Verified• Unique

• Environment Canada certifies the reductions and issues offset credits.

Counting Carbon:Understanding Carbon Footprints of Buildings

• Four steps that are required to generate offset credits:

1. Creation of a quantification protocol for the project type;

2. Registration of the project;3. Reporting and verification of

reductions from a registered project;

4. Certification of reductions and issuance of offset credits.

CaGBC & Canada Offset System for Greenhouse Gases

• generate revenue to support green building and EE programs;

• provide a system for the real estate industry to off-set and trade carbon credits as part of CaGBC’sLEED Canada Initiative or Green Building Performance System;

• measure progress towards national and international climate change targets;

Barriers to Involvement of Buildings in the Carbon Markets

• Offset projects must be:• Real• Incremental• Quantified• Verified• Unique• Cost-effective

Involvement of Buildings in the Carbon Markets

• Other mechanisms for Involvement of Buildings in the Carbon Markets• Fund set up by energy providers• Bond mechanisms• “Minnesota Flip”

Industry drivers what do we need?

• Policy & Incentives• Investments• Funding mechanisms (offsets, bond measures)• Demand Side Management (DSM)• Clean-energy revolution• Renewable Energy• New Technologies

Thank You