The Advantages of Going Green
There is a huge demand for
buildings in Canada to become more environmentally friendly in order to reduce their carbon footprint. It is currently estimated that the commercial
building sector accounts for more than half of the total annual greenhouse
emissions across the nation. These emissions are due to the huge amounts of
energy necessary for lighting, heating, and cooling these buildings. Not only
is it possible to improve on these dangerous levels of greenhouse emissions, it
is vital that all businesses do their part to minimize their impact on the
environment and develop sustainability programs.
Building owners and real estate
managers are often interested in making their buildings more environmentally
friendly, but it can be difficult knowing where to start. Besides measuring the
major quantitative statistics in terms of energy used and waste produced, it is
extremely beneficial to be able to benchmark and compare normalized results to
other peers. This provides a reasonable guideline of what can be done and what
results to expect when sustainability programs are put in place for building
operation.
Transforming existing buildings
into green, efficient buildings has many advantages for building owners and
real estate managers. In addition to being eco-friendly, these buildings
typically experience:
- Increased
levels of occupancy
- Lower
operating costs
- Reduced
carbon footprint
- Increased
occupant satisfaction
The Need for Green
The Canada
Green Building Council (CaGBC) is known across Canada for being the foremost organization leading the
green building movement. Members of the organization are prominently involved
in the design, construction and operation of buildings, homes and communities. Members
includes companies and individuals from different facets of the industry,
dedicated to supporting and effecting change in the built environment.
In 2014 the CaGBC partnered with
McGraw Hill Construction to conduct a detailed green building industry market
study. Key
findings indicate that the industry is poised for growth. All builders,
manufacturers, owners, engineers, and architects touching the green building
industry need to be aware of this. There's a huge demand for talent and
materials and the CaGBC is committed to working with stakeholders, policy
makers, and members to compile research reports, identify industry trends and become
the voice of advocacy for the industry. Expect more industry reports from the CaGBC in 2016.
Connect with the Industry
The best way to ensure you have
the most up-to-date and relevant green building industry is to become a member of the CaGBC. With a massive network of industry professionals
and the sole Canadian license for LEED you will be able to take advantage of
many member only benefits, including member-rates on LEED project registration
and certification..
The CaGBC offers three levels of
membership:
National Green Building Specialist
members are companies that benefit from access to critical LEED information and
discounts for their projects. Access to CaGBC education discounts help their
employees maintain their LEED accreditations.
National Green Building Advocate
members are companies who want to demonstrate their corporate responsibility to
the environment by supporting green building. These member companies benefit
from marketing resources and access to education, to better communicate with
the industry.
Chapter members are individual members
who want to be involved in green building on a local level. Chapter members
benefit from access to local green building education, events, and developing
their professional green building network. Chapter membership for employees of
National members is free.
*Emerging Green Builders (EGBs)
are full time students, recent graduates or professionals under the age of 30,
who are the future of green building. EGBs leverage this affordable Chapter membership
to grow their professional network, and benefit from volunteer opportunities and
discounts on education.
Great news for employees of
Advocate or Specialist member companies – everyone gets a free Chapter
membership! There isn’t an easier or more effective way to connect with and
learn from this important industry. The CaGBC’s network is the largest group of
individuals and companies who are committed to green building. If you are
passionate about the environment and the work that you do, find out what the
CaGBC can do for you.
Contact the CaGBC today and find out where to start.