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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - JULY 2013
T
HE CANADA GREEN
Building
Council is an important player
in the building industry in Canada,
advocating for sustainable construc-
tion.
CIO spoke with Thomas Mueller,
President and CEO, to discuss the lat-
est with the CGBC and its initiatives.
5
QUESTIONS WITH THOMAS
MUELLER
What are the current challenges
in the building sector when it comes
to greening operations?
I think that there is a lot of room
for new buildings and existing build-
ings to be built and renovated to green
building standards. I don’t think we’ve
reached the maximum.
We have about 4,000 buildings in
our portfolio that are going through
registration/certification program for
LEED, and there are probably 250,000
buildings in Canada. We’re seeing
huge growth in the industry but green
building hasn’t completely penetrated
the market yet.
Part of the challenge is that com-
panies see green building as a cost bar-
rier. But studies show that the return
on investment is there. It’s just that it’s
not commonplace yet to go green.
Why is LEED so important in
Canada?
There are many building stan-
dard codes for buildings in Canada. So
for a builder it can be confusing, which
codes and green standards to choose.
What we recommend is that all build-
ings should engage in some form of
green renovation and adhere to stan-
dards—whatever works for that par-
ticular project. LEED is the most strin-
gent program that exists in Canada
and for some builders it might not be
an option. But it is the most thorough
program and it takes a lot of work to
achieve LEED certification.
Why is the council so important
to the cause of green building?
Our membership is very di-
verse—it’s a cross section of industry
and we understand in order to execute
standards for green building, all of
these people need to talk to each other
(
architects, builders, engineers etc.).
There needs to be an integration of
each profession. So our organization
is unique because it brings all of these
experts together.
Milestones that the council is hoping
to achieve?
The first is that we want to make
sure that we continue to innovate—
when it comes to design and construc-
tion of these buildings. One of our goals is to develop a low-
carbon or carbon neutral standard for buildings and we are
working on that. The second is to engage more existing build-
ings to upgrade their structures. One of our programs to en-
courage this is GREEN UP.
The third thing we want to do is influence change on a
larger scale—not just thinking about building but about the
structures of cities and the greening of cities. We’re investigat-
ing changing infrastructure to help green cities, such as water
systems etc.
Any key messages for future members?
We do a lot of work with government policy. And we re-
ally rely on members to help us figure out what we need to do
in terms of development programs. We are a very strong voice
when it comes to green building in Canada, so if you become a
member you can lend your voice. You can get involved with us
at the national, and the local level. If you care about sustainabil-
ity, I think you should join us.
