A report released by the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) at the end of January is called “ an action plan to close the low-carbon building skills gap in the Ontario construction industry”. Trading Up: Equipping Ontario Trades with the Skills of the Future estimates that the skills gap is costing Ontario C$24.3 billion in annual economic activity, and limiting the province’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The report identifies where shortages in low-carbon skills training currently exist, and defines specific actions that labour, governments, post-secondary institutions and industry organizations can take to optimize green building skills training. Although it focuses on the skilled trades, the report also calls for skills upgrading for designers, architects, engineers, buildings officials and buildings managers, highlighting that “Changes to the larger construction approach and acknowledgment of soft skills are necessary to deliver high-performing buildings. We therefore need to increase overall levels of ‘green literacy’ .” The 6-page Executive summary is here .
The CaGBC also released the 2018 LEED Impact Report for Canada in January 2019 providing statistical snapshots of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified and Zero Carbon building in each province and territory – with measures for energy savings, GHG reductions, water savings, recycling, and green roofs.
On February 13, the U.S. Green Building Council released its annual ranking of the Top 10 countries and regions of the world (excluding the U.S.) which have the highest cumulative gross square meters of construction which are LEED-certified. Canada ranked 2nd in terms of gross square metres of LEED certified space, after China, and ranked first in the number of certified projects, with 3,254 certified projects.