The Government of Canada is building a clean energy future that will strengthen the economy, create good jobs and support the natural resource sectors. This will be more important than ever as we prepare to reopen the economy and plan our recovery.
The Honourable Seamus O'Regan, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced an investment of over $2,445,000 toward the construction of energy-efficient residential buildings across Canada. The funding will support a project led by the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA) that will enable seven housing builders to construct net-zero energy and net-zero energy ready residential buildings in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Buildings and homes contribute approximately 17 percent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Net-zero energy buildings are designed and constructed to produce at least as much energy as they consume on an annual basis.
The project is looking to demonstrate it is possible to construct net-zero energy ready housing with reduced cost and construction time, which will in turn inspire energy-efficient changes throughout Canada's construction industry. The investment is part of the government's commitment to fight climate change, advance our clean energy future, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Federal funding is provided through Natural Resources Canada's Green Infrastructure program, which aims to accelerate the deployment and market entry of next-generation clean energy infrastructure in Canada.
By enhancing the pace and scale of clean technology, we significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Quotes
"More energy-efficient homes means less emissions in our atmosphere and more money in the pockets of Canadians. It's a win-win. That's how we'll get to net-zero emissions by 2050, with partners like the Canadian Home Builders' Association."
The Honourable Seamus O'Regan
Canada's Minister of Natural Resources
"To be able to give large numbers of Canadians the option of living in homes that are even more efficient than those built to the current building code, without negatively impacting affordability, we need to find new solutions, technologies and approaches. This partnership between the residential construction industry and the federal government to facilitate information-sharing and research among industry leaders who are voluntarily striving to build low-rise multi-family residential buildings to net-zero energy levels using pre-fabrication is an important step in getting us closer to that goal."
Kevin Lee, Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Home Builders' Association
