CaGBC study highlights gaps in zero carbon training for building-industry professionals

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Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has released a new study that shows the building industry still has work to do to ensure professionals have access to the skills and knowledge required to deliver zero carbon buildings at scale. 

Canada has committed to reaching a 30 per cent reduction below 2005 levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, intending to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The building sector has an opportunity to play a crucial role in meeting these targets.

Zero carbon buildings provide a proven pathway to achieve much-needed carbon reductions. However, the successful transition to zero carbon requires specific skills and knowledge. Building to a zero carbon standard can be more complex and demands that project teams work more collaboratively, from design through to completion and operation.

In Accelerating to Zero: Upskilling for Engineers, Architects, and Renewable Energy Specialists, CaGBC leveraged its Zero Carbon Building Standard to define the core competencies and sub-competencies needed to support zero carbon building by building industry professions. The report establishes an industry baseline of zero carbon building skills and knowledge among engineers, architects, and renewable energy specialists. This was achieved as a result of 318 survey respondents who self-reported their perceived knowledge and practical experience for the competencies, helping to identify knowledge and skills gaps. In addition, CaGBC tracked preferred learning approaches and available training and education to better understand what opportunities exist for upskilling around these zero carbon competencies.

About CaGBC

CaGBC is the leading national organization dedicated to advancing green building and sustainable community development practices. As the voice of green building in Canada, CaGBC works closely with its national and chapter members in an effort to make every building greener. CaGBC reduces environmental impacts from the built environment through project certification, advocacy and research, and has helped meet the demand for skilled workers by providing green building education to more than 30,000 professionals across the country since 2002. CaGBC established the LEED® green building rating system in Canada and developed the country’s first Zero Carbon Building Standard. It also oversees the Canada Coalition for Green Schools and is a member of the World Green Building Council supporting international efforts to reduce environmental impacts from the built environment. For more information: cagbc.org.

About the Zero Carbon Building Standard

Developed by the Canada Green Building Council, the Zero Carbon Building Standard is made-in-Canada solution designed to be broadly applicable to help any type of new and existing building achieve zero carbon. A zero carbon building is a highly energy-efficient building that produces onsite, or procures, carbon-free renewable energy or high-quality carbon offsets to balance the annual carbon emissions associated with building materials and operations. For more information CaGBC.org/zerocarbon.