 The buildings in which we go about our daily lives – where we live, work, shop and play - have a significant impact on our health and the environment. Recent studies estimate that:
- Approximately one-third of Canada’s secondary energy use is due to the operation of buildings (1)
- Construction, rennovation and demolition waste represents about one-third of the 20 million tonnes of solid waste sent to landfill in Canada each year (2)
- Buildings account for 25% of the world's wood harvest, 40% of its material and energy usage, and 17% of its fresh water usage (3)
Green Building has become an industry recognized phrase that encompasses energy efficiency, sustainable materials and processes, and reliable new technologies that help to reduce the negative environmental impact of infrastructure development. Green building also refers to techniques that improve the quality of the indoor environment for building occupants.
The benefits of green building are:
• lower operational and maintenance costs due to reduced energy usage;
• healthier indoor environments for building occupants;
• reduced impacts on the natural environment;
• increased sales due to positive marketing associated with environmental stewardship;
• pride in direct participation and involvement in environmental conservation; and
• public recognition within the green building movement.
The primary goal of the green building component of STEP is to advance the knowledge and practice of green building through monitoring and applied research into the effectiveness and environmental benefits of green building strategies and technologies. Select a category on the right to learn about the different elements of green building.
Sources:
1 Natural Resources Canada - Office of Energy Efficiency, 2008. Canada's Secondary Energy Use by Sector, End-Use and Sub-Sector.
2 Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2000. The Environmentally Responsible Construction and Renovation Handbook: Second Edition.
3 Roodman, D.M. and N. Lenssen, 1995. A Building Revolution: How Ecology and Health Concerns are Transforming Construction. Worldwatch Paper 124. Worldwatch Institute, Washington, DC.
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