Opinion
The transformative potential of energy efficient buildings as infrastructure
By Brendan Haley October 19, 2020
The conceptualization of energy efficiency as infrastructure could be a game changer. It might mean we start to finally capture the large-scale benefits from more efficient and zero-carbon buildings.
The ARISE building at Carleton University in Ottawa. Image courtesy of Chris Roussakis
OTTAWA—Infrastructure usually refers to large projects like highways, dams, or wastewater treatment, however, this year’s Throne Speech contained a nuance that might have gone unnoticed: “energy efficient retrofits” were listed as an infrastructure investment. Now, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) has announced a $2-billion initiative towards building retrofits as part of its growth plan. These actions signal a potentially transformative change.
Related Stories
-
Sponsored Content
Canada’s economic recovery is green
Politics This Morning
Your email has been added. An email has been sent to your address, please click the link inside of it to confirm your subscription.
Military response to sexual misconduct ‘uncoordinated and ineffectual,’ say experts
Former military ombudsman Gary Walbourne has agreed to a summons from the House Defence Committee to appear next week to address a 2018 complaint his office received.Top Conservatives Byrne, Patterson, Dodds, Gerstein, Lecce, Mulroney lose delegate election races for party policy convention
Campaign Life Coalition claims that its endorsed candidates’ performance played a key role in the defeat of the four prominent Conservatives in the delegate elections.Long-term fixes for safe drinking water in some First Nations could be out of reach for ‘several years,’ says AG
A small proportion (15 per cent) of the 100 advisories lifted since the Trudeau Liberals took office ended as result of 'interim measures,' according to the report.Ottawa making ‘good progress’ modernizing procurement, but auditor finds more training needed
Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan looked into how departments are better planning procurements for complex IT solutions, including lessons learned from the problem-plagued Phoenix payroll system.
Liberal delay in moving on Bill C-19 ‘puzzling’ given election posturing, says NDP’s Blaikie
After being ‘in a hurry’ to table the bill in December amid strong public polling, Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu says she thinks the delay now is a reflection of a dip in Liberal fortunes. New committee a forum to look deeper into ever-important Canada-U.S. economic relationship, but will partisan squabbles dominate?
The special committee was created through a Conservative motion that was backed by the Liberals, Bloc, and NDP. Nearly half of the members of the committee are members of the International Trade Committee. Torture ‘by another name’: Canada still keeps some prisoners in solitary confinement, ‘disturbing’ new data shows
Federal prison authorities say the Liberal law requires the agency to give prisoner’s the ‘opportunity’ for time out of cell, and often prisoners refuse.MPs, advocates urge more government action to combat ‘pandemic of anti-Asian racism’
Most MPs and advocates who spoke to The Hill Times connected this resurgence in hate to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Liberal MP Han Dong noting that communities have come together in response. Statistics Canada ‘almost ready’ to launch consultations on effort to collect race-based data on crime
It will ultimately be up to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and other policing partners to get buy-in from their colleagues to implement the initiative on the ground.Trending Stories
