OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - More ambitious building codes and energy-efficiency retrofits have the potential to create hundreds of thousands of sustainable jobs, improve energy affordability for all Canadians, and better equip our communities to withstand the effects of climate change.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson announced $2.4 million in funding through the Codes Acceleration Fund for the Government of Prince Edward Island to adopt higher performance tiers of the 2020 national model energy codes of Canada. This funding will provide building officials and building industry professionals with the tools and training required to ensure compliance with provincial building codes as the province adopts increasingly energy-efficient performance tiers.
The federal government is committed to supporting the adoption of more ambitious building codes to meet Canada's goal of a net-zero emissions and climate-resilient buildings sector by 2050.
Quotes
"Implementing more ambitious building codes will help the province of Prince Edward Island decrease greenhouse gas emissions from its building sector, while creating good jobs for its residents. I am proud to support this project under the Codes Acceleration Fund, and I look forward to more opportunities for the federal government to work with provinces and territories, municipalities, stakeholders, and the building community to prepare Canada's building stock for the net-zero future."
- The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
"We are investing to help communities cut their energy bills and cut emissions. Today's federal investment will enable the Province of PEI to support the adoption of stronger building codes in all types of buildings, delivering more affordable energy for Islanders, and creating more resilient homes for our children and grandchildren."
- Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown
"The Codes Acceleration Fund will help the Island construction industry better prepare for advances in building design and construction methods. We will be utilizing the Codes Acceleration Fund to embark on a feasibility study to identify barriers and challenges to adopting higher performance tiers and hire additional building officials to provide training for staff and industry professionals on the changes to construction codes. The goal of this funding is to adopt building codes that result in the construction of more efficient buildings, thereby helping the province achieve its Net Zero Framework goals."
- The Honourable Gilles Arsenault, Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Government of Prince Edward Island
Quick facts
- A second call for funding proposals for the Codes Acceleration Fund is open until January 10, 2025, through which applicants may submit their projects for consideration.
- Canadian households spend an average of $2,200 a year on home energy costs. These costs are significantly higher in older homes that have poor insulation, ventilation, and heating/cooling systems. Transitioning buildings to clean energy sources can reduce these energy costs.
- New construction needs to be high performance – adopting the highest viable tier of the National Energy Code for Buildings (for larger buildings) and of the National Building Code (for residential homes and small buildings) and consider embodied carbon (in construction materials).
- Canada's residential buildings account for 47% of buildings sector emissions in Canada. Buildings are Canada's third largest emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with over 96 percent of building emissions coming from space and water heating.
- Many of Canada's residential, commercial, and institutional buildings are aging, and will require retrofits to become more energy efficient.
Related information
- Codes Acceleration Fund
- Codes Acceleration Fund Application Guide
- The Canada Green Buildings Strategy
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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada
Contacts: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6100, [email protected]; Joanna Sivasankaran, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, [email protected]
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