Pilot program aims to stamp out carbon emissions from residential buildings in Outaouais
Taylor Clark
The Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais (CREDDO) hopes to create tangible effects on the energy efficiency of the real estate stock in the region with its project Communauté du bâtiment vert de l’Outaouais.
The non-profit organization was awarded $462,000 over 3 years as part of the Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program launched by Natural Resources Canada to fund the project.
“With this project, CREDDO is helping to pave the way for greener buildings in Quebec and Canada,” Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson wrote in a press release.
The building industry made up 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the country representing a key sector in achieving Canada’s net zero commitment by 2050. More than two-thirds of the buildings that will exist in 2050 have already been built but require retrofitting to be more sustainable.
CREDDO noted energy efficient renovations must be completed at seven times the current rate to achieve carbon neutrality in this sector in 2050. To aid in stimulating the market for energy-efficient renovations, the project will utilize the Dutch concept of Energiesprong to accelerate the pace and scale of renovations by grouping together similar homes to reduce carbon emissions from residential buildings in Outaouais.
“The ecological transition must strengthen, not reduce, accessibility to housing for all. The Communauté du bâtiment vert de l’Outaouais project integrates this vision by ensuring that affordable housing is not only preserved but also improved, thus contributing to a sustainable and inclusive future,” CREDDO’s general director Benoit Delage.
Twelve regional partners like the Ville de Gatineau and MRC Pontiac have already committed to ensuring the project’s implementation.
“I would like to express my gratitude to CREDDO and its partners for their exemplary leadership in this magnificent project for the Outaouais. Energy-efficient renovations are essential to reducing emissions from our buildings, and we need local initiatives like this project to meet our greenhouse gas emissions reduction and energy efficiency goals. This initiative strengthens our vision of a green and prosperous Outaouais, a goal to which I am deeply attached,” said Pontiac MP Sophie Chatel.
Photo caption: The Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais officially launches its Communauté du bâtiment vert de l’Outaouais project with the help of 12 regional partners.
Photo credit: Agatha Rowland Photography
