buildings

A new building policy approach that’s working

11/2023 - Existing building performance has been historically challenging to regulate, but that’s changing with the recent proliferation of mandatory building performance standards (BPS) across North America.

Putting high-rises on a low-carbon diet

5/2023 - GLOBE AND MAIL: Policy paper published last year by U of T, City of Toronto, The Atmospheric Fund and Mantle Developments calls for the regulation of embodied carbon as well as the development of standardized ways of measuring these emissions.

Doug Ford’s new housing bill guts green building law he voted for as Toronto councillor, say critics

11/2022 - TORONTO STAR - "The Building More Homes Faster Act includes clauses that will inadvertently make future homes more unaffordable and less efficient for Ontarians," says Bryan Purcell.

Dear election candidates: Climate action means working across issues and regional lines

10/2022 - To handle the complex and intersectional issues that face our region, hopeful new leaders will need to follow the carbon and collaborate.

Breaking ground on a climate-friendly way to heat and cool homes in Toronto

7/2022 - TVO -“It’s really critical that we get all new developments to net-zero or near-zero as soon as possible. Low-carbon district energy is one way to address that challenge,” says Bryan Purcell.

Climate and affordability depend on these essential building code updates

3/2022 - Ontario’s building code is only updated every five to seven years, so we can’t afford to miss this opportunity to reduce carbon emissions by building better buildings that are cleaner and more affordable to operate. Read our recommendations to align it with an affordable, net zero future.

Three key climate measures for Toronto’s 2022 budget

2/2022 - Council will vote on the City Budget this Thursday: what do we want to see most? To continue its role as a climate leader, Toronto needs to shift to implementation in top three climate priority areas: Climate Lens Policy, electrification of public bus fleets, and green development standards.

Hybrid heat pumps can be a stopgap to an electric future

2/2022 - New case studies show the promise of hybrid heat pumps in the GTHA, and Erik Jansen of TRCA explores the upsides and downsides of the technology.

Toronto sets ambitious net zero target by 2040

11/2021 - TAF outlines some key components of the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and provides our take on how it needs to be strengthened to achieve net zero by 2040.

How To Heat Your Home Without Heating The Planet

11/2021 - CHATELAINE - CEO Julia Langer discusses practical and inspiring reasons to make the switch to heat pumps. "It's not that complicated - you don’t need fossil fuels to heat your home."

Putting out the fire: How to cleanly heat a cold country that’s hooked on natural gas

11/2021 - CORPORATE KNIGHTS - Without strong policy signals, utilities continue to invest millions annually in expanding and renewing gas distribution infrastructure, compounding the risk of stranded assets and financial disruptions.

YWCA Hamilton raises the bar to build amazing affordable housing

11/2021 - New YWCA building in Hamilton shows what’s possible when resident health, comfort, and the climate are put first. We interviewed key players from the design and project teams and took a tour of the facilities. Take a peek to find out how they did it.