Are you interested in making a valuable contribution to the growth of the decarbonization and green building movement? CAGBC is now accepting applications for both technical and green building program advisory volunteer roles. CAGBC seeks sustainability professionals and technical experts with experience in the design, construction, and operations of buildings. Members representing these groups are encouraged to apply: building owners (commercial and non-commercial), building design professionals, sustainability consultants, construction specialists, and building operators.

The following committees are accepting applications for volunteers. Application information and deadlines are noted further below.

Zero Carbon Steering Committee (ZCSC):

The ZCSC is the senior committee providing policy, technical, and market oversight of the Zero Carbon Building Program in Canada. This Committee is responsible for the development and application of the ZCB-Design and ZCB-Performance Standards, as well as associated tools and guidance. The committee is also responsible for supporting CAGBC with the strategic direction of the program, which includes guiding CAGBC’s advocacy, research, and education related to zero carbon. The committee is specifically seeking volunteers in the following sectors:

• Commercial Real Estate (leasing or ESG)
• Utility
• Contractors and Construction

CAGBC LEED Advisory Committee (CLAC):

The CLAC is the senior committee responsible for identifying Canadian market needs for the LEED program and advising on opportunities for alignment across CAGBC’s green building programs. With LEED v5 being launched in 2025, it is an exciting time to be working on LEED in Canada. The committee is specifically looking for representatives from project owners: both governmental and commercial including those working on LEED Operations and Maintenance projects. However, the committee accepts a wide range of practitioners, so applications from other senior professionals will be considered. This standing committee currently meets every second Tuesday from 11:30am to 12:30pm Eastern time, with approximately 30 minutes of pre-reading needed.

Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs):

These standing committees perform a crucial role in ensuring that the development and administration of CAGBC programs are grounded in technical and scientific considerations of the highest quality. TAG members should have relevant technical knowledge and strong familiarity with CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building program and/or LEED. There are two TAGs :

CAGBC Energy & Engineering TAG (E&E TAG):

Since 2007, CAGBC’s E&E TAG has provided critical insight into design and operations aspects of energy performance, HVAC design, electrification energy storage, grid interactions, thermal comfort, controls, and commissioning. The E&E TAG is specifically looking for expertise in the following areas:

• HVAC systems (designers and/or contractors)
• Commissioning (including retro-commissioning, recommissioning, envelope commissioning, and ongoing commissioning)
• Refrigerant expert (designer and/or contractor, knowledge of refrigerants, especially newer low-GWP alternatives)
• Electrical utility operator (can speak to grid-side impacts of electrification, renewable electricity, and grid citizenship)
• Multi-Unit Residential expertise (designer, modeller, and/or M&V)
• Government/regulatory perspective (involvement in energy, infrastructure, planning, and/or building code)

The E&E TAG meets every second Thursday from 4-6pm Eastern time, with one hour of pre-reading expected.

CAGBC Embodied Carbon TAG (EC TAG):

This TAG is not accepting new members at this time.

Accelerator Groups:

Accelerator groups bring together members who support CAGBC’s vision and want to tackle specific issues and opportunities. They exist for the length of time needed to deliver the targeted goal (often approximately a year). These groups provide the insights needed to drive positive change in Canada’s built environment through discussion and collaboration:

LEED v5 Accelerators (BD+C and O+M):

CAGBC’s LEED v5 Accelerators have been providing feedback to ensure the Canadian market’s needs are represented in the development of LEED v5. This work will be completed at the end of the public comment reviews, expected at the end of 2024. New members will join at this time and the LEED v5 Accelerators will shift their focus to providing insights into where Canadian Alternative Compliance Paths may be needed and where the market would benefit from further direction or training. Participants are expected to bring experience with LEED (LEED APs with Specialties). One Accelerator is focused on Building Design and Construction (BD+C) (includes Interior work as needed) and another on Operations and Maintenance (O+M). Work is divided into specific subject areas and participants are only expected to participate in areas of interest to them. Work is both online and through virtual meetings.

Zero Carbon Transition Planning Accelerator:

This new Accelerator will be launched in November 2024 to identify and address industry needs in support of decarbonizing existing building stock. Key outcomes are expected to include guidance and education for undertaking portfolio and asset-level zero-carbon transition plans. This Accelerator will also foster alignment between programs and tools developed by organizations and jurisdictions across the country. Meetings are expected to take place at least monthly, with some preparation required.

How to apply

The deadline for applications is Monday, November 4, at noon ET. Interested parties should submit their application by email here and indicate “Application for [Committee Name] – [your name]” in the subject line. Please include:

• a brief cover email articulating:
  • your area of interest and specifying the committee of interest,
  • how your skill set matches those outlined above, and,
  • where relevant for the committee, your project experience (e.g., your roles on LEED and ZCB projects);
• curriculum vitae (or link to LinkedIn profile or another relevant site);
• current LEED credentials (e.g., LEED Accredited Professional speciality), if any; and,
• your organization’s membership status (note you can apply without your firm being a member, but if accepted, your organization must be a CAGBC member).

Applicants will start to be informed of application status by late November.

The Accelerators are open to both levels of CAGBC corporate members (Specialist and Advocate member levels) while the Zero Carbon Steering Committee, CAGBC LEED Advisory Committee, and Technical Advisory Groups are open to only the Specialist member level. All committee members will be required to agree to a Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest, and Confidentiality policy. Note that for the Zero Carbon Steering Committee, CAGBC LEED Advisory Committee, and Technical Advisory Groups to remain unbiased, representatives from product manufacturers and trade associations cannot be appointed to these groups; however, the Accelerators are open to all members.

Appointments to these committees will aim to achieve a diversity of relevant experience, professional perspectives, market and geographical representation, and gender balance.

Only one individual per member company may be represented on each committee, except for the Accelerators where two per firm are allowed due to the larger capacity.

The committees operate in English.