Green building benefits

Human health

Green buildings offer occupants better air quality with lower concentrations of CO2 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). With higher ventilation rates, green building occupants breathe better air, and enjoy higher productivity and better learning outcomes. Since studies show people spend 90% of their time indoors, air quality is critical to better health. People living and working in green buildings actually experience fewer sick days and lower asthma rates. They also sleep better thanks to better access to outdoor views and daylight. And who doesn’t want a better night’s sleep? 

Workers in green, well-ventilated offices record a 101% increase in cognitive scores. (Syracuse University, 2015)

Environmental 

Green buildings use less water, energy, and natural resources. They also decrease impacts on the environment. Zero-carbon buildings reduce harmful emissions by avoiding embodied carbon from materials and building processes and operational carbon emitted by running the building’s mechanical systems. Green building standards exist to help building owners and operators pursue their sustainability goals and verify that their decisions are achieving the building’s environmental and energy-savings goals.

LEED-certified buildings consume 25% less energy and 11% less water than traditional buildings. (USGBC)

Economic

Green buildings make good business sense. While they may cost slightly more to construct, they are more efficient to operate, which saves money in the long-term. Commercial owners find green buildings demand premium rents and maintain better occupancy rates. Tenants also benefit from lower utility costs that make green buildings more affordable to live in. 

As Canada works toward its climate targets, demand for green buildings will grow, creating new jobs. Already, green building jobs outnumber Canada’s forestry, oil and gas extraction, and mining sectors combined. With investment in green building and progressive policies, green building could account for 1.5 million direct jobs and $150 billion in GDP by 2030. 

Over 460,000 people worked in the green building sector in 2018, a 55% increase over 2014.  (CAGBC)

Social

Green buildings can play a role in shaping more equitable communities. Everyone benefits when community members have access to healthy, affordable housing or when communities are climate-resilient and can withstand extreme weather events. Since climate-related impacts tend to impact vulnerable communities the most, it’s important that green building be part of Canada’s approach to social justice. 

A social justice lens should also be applied to new green building jobs. As the shift to low-carbon buildings and retrofits increases, growing the workforce to meet demand should include strategies to prioritize underrepresented groups.

With investment in green building and proactive policies, green building jobs could number 1.5 million by 2030. (CAGBC)