As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that the National Research Council, working with the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, publish the national model energy codes for both new and existing buildings as soon as possible, and for existing buildings no later than fiscal year 2022-23.

Recommendation 2

The Committee recommends that the National Research Council work with the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes to add a new core objective to the national model codes that clearly identifies the importance of increasing energy efficiency and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in Canada’s buildings.

Recommendation 3

The Committee requests that Global Affairs Canada and Finance Canada respond to this report with a full description of how recent trade agreements signed by Canada have reduced tariffs on products and services that are specifically relevant to low-carbon building materials.

Recommendation 4

The Committee recommends that Employment and Social Development Canada ensure that programs exist or are established to address the labour transition required so that skilled personnel are available to implement net-zero energy ready codes.

Recommendation 5

The Committee recommends that Natural Resources Canada, the National Research Council, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation work together to develop a national strategy for energy retrofits of existing buildings that reflects regional differences and targets the most effective emissions reduction opportunities.

Recommendation 6

The Committee recommends that Infrastructure Canada work to provide significant funding in order to accelerate energy retrofits of commercial, institutional, and multi-residential buildings in the public and private sectors, such as through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.3

Recommendation 7

The Committee recommends that Natural Resources Canada, in collaboration with the National Research Council and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, develop guidance and tools to support verification of the effectiveness of completed energy retrofits.

Recommendation 8

The Committee recommends that the federal government create or adopt a measurement tool to take into account the net carbon emissions avoided through adaptive reuse of existing buildings.

Recommendation 9

The Committee recommends that, as the federal government takes steps to recognize the value of embedded carbon in existing construction, it should take into account the unique characteristics of heritage buildings and the public interest in their protection.

Recommendation 10

The Committee recommends that Natural Resources Canada, the National Research Council, and Environment and Climate Change Canada include building operator and building inspector training as part of federal funding, research, and incentive programs aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment.

Recommendation 11

The Committee recommends that Natural Resources Canada, in collaboration with the National Research Council, invest in methods (e.g. apps, web-based programs) through which building and home owners can obtain easily-understood information about their estimated energy usage and carbon emissions, and to compare the economic and emissions impacts of various energy-efficiency retrofits.

Recommendation 12

The Committee recommends that the federal government further invest in research, development, and demonstration in building science.

Recommendation 13

The Committee recommends that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation work with its partners to more broadly promote the incentives available for buying, building, and renovating energy-efficient homes, prior to the point of financing.

Recommendation 14

The Committee recommends that Natural Resources Canada and the National Research Council work with, and encourage, provincial/territorial, municipal, and industry partners to streamline the regulatory environment in order to encourage the early adoption of onsite renewable energy generation and green building techniques and technologies.

Recommendation 15

The Committee recommends that Natural Resources Canada, Finance Canada, Infrastructure Canada, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation identify and implement effective financial incentives to encourage on-site renewable energy generation and net-zero energy ready building construction (e.g. a federally-backed mortgage rate reduction, Canada Infrastructure Bank funding, insurance incentives, or programs similar to the U.S. renewable energy tax credits or U.S. tax credits for home builders).

Recommendation 16

The Committee requests that the federal government focus more attention on its Greening Government Strategy and report back to the Committee on its progress by the end of 2018.

Recommendation 17

The Committee recommends that Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat work with all other federal departments and agencies to demand higher energy efficiency standards (e.g. LEED, BOMA BEST) when procuring rental space and new buildings.

Recommendation 18

The Committee recommends that Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat require all federal custodian departments and agencies to develop and implement multi-year energy retrofit strategies for their respective portfolios of existing federally-owned buildings.

Recommendation 19

The Committee recommends that the federal government, when making federal infrastructure procurement decisions, consider including full life cycle analyses that address carbon emissions and storage resulting from the infrastructure’s materials, construction, operation, and de-commissioning.

Recommendation 20

The Committee recommends that Natural Resources Canada and the National Research Council work with Indigenous governments and communities, territorial and affected provincial governments, and industry to invest in building science and clean energy generation research, development, demonstration, and post-construction monitoring in the Canadian North.

Recommendation 21

The Committee recommends that Natural Resources Canada and the National Research Council work with Indigenous governments and communities and territorial and affected provincial governments to develop building standards specifically adapted to the Canadian North.