Buildings and their equipment in Canada account for 27 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. The Government of Canada wants to reduce those emissions through better energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy technologies and better life-cycle performance of buildings. At the same time, it aims to support healthier and more comfortable indoor environments and help Canadian companies supply high-performance building technologies to domestic and global markets.
The Government of Canada is also playing a greater direct role with communities. An important objective is to encourage the use of environmentally acceptable energy technologies in urban, rural and remote communities to reduce their overall energy intensity and reduce greenhouse gas and other air emissions.
OERD activities focus on:
- technologies for residential, commercial and institutional buildings
- waste recovery and use
- integration of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies
- design concepts, planning tools and technologies to reduce energy consumption, emissions and wastes in communities
- district heating and cooling