Canada Green Building Council says building industry lacks zero-carbon skills, knowledge

A new study by Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) shows that the building industry has more work ahead of it to ensure professionals have access to the skills and knowledge required to deliver zero-carbon buildings at scale.

“Transitioning to zero carbon buildings offers significant emissions reductions, but it also requires a shift in thinking and practice across the building sector,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of CaGBC, in a news release. “Skilled job training is a critical element in shifting the industry toward a knowledgeable and prepared application of zero carbon building practices which will make a positive impact on Canada’s climate goals.”

Canada aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2005 levels, and intends to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The building sector will play a crucial role in meeting these targets.

To address the need for zero-carbon workforce upskilling, CaGBC encourages education and training providers, as well as accreditation and professional bodies to:

· Ensure education and training curricula to address zero-carbon building competencies

· Support upskilling by establishing common terminology for courses and by investing in self-assessment tools

· Drive enhanced professional credentialing requirements

· Invest in, develop, and support multiple delivery methods and formats

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.