Sustainability Now

Here are some ideas that Paul Lowes would like you to examine when it comes to the future of residential home building. The impact of climate change has reached a point where it can no longer be ignored. Federal and Provincial governments have implemented rebates and taxes, to incentivize industry and citizens to do their part to address climate change. Most companies in North America have implemented strategies and targets to mitigate their impact on the environment. Companies express these…

Building a Sustainable Housing Industry   Affordability, or the lack thereof, has been front of mind for a long time.  Our industry has been screaming it from the rooftops for many years.  We’ve seen the tsunami coming, and the current Ontario government has finally decided to make some welcomed changes with Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022.  Increasing supply will help with affordability.   One factor limiting the supply of new homes is a shortage of skilled labour…

  Introducing the Low Carbon Home Builder’s Coalition   Here’s a question worth asking. In Ontario, we have a surplus of off-peak electricity and challenges with fresh water supply and waste treatment capacity. What could be the best way to manage our energy and water needs and reduce CO2 emissions? For the answer, let’s look to the Low Carbon Home Builder Coalition (LCHC). The idea behind the LCHC is to annually benchmark as many homes as possible to see how…

What makes good leadership? We know that poor leadership usually consists of simplistic thinking or fundamentalism. In contrast, balancing pros and cons — and preserving balance and choice — is key to effective leadership. In training sessions, I usually ask the participants “yes” or “no” questions — but I rarely get commitment to either response. Maybe people are afraid of suffering the disapproval of the group. There’s nothing wrong with not knowing the answer, but asking yourself the question is…

    Hi, Here are some thoughts that Paul De Berardis would like you to consider when it comes to the residential building sector. There are always two sides to every story, but the general consensus is that individuals working within the residential new home industry feel they are doing their part to address climate change, whereas external organizations always feel more can and should be done.   While there is merit to both sides of the argument, this must…

The members of the Sustainable Housing Foundation held a webinar to “Fill the Gap” in meeting carbon reduction in the home building industry. The virtual webinar was hosted via Zoom on March 22, 2023 from 10:30am to 12:00pm.   Low carbon definition: both operational and embodied carbon The hybrid house wisely using primary natural gas combo system Measuring CO2 reductions using HERS ratings and ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301-2019 GTA low carbon builders taking credit for exceeding current federal government’s mandates Creating realistic…