Toronto and 18 Other Cities Worldwide Commit to Making New Buildings Net Zero Carbon by 2030

Published on September 18, 2018

According to the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), a building nets zero carbon if it is, “highly energy efficient and fully powered by on-site and/or off site renewable energy sources.” With global temperature increasing worldwide, 19 different cities and their leaders have agreed to work together in an attempt to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5℃. This commitment was formulated out of the notion that over half of a city’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings in urban areas. As a result, looking to eliminate some of those emissions becomes crucial in order to preserve the integrity of our environment in the future.

Toronto is among the 13 cities who have also decided to only commit to owning, occupying, and developing assets that net zero carbon by 2030 - a step even further towards reducing greenhouse emissions worldwide. This ambitious commitment starts in the exact same way that a household would look at reducing their own emissions. First they start by evaluating current carbon emissions and energy demand, then they look for opportunities to reduce those emissions and energy usage where possible.

The Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment officially launched on September 13, 2018, at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco. If you wish to become involved by contributing or by participating in affiliate events, you can follow the link here.