Green Building

What is meant by building green?

Building green is about conserving resources during construction and throughout the operation of a building. Green buildings can contribute to the protection and restoration of biodiversity and urban agriculture and improve comfort, productivity, and livability for the people who occupy them.

To encourage greener buildings, the City has developed the Green Building Plan in consultation with community, industry, City departments and sustainability experts. The plan sets out the City’s expectations for green building as well as the programs that will be developed to encourage greener buildings in Edmonton.

We all benefit from Green Buildings

Those who build green can improve the economy by promoting renewable energy technologies, encouraging the growth of local business and expanding the use of sustainable construction materials. 

Those who buy green homes or buildings can experience more comfortable indoor environments, feel good about contributing to a reduction in Edmonton’s carbon footprint, and save money on their utility bills!  Working in green buildings has also been shown to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism.

The promotion of Green Buildings supports the City of Edmonton’s vision of a vibrant, sustainable city with attractive, livable and more compact communities.

Since January 1, 2008, all new City-owned buildings and major renovations have been designed and constructed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Standard as a minimum, and to be formally LEED certified.

The City has also committed to building our buildings 30% more energy efficiently than the current standard, which is the Model National Energy Code.

Green Building Policy and Plan

The Green Building policy and plan provide a mandate and framework to pursue actions aimed at improving the environmental, health and socioeconomic performance of all types of buildings. The plan covers all building types: commercial, institutional, industrial, mixed-use, multi-family residential and single-family residential buildings.

The Green Building Policy (C567) was approved by City Council on June 20, 2012.  The Green Building Plan is an action-oriented supporting document that outlines the programs that will be pursued to achieve the policy. For a quick overview of the plan, read the brochure.

The Green Building Policy and Plan will help:

• Communicate, educate and promote green building benefits and green building best practices to both industry and consumers to build industry capacity and increase demand
• Provide the clear mandate for the City to collaborate and partner with other green building advocates
• Transform the marketplace by providing a platform to provide recognition, coordination and financial incentives for meeting and exceeding green building expectations
• Support innovation and promote best practices through demonstration projects and leadership initiatives

For more information:

Green Building