2024 Reports 1 to 5 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of Canada—Shift to low-carbon construction materials too slow given urgency of climate crisis

2024 Reports 1 to 5 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of CanadaShift to low-carbon construction materials too slow given urgency of climate crisis

Ottawa, 30 April 2024—A report released today by Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry V. DeMarco concluded that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Infrastructure Canada were slow to promote the use of low‑carbon-content construction materials that have lower greenhouse gas emissions.

As a large purchaser, the federal government first expressed in 2006 its desire to move markets toward goods and services that carry a lower carbon footprint. However, the audit found that the federal government began considering the use of low‑carbon construction materials only in 2017. Quick action is important because once a structure has been built, its carbon content is locked in for the lifetime of that structure.

From 2006 to 2016, improvements in energy efficiency reduced operational emissions from infrastructure—for example, by upgrading insulation. However, it was not until 2017 that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat addressed the issue of reducing the carbon content of construction materials—for example, by reducing emissions resulting from the production process of concrete. It was only at the end of 2022 that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat established the Standard on Embodied Carbon in Construction and, as of now, the standard applies only to ready‑mix concrete.

“This slow pace of change is concerning because steel production typically emits high amounts of greenhouse gases and is widely used in major construction projects,” said Mr. DeMarco. “To increase Canada’s chances of meeting its 2030 and 2050 climate commitments, the federal government needs to more actively promote the use of low carbon construction materials in public infrastructure.”

For its part, Public Services and Procurement Canada has not finished incorporating the requirements of the standard into its infrastructure procurement process. Meanwhile, Infrastructure Canada has begun—in a limited way—to incorporate considerations related to reducing the carbon content of construction materials into its funding programs. This slow progress is delaying important results because emissions from construction and construction materials account for 11% of Canada’s total emissions.

- 30 -

The 2024 Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Report 2—Greening of Building Materials in Public Infrastructure, is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

Please visit our Media Room for more information.