One year together
June 3, 2021
As Canada transitions towards a low-carbon future, the building sector must change.
Reducing carbon emissions requires high-performance buildings and retrofits delivered
at unprecedented speed and scale. Success is dependent on the workforce’s capacity
to design, build, renovate, and operate low-carbon buildings. Employers, educators,
and workers must effectively collaborate to strengthen skills and recruit more people
to the building sector.
The building sector is facing a massive labour shortage; over 100,000 new
construction workers are needed in the next 10 years just to keep pace with current
forecasted demand and retirements in Ontario, according to BuildForce Canada. The
Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) market research shows that reducing
emissions in this critical decade for climate action will require triple the current
number of design and construction professionals working on low-carbon buildings and
retrofits, upwards of 600,000 workers engaged in low-carbon building projects.
In response, Workforce 2030 launched in July of 2020. The coalition set out to
champion skills training, inclusive recruitment, catalyze government investment,
progressive policies and business practices needed to advance low-carbon building.
With unprecedented mobilization and collaboration among employers, educators, and
workers, the coalition could effectively accelerate the needed workforce capacity.