Building a clear Buy and Clean path that is crucial for the role of construction in reducing emissions

The federal government and construction materials companies can play a significant role in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted each year.

That’s according to a report from the Buy Clean Industry Alliance, a coalition of industry associations, think tanks, and labor and environmental groups that includes leading industry players such as the Cement Association of Canada, the Aluminum Association of Canada and EllisDon.

The report, titled “Building Success: Implementing Effective Buy Clean Policies,” outlines recommendations and specific actions government and industry can take to reduce up to four million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Activities include the use of low-emission building materials, as well as construction and design practices for public procurement construction projects.

It summarizes the findings and ideas from a workshop organized by the Alliance and the Future of Infrastructure Group, which brought together stakeholders from across policy and the supply chain.

The federal government has committed to a “Buy Clean” strategy, although it has not yet been implemented.

The report focused on the construction industry because the production of building materials is associated with high greenhouse gas emissions, with iron, steel and cement accounting for almost four per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.

If the indirect effects of the resulting market changes are taken into account, emissions could ultimately be reduced by as much as 13.8 million tonnes per year, the equivalent of taking three million gas-powered cars off the road.

According to the authors, Canada’s public sector generates approximately one-fifth of all infrastructure spending in the country, and strategic use of this purchasing power through a “Buy Green” policy could have a direct impact on greenhouse gas emissions and shift the market toward low-carbon materials.

“Because the government is such a significant buyer, this creates demand for low-carbon materials and incentivizes the market to transition to zero greenhouse gas emissions,” they say. “The opportunity is not only environmental, but also economic.

“Thanks to Canada’s relatively green energy grid and ongoing efforts to reduce emissions, many Canadian heavy industries already produce products with lower emissions than international competitors. Buy Clean policies are therefore well placed to support Canadian industry and Canadian jobs. This is an approach already taken by the United States and used to direct $9 billion to support clean materials production, primarily in the United States.”

The report shows that a shift to a low-carbon construction sector also ensures sustainable jobs in the future. Canada’s steel, aluminum and concrete sector supports approximately 310,000 direct and indirect jobs. When other construction materials sectors are added, such as forestry and wood products, the number of employees exceeds half a million.

However, while Buy Clean principles have great potential, their implementation poses a number of challenges, from data availability to cost and cultural barriers in the industry, the report notes.

“The implementation of the Buy Clean program is an important opportunity to learn lessons that can be applied across the built environment.”

The report states that to implement a Buy Clean strategy and policy at all levels of government, it is crucial to identify barriers early and formulate constructive solutions.

For example, the report points out that jurisdictions are adopting their own policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from public infrastructure, resulting in a patchwork of requirements for the industry, which complicates the process.

“Buy Clean has the potential to be a transformative policy for Canada’s construction and materials manufacturing sectors,” the authors state. “This can be an important tool in accelerating the transition to net zero, increasing our global economic competitiveness and unlocking innovation in the sector.

“However, as with all ambitious policies, it must be undertaken in consultation with stakeholders and must take into account the challenges industries face in modernizing legacy systems and approaches.”

Three specific pillars have been identified on which strong policy can be built and implemented: imposing mandates and centralizing data; building a clear Buy Clean path that will ensure quick success; and increasing awareness and reducing risk.

The need for centralized data on the availability and cost of low-carbon materials, as well as greenhouse gas emission baselines from key building materials, as well as obtaining complete, up-to-date, location-specific and consistent product details was identified as an obstacle.

Concerns were also expressed about the lack of low-emission materials on the market and the insufficient information available to understand the financial and economic costs of using them in construction.

The report suggests that governments should establish predictable, performance-based requirements that build over time and design procurement and delivery processes that leave room for innovation and design choices.

To increase awareness, the authors suggest that governments should fund pilot projects and provide clear implementation guidance to different stakeholder groups, leverage existing internal knowledge, and find opportunities to explore low-carbon building practices.