RDN Examines Barriers to Green Buildings

• Overcoming Barriers to Green Building - Final Report

RDN Explores the Benefits of Green Building

High performance green homes and buildings mitigate the environmental impacts of the built environment while reducing the lifecycle costs of buildings and infrastructure. Compact development patterns and a balanced mix of housing types further reduce environmental impacts of the built environment by increasing energy and water efficiency, and create housing opportunities for a broad range of residents.

While these general statements are widely accepted as true, the extent to which green building and compact development patterns actually translate into reductions in the impacts of built form on the environment are rarely quantified. This report examines the type and extent of environmental benefits of promoting green buildings and more compact land use patterns in the RDN.

• Benefits of Green Building in the RDN - Final Report
• Benefits of Green Building in the RDN - Staff Report

RDN Adopts Green Building Policy for Regional District Facilities

On May 27, 2008, the RDN Board of Directors adopted an innovative new Green Building Policy for RDN facilities. The policy requires that all new RDN facilities be designed using the Integrated Design Process, a collaborative approach to building design that brings together diverse teams of consultants focused on the shared vision of creating high-performance, green buildings for the RDN.

Central to the policy is the recognition that any new facilities built by the RDN should minimize greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce our collective impact on the climate. This means building facilities that are as energy-efficient as possible, with the ultimate goal of making new RDN facilities carbon neutral by 2030. New facilities will also aim to conserve water, reduce waste, provide healthy working environments for employees and treat the surrounding environment with sensitivity.

By adopting this policy, the RDN hopes to increase the number of green buildings in the region, and lead the transition toward greener, more sustainable building in the construction sector. See the links below for more information:

• Green Building Policy for Regional District Facilities - Press Release
• Green Building Policy for Regional District Facilities - Report and Policy

For additional information on the RDN's Green Building Project, please review the following documents:

• Staff report to Board September 2004
• Staff report to Board November 2004
• Terms of Reference for Green Buildings Project
• Staff report to Board July 2005
• Green Building Pre-Tour Report - "Green Building Case Studies: Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria" [4.9MB]
• Local Government Green Programs Report (Attachment 1 to October 2005 staff report) [2MB]
• October 2005 staff report to Board about local government green building programs
• Green Buildings Action Plan February 1, 2007

Please contact the Long Range Planning Department, Development Services, via one of the methods listed below if you have any questions about this project.