CBCB INITIATIVE

Being Part of the Solution

DECARBONIZING UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION BAS CARBONE AVEC LE BOIS INITIATIVE

LAURENCE DROUIN

SENIOR MANAGER - STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Quebec has set itself the ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. While this target applies to every sector in the province, construction represents one of the main contributors of GHG emissions.

Often singled out for criticism, Canada’s construction sector is responsible for 17% of its GHG emissions.1 In Quebec, where decarbonized hydroelectricity acts as the predominant energy source for heating and lighting, this proportion represents 9.1%.2 This percentage, however, does not consider emissions stemming from material manufacturing, also known as embodied carbon, which, in the context of Quebec’s energy supply, can account for over 50% of a building’s carbon footprint over its entire life cycle. In February, the launch of the new initiative Construction bas carbone avec le bois (CBCB) (low-carbon construction with wood) was driven by a unified vision, urging construction professionals, along with private and public contractors, to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. More specifically, the initiative seeks to reduce embodied carbon.

10,000 FEWER TONS OF CO2 IN THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN TWO YEARS BY BUILDING WITH WOOD.

Embodied carbon: A priority target

Historically, efforts to reduce GHG emissions in the building sector have primarily focused on improving energy efficiency. In Quebec, hydroelectricity represents the main energy source for heating and lighting. Thus, the percentage of embodied carbon in the building’s overall carbon footprint is higher in Quebec than anywhere else in the world, making it a priority when accelerating decarbonization.

What about wood?

Wood is one of the few building materials capable of storing carbon over its entire lifespan. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has outlined two solutions to reduce wood-related GHG emissions: Carbon storage in long-lived wood products, and the substitution of carbon-intensive materials.

When seeking a low-carbon building design, along with a strategy to promote low-carbon materials, wood is among the finest options available. By using wood instead of carbon-intensive structural materials like steel and concrete, GHG emissions drop by 25% to 40%,3 and even more in some cases.

The CBCB initiative urges professionals to adopt an action plan that reduces embodied carbon by prioritizing, among other things, a low-carbon approach centred on wood to help reduce carbon levels, without neglecting its potential in the pre-design phase.

Why decarbonize your projects?

Whether through public policy or regulation, embodied carbon considerations and reductions are set to take on greater importance. The CBCB initiative offers building professionals an opportunity to immediately reduce their carbon footprint while proactively preparing their companies to accommodate progressive regulations over the coming years. Companies that reduce GHG emissions in wood constructions will receive several benefits that go beyond direct environmental improvements:

  • They will promote local, renewable resources;
  • They will contribute to Quebec’s economy and that of its resource regions;
  • They will help create a community of practice committed to accelerating decarbonization in the construction sector;

Joining the initiative means choosing wood to decarbonize buildings

The CBCB initiative offers professionals a set of resources to facilitate low-carbon construction with wood, including tools like GESTIMAT, along with training, information sessions, coaching, and ambitious outreach programs for companies and municipalities that have committed their efforts.

Cecobois also hosts a database that can help professionals and clients compare the carbon footprint of their constructions with industry averages, allowing them to measure the GHG reductions associated with their design choices.

TO LEARN MORE

  1. Government of Canada. 2022. Helping Canada’s building sector go green. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/stories/simply-science/helping-canada-s-building-sector-green
  2. Government of Quebec. 2024. 2024-2029 Implementation Plan from the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy (2024 legal deposit; ISBN 978-2-550-97864-0) https://cdn-contenu.quebec.ca/cdn-contenu/adm/min/finances/publications-adm/changements_climatiques/EN/impact_analysis_implementation_plan_2024_2029.pdf
  3. Rodrigues Viana, L., Zaga Mendez, A., Bissonnette, J.-F., and Boucher, J.-F. (2022, June 27). En construction, mieux vaut préconiser le bois pour réduire l’empreinte carbone des bâtiments. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/ en-construction-mieux-vaut-preconiser-le-bois-pour-reduire-lempreinte-carbone-des-batiments-180752