Nine of the nation’s biggest construction companies have come together in an industry drive toward low-carbon operation.
Construction in Toronto’s skyline. (Photo: Yelena Rodriguez Mena / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images)
Nine of Canada’s largest general contractors, Aecon, Bird, Chandos, EllisDon, Graham, Ledcor, Multiplex, PCL, and Pomerleau, collectively known as the Canadian Construction Sustainability Alliance, are using real-world data as they aim to decarbonize Canada’s construction sector.
The coalition recently partnered with The Transition Accelerator, a Canadian not-for-profit organization focused on supporting the development of a carbon-neutral economy, to release a report with recommendations on how to reduce emissions from jobsites across the country while still meeting the scale of Canada’s construction challenge.
Drawing on operational data from more than 600 real-world projects, The Transition Accelerator says Growing and Greening Canadian Construction: Five Ways for Canadian Construction Companies to Build More and Emit Less is the first initiative of its kind in Canada to rigorously analyze construction-site emissions and identify practical, high-impact actions to reduce them, and to potentially improve efficiency and affordability in the process.
The report recommends five priority actions for the sector, including moving to electric light-duty vehicles and small equipment, the electrification and optimization of temporary heating, the adoption of renewable diesel as a bridge fuel, the connection of sites to grid power instead of diesel generators, and the use of hybrid and electric excavation equipment.
The analysis suggests that these actions could reduce industry-wide jobsite emissions by up to 75 per cent if fully implemented by 2040 while improving cost control, safety and reliability. Early adoption could deliver a 25 per cent reduction at a national level by 2030.
“This level of cooperation and data sharing has never been done before in Canadian construction,” said Moe Kabbara, president of The Transition Accelerator. “It provides an evidence-based foundation to chart credible pathways to carbon neutrality while supporting growth and competitiveness.”
His organization says the collaboration between the members of coalition sends a clear message that Canada’s builders are ready to lead on sustainability while continuing to deliver the growth, jobs and infrastructure the Canadian economy needs.
“This report is clear: top Canadian construction companies are ready to lead the industry through the climate transition while our industry continues to build the infrastructure required to ensure Canada’s ongoing prosperity,” added Rodrigue Gilbert, president of the Canadian Construction Association.