Circular Built Environment
Construction is one of the most important economic sectors in Canada, generating more than $150 billion in GDP in 2022. Simultaneously, Canada’s construction sector generates more than 4 million tonnes of waste per year – with much of the value from these waste materials and resources currently being lost from Canada’s economy at end of life.
A circular built environment for Canada can generate multiple benefits, including reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions; improving the resiliency of supply chains; creating new economic, investment, and employment opportunities; enhancing natural ecosystems and urban green spaces; and providing greater equity and related social benefits.
This work stream goes beyond a focus on construction waste to encompass the entire built environment and real estate ecosystem in Canada, linking existing efforts together and going deeper on emerging topics that require further research and investigation. The work stream is looking to better define the business case for advancing the circular built environment in Canada to encourage further investment and innovation, including in circular design, material innovation, deconstruction and resource recovery, critical infrastructure, improved information and data (including on embodied carbon of products and materials), and procurement.
Current Projects & Initiatives
- CELC has been leading a project Advancing Circular Economy in Canada’s Real Estate Sector, in collaboration with the CSA Group, BOMA Canada, the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), and others from the real estate, public, and private sectors focused on applying circular strategies to existing buildings (i.e., commercial office buildings) in order to extend the life of building assets through initiatives that include retrofits, repair and maintenance, and innovative / flexible leasing models. See the Technical Report from this project that was published in March 2023 by CSA Group.
- CELC is working with CSA Group and industry stakeholders to undertake research and validate interest in advancing a national circular economy strategy for the built environment and construction sector as a part of the Circular Built Environment Roadmap Initiative, building off our successful series of activities and collective research to date – including the 2-part virtual event series in April 2022 on accelerating the business case for action in Canada.
Previous Event Recordings
- Solutions for Circularity in Canada’s Built Environment: Unlocking the Business Case for Action (April 2022)
- Maximizing the Use of Recycled Aggregates for Road Construction in Canada (February 2022)
- Making the Business Case for Advancing a Low-carbon, Circular Built Environment Globally (September 2021)
- Accelerating the Circular Built Environment in Canada (May 2021)
Publications, Blogs & Articles
- Canadian Circular Economy Summit 2023: Circular Buildings & Materials – Workshop Summary Report, September 2023 (Author: CELC)
- Exploring Circular Strategies to Extend the Life of Existing Buildings – Research Report, June 2023 (Author: CSA Group)
- Opportunities to Apply Circular Strategies to Existing Office Buildings – Research Report, March 2023 (Author: CSA Group)
- Solutions for Circularity in Canada’s Built Environment: Unlocking the Business Case for Action – Workshop Summary Report, April 2022 (Author: CELC / CSA Group)
- Maximizing the Use of Recycled Aggregates for Road Construction in Canada – Workshop Summary Report, February 2022 (Author: CELC)
- Deconstruction Case Study – Case Study prepared for Nexii by Light House Sustainability Society, February 2022
- Coming Full Circle: Wood and the circular economy – Blog, November 23 2021 (Author: Naturally Wood)
- The Business Case for Circular Buildings: Exploring the economic, environmental and social value – Research Report, October 2021 (Author: World Business Council for Sustainable Development)
- Making the Business Case for Advancing a Low-carbon, Circular Built Environment – World Circular Economy Forum 2021 Accelerator Session Summary Report, September 2021 (Author: CELC)
- Accelerating the Circular Built Environment in Canada – Workshop Summary Report, June 2021 (Author: CELC)
- Circular Economy & the Built Environment Sector in Canada – Research Report, April 2021 (Author: CELC / The Delphi Group / Scius Advisory).
- Circular Economy Global Sector Best Practices Series: Construction Sector – Research Report, February 2021 (Author: Smart Prosperity Institute).
Supporting Partners
- BOMA Canada
- British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
- Circular Innovation Council
- City of Vancouver
- CSA Group
- EllisDon
- EPIC Investments
- Forestry Innovation Investment
- Hullmark
- Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)
- Lafarge Canada
- National Zero Waste Council
- Natural Resources Canada
- National Research Council of Canada (NRC)
- Pacific Institute of Climate Solutions (PICS)
- Toronto & Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
- Vancouver Economic Commission