Reaching our climate commitments, namely our net-zero by 2050 objectives, demands a marked increase in the pace and scale of how we retrofit our existing buildings far beyond today's relatively modest and shallow retrofits. Residential and commercial building retrofits need to go beyond today's focus on cosmetic alterations to include building envelope upgrades such as increased levels of insulation, better windows and doors, enhanced air tightness, as well as preparing each building to use zero-carbon energy sources.

Buildings account for nearly 18% of Canada's total GHG emissions and can make up as much as half of emissions in Canada's major municipalities. Clearly, the path to reaching our climate commitments must include existing buildings. To make sure we reach climate targets, we need a regulatory framework for retrofit activity which places energy efficiency and carbon performance as a primary consideration.