New CEC guide on reducing the environmental impact and cost of construction projects
Guide outlines steps for implementing an integrated design and delivery (IDD) process for green buildings
Montreal, 2 May 2016—The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has a new guide on how to lower the environmental impact and cost of construction projects. Improving Green Building Construction in North America: Guide to Integrated Design and Delivery promotes better green building practices.
Buildings in North America are major consumers of electricity and water and contribute an estimated 35 percent of the continent’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Although the building sector offers cost-effective opportunities for reducing GHG emissions, only a small fraction of building renovation and construction projects in North America use green solutions.
The new guide blends information from industry professionals in Canada, Mexico and the United States into guidance tailored for the core members of a construction project—from architect and engineer to contractor and owner. It recommends steps to enhance collaboration between professionals and stakeholders and better integrate their respective responsibilities to deliver a greener, more energy efficient and cheaper building.
Other tools associated with this guide include:
- A 90-second video explaining the integrated design and delivery process.
- A website that showcases all the information contained in the guide.
To view or download the guide and tools, visit www.cec.org/IDD and our Virtual Library at www.cec.org/library.
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About the CEC
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was established in 1994 by the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States through the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, a parallel environmental agreement to NAFTA. As of 2020, the CEC is recognized and maintained by the Environmental Cooperation Agreement, in parallel with the new Free Trade Agreement of North America. The CEC brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including the general public, Indigenous people, youth, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the business sector, to seek solutions to protect North America’s shared environment while supporting sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations
The CEC is governed and funded equally by the Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Government of the United States of Mexico through the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, and the Government of the United States of America through the Environmental Protection Agency.