The City of Toronto recently released its Net Zero Building Retrofit Guides, developed in collaboration with Arup, a resource to support the City in achieving its goal of net zero emissions by 2040.

The guides translate sustainability targets into actionable, accessible pathways for every building type, including best practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency.

Mark Nelson, who leads Arup’s sustainability practice in Canada, says the collaboration between Arup and the City of Toronto began with a competitive RFP process, where Arup was selected as the preferred proponent. A notable aspect of the collaboration was a shared commitment to ambitious decarbonization goals. He notes that the primary goal in developing the Net Zero Building Retrofit Guides was to advance decarbonization across the entire City of Toronto; not just within city-owned buildings, but for all buildings citywide.

“Toronto has committed to ambitious net zero targets for 2040, driven by the recognition that buildings, primarily due to natural gas heating, constitute the city’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions; with transportation and waste following as additional contributors. The guides are part of a comprehensive strategy to accelerate emissions reductions, supporting both new and existing buildings. They are designed to complement city programs such as the Toronto Green Standard and the Net Zero Existing Buildings Strategy,” he says.