Manitoba Builds Green
Opportunities for transformational residential retrofits
Transitioning off of fossil fuels in Manitoba's building sector will require transformative action on energy efficiency. This report investigates the potential to scale up a deep energy retrofit industry in Manitoba to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create good jobs, spur green industrial growth, and improve housing quality. The study draws on 15 interviews with labour, industry, policy, and finance experts engaged in the building sector in Manitoba.
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Decarbonizing the building sector is a win-win solution. It can create good jobs & address inequalities in the workforce, incubate home-grown green industries, improve housing conditions, & reduce GHG emissions from natural gas heating.
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In Manitoba, Canada, buildings make up about 17% of provincial emissions. Investing in deep energy retrofits can help reduce peak demand impacts on Manitoba's electricity grids while also helping to cut home energy costs and grow green industries.
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Retrofitting 200,000 homes to reach #NetZero by 2050 in the MB building sector will require around CAD 1.2 billion in annual investment. A broad, publicly supported residential retrofit program could be an engine of transformative green economic growth.
Key findings of the report relate to
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions of Winnipeg’s residential housing stock in line with the goal of net-zero by 2050,
- making deep energy retrofits (DERs) widely accessible and affordable,
- minimizing costly expansion of electricity generating capacity,
- spurring economic development through public leadership,
- creating sustainable jobs and reducing inequities, and
- implementing policy changes to support deep energy retrofits.
We propose recommendations to advance an overall vision for a neighbourhood-level retrofit program with an accompanying industrial and workforce development strategy that could realize a truly just transition by transforming Manitoba into a leader in low-carbon buildings while creating sustainable jobs. There is a strong rationale for developing DERs at the scale and pace required to meet the climate emergency. With a strategic, publicly led, and well-funded DER program, Manitoba could become a leader in net-zero innovation in the buildings sector and serve as an example to other jurisdictions in Canada and internationally.
Participating experts
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