A study of key players in developing low carbon buildings/communities in Canada: a case study in Ontario

Architects, engineers, developers, contractors, building facility managers, and relevant governmental officers are the key players in developing and managing low-carbon buildings and communities, whose decisions and actions largely determine the level of carbon emission from them. This study is intended to investigate how these key players perform in current practices and to identify any areas for improvement. This paper presents a case study conducted in Ontario, Canada's province that can best represent the leading development industry within a developed country. A significant number of key players were surveyed through questionnaires and interviews. Key findings include: (1) Although low-carbon emission is a target for the Ontario construction industry, design considerations are still highly dependent on financial limitations and more attention is required towards technical factors and (2) knowledge, skills and tools are not sufficient to support improvements to low-carbon design and development. This paper also discusses ongoing research activities and anticipated outcomes.