Canadian companies sign Memorandum of Understanding

Source: Supply Chain Digital

Date :6/18/2007 11:03:19 AM

Canadian construction companies sign a memorandum committing to work for green building practices.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed during the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) Board of Directors meeting in Ottawa by the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) Chairman Raymond Brunet and CaGBC Co-Chairs Peter Busby and Liz Johnston.

Among other objectives, the MOU commits the two organizations to undertake the following:

• Promote events and educational offerings of each association aimed a creating greater understanding of green buildings and accelerating market transformation.

• Undertake joint federal lobbying activities that will create a more favorable policy regime for green buildings.

• In addition to becoming a member of CaGBC, CCA will provide input into the development of LEED(R) and other CaGBC programs.

• CaGBC will submit its LEED courses, including the LEED for Construction course, to CCA's Gold Seal Committee for Gold Seal certification.

In his comments before the CaGBC Board of Directors, CCA Chairman Raymond Brunet stated, "What this MOU does is send a very strong, powerful signal to our members and to the construction industry at large that our industry has now fully entered the green era, where construction designs and construction practices must conform to the demands and expectations of Canadians for greater sustainability". He added, "We have a vision that environmental thinking and environmental consideration becomes as standard as safety considerations are on every jobsite. That will take time and a lot of work - but this agreement will help us to pave that way".

CaGBC Chair Peter Busby states, "The construction sector is the largest and most important Canadian industry sector. This event marks the profound changes taking place as the construction sector assumes its rightful place at the lead of Canada's effort to combat global warming."