Insights and Analysis

How Caledon’s Green Development Standards promote climate-friendly growth

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Can GDS help Caledon grow while also addressing emissions?

Eleri Davies

27th August 2024

Even as Caledon’s 76,500-strong population is set to triple in the next 30 years, the Town aspires to reduce the community’s greenhouse gas emissions to net zero. How can it reduce greenhouse gas issues and tackle environmental and social problems while the community grows?

The Town of Caledon, Ontario, is at a critical juncture. Even as its 76,500-strong population is set to triple in the next 30 years, the Town aspires to reduce the community’s greenhouse gas emissions to net zero. How can it reduce greenhouse gas issues and tackle environmental and social problems while the community grows?

The issue is at the crux of much of our work at SSG. A core challenge in all communities is reducing emissions from running buildings. In Caledon, buildings accounted for almost one-third of emissions in 2016. 


On July 1, the Town took a significant step towards tackling this issue as its new Green Development Standards took effect. With these standards, designed in collaboration with SSG, Caledon will require new developments to demonstrate how their projects will mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while improving greenspace, making buildings more comfortable, and improving resilience to floods, heat waves, and other hazards related to extreme weather.  

20

metrics across three themes: community design and mobility, green infrastructure, and building energy efficiency.

1/3

of all emissions in Caledon were connected to buildings (2016).

The Green Development Standards

The Green Development Standards lay out environmental, social, and economic considerations that new developments must clear in order to get the green light to start building. They are aligned with Caledon’s climate action goal: the Resilient Caledon Community Climate Change Action Plan aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the community by 2050. Beyond reducing pollution, the standards also address other social and environmental issues, like increasing shade to improve residents’ comfort during heat waves and preventing birds from crashing into windows.

The standards have garnered support from prominent environmental organizations and young residents. “This is one of the most impactful climate policies a [town] can pass,” delegates from New Majority, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that represents concerns of Gen Z and Millenials, explained to the Caledon Citizen

Working With the Development Sector

To develop the standards, SSG worked with the Town of Caledon to gather input from the community and industry groups via workshops, focus groups, and community surveys. The standards require a significant shift in business as usual with all new residential, commercial, and industrial development applications required to demonstrate how they meet 20 metrics across three themes: community design and mobility, green infrastructure, and building energy efficiency.

Feedback from industry groups obtained during the development of the standards led to the Town offering training sessions on how to navigate the new requirements. Additionally, based on feedback from developer and construction industry representatives that emphasized that flexibility would be critical, the final standards offer alternative pathways and opportunities to work towards the metric requirements.

…feedback from industry groups led to the Town offering training sessions…

What’s included in Caledon’s Green Development Standards?

The checklist of 20 metrics reflect Caledon’s comprehensive approach, aiming to reduce pollution, enhance livability, foster housing diversity, promote active transportation, and preserve biodiversity. 

Some of the metrics we’re thrilled to see include:

  • On-Site Green Infrastructure (2.1): The metrics under the Green Infrastructure theme aim to increase and improve green spaces and the tree canopy. In addition to absorbing greenhouse gasses, these measures will help  make neighbourhoods more resilient to stormwater surges, reduce heat island effect, and improve biodiversity. The metric is supported by a Green Factor Worksheet, which makes it easy for applicants to value existing natural infrastructure, as well as account for additional planting requirements for their site. 
  • Embodied Carbon (3.4):  The standards require new buildings to report on the embodied carbon of a project, which refers to greenhouse gas emissions from the extraction, manufacturing, and transportation of construction materials and construction processes. Embodied carbon accounts for 10% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions and is often overlooked in favor of slashing operational emissions, which are more straightforward to measure and reduce. This metric is designed to foster awareness  of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with building materials with resources and a worksheet for applicants to calculate the embodied carbon for different types of developments. 
  • Light Pollution Reduction(1.3): Caledon’s standards call for applicants to reduce light pollution, which disrupts wildlife behaviour and human health, in alignment with the best practices set out by DarkSky International Association.

Today’s decisions about how Caledon develops new neighbourhoods and infrastructure will impact residents’ energy use, travel habits, and access to natural spaces for decades, if not centuries.

Green building standards can usher in a future where communities  are less dependent on cars, have more greenery, and are resilient to extreme weather events. They’re good (green) standards to have!

About the Author

Eleri Davies (she/her)

Eleri (she/her) splits her time between climate action projects and engagement planning. With a technical background to complement her engagement expertise, Eleri has led multiple project teams in developing reports and recommendations focused on climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and the circular economy. Eleri has also contributed to several of SSG’s climate implementation projects, including the development of several Green Development Standards for Ontario municipalities, and carbon budgets.

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