Partner Press Release: The Government of Canada awards the ReCover Initiative $17.5million to support deep retrofits in buildings in Atlantic Canada.
JULY 18, 2024 – Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS
ReCover will accelerate deep retrofits in buildings and contribute to meeting the federal government’s 2050 net-zero emissions target.
The ReCover Initiative, a not-for-profit start-up headquartered in Nova Scotia, has been awarded $17.5million by the Government of Canada to implement the Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative (DRAI) and Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program (GNPP) in Atlantic Canada between 2024 and 2027.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, made the announcement about this and other funding related to the Federal Government’s Canada Green Buildings Strategy on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Vancouver, BC. This funding will position ReCover to work with its partners, the private sector, and local institutions to accelerate the deep retrofit industry and market in Atlantic Canada. It will involve publishing a strategic roadmap for the deep retrofit industry, providing services and support to property owners and developers, and building industry capacity.
In addition to the announcement in Vancouver, the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, introduced the $800 million Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP) to help low-to-median-income Canadians, including tenants, upgrade their homes to save money on their energy bills and cut pollution. The CGHAP builds on the progress made to date through the Canada Greener Homes Grant (CGHG), which has already helped 240,000 homeowners install heat pumps, windows and doors, and insulation through an average grant of $4,400 per household. Each year, a CGHG household will save an average of nearly $400 on their energy bills and reduce their emissions by 1.18 tonnes of CO2. Over the next couple of years, the CGHG will continue to help hundreds of thousands more program participants complete retrofit projects that will further reduce emissions and energy consumption.
“Energy efficiency means cost savings for Canadians. At a time when we are facing challenges with affordability and climate change, this plan meets Canadians where they are at and delivers the action they need, at the pace and scale they are demanding. Canada’s first-ever Canada Green Buildings Strategy is a plan to save Canadians money, create jobs and seize the economic opportunities that a clean and sustainable economy presents – and organizations like ReCover do exactly that.” – The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Government of Canada
Canada’s building sector is the third-largest source of Greenhouse Gases (GHG). In Atlantic Canada, existing buildings in provinces such as Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are key emitters of GHG, producing between 10.7% percent of the region’s GHG emissions, excluding electricity. By 2050, about 50 percent of buildings that exist today will still be in use. Existing buildings, therefore, present an important opportunity to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions.
A deep retrofit involves improving the energy efficiency, greenhouse gas impact and resiliency of a building through a holistic series of building system upgrades. Deep retrofitting a building can result in energy savings of up to 70 percent and reduce GHG emissions by up to 80 percent. In the long term, deep retrofitting can make heating and cooling a building affordable and improve the safety and health of occupants.
Emma Norton, ReCover Executive Directive, said, “This is an exciting moment for us and for Atlantic Canada’s green economy. Decarbonizing and improving our existing buildings through deep retrofits will reduce our carbon pollution while also increasing affordability and the health of Atlantic Canadians.”
A critical part of ReCover’s work will be to help building owners and communities understand deep retrofits and the benefits and guide them through the sustainable implementation of deep retrofit projects. Learn more about ReCover at www.recoverinitiative.ca.
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About The ReCover Initiative
The ReCover Initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing energy consumption and improving the wellbeing of Canadians by developing deep retrofit solutions that respond to the climate crisis at speed and scale. Our offering includes research and development, programs and services to property owners, and capacity-building activities for industry.
Media Contact
Yvonne Ekpe
Communications Specialist
+1 902 706 7536
yvonne@recoverinitiative.ca