The City of Kingston is moving forward with a new green initiative.
What the city is calling the green standard community improvement plan offers incentives to property owners who build structures that minimize greenhouse gas emissions while also meeting the requirements of Ontario’s building code.
The city says buildings account for approximately 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in Kingston, or more than 1,100 tonnes each year.
“If we’re serious about lowering our carbon footprint, we need to look at how we build. This program recognizes and addresses the additional costs involved in green building,” says Julie Salter-Keane, manager of the city’s climate leadership division.
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This program could help avoid up to 800 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year if successful, the city said.
Salter-Keane says the benefit is the result of years of work and research.
“We learned first-hand what the barriers are to constructing more efficient structures, and we have developed a program that addresses those concerns,” she said.
Staff are planning a full launch of the initiative in early 2022.
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