Toronto wins praise for green buildings ( 6/15/2011 )

The green building movement is taking off in Canada. There are already 378 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified commercial projects nationally, and another 2,600 in the pipeline, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Much of that green activity has centered in Toronto, where there are 40 certified projects and 300 more in the pipeline.

“The business and civic leaders in Canada are front and center in the green building movement, especially in Toronto,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO of USGBC. “Toronto’s world-renowned skyline is continuing to evolve and their commitment to designing, building and operating high-performance, energy-efficient buildings that are healthier for the community and future generations is an inspiration.”

Canada has a wide range of LEED certified buildings from retailers like Starbucks to office interiors.

But the green building industry was dealt some potentially bad news this week when the Institute of Medicine and the National Academies, in a study requested by the Environmental Protection Agency, reported that green buildings have been shown to endanger public health because the added insulation decreases ventilation.

“Research indicates that poor ventilation in homes, offices and schools is associated with occupant health problems and lower productivity,” said the report.