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The report argues that inadequate housing for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in Canada creates severe health burdens and climate vulnerabilities, which are exacerbated by fragmented government accountability and rigid funding models. It introduces the 'Healthy Energy Homes' concept—housing that is energy efficient, climate resilient, and supports well-being—as a way to achieve co-benefits for public health and Canada's net-zero goals. The authors recommend a shift toward long-term, flexible, and Indigenous-led investment agreements, the creation of interdepartmental coordination mechanisms, and the adoption of outcomes-based procurement to replace current 'firefighter' funding approaches.

The report advocates for 'Healthy Energy Homes'—housing that is energy efficient, climate resilient, and supports inhabitant well-being—as a way to simultaneously improve Indigenous health outcomes and contribute to Canada's net zero goals. It argues that current government approaches are fragmented and siloed, failing to value the long-term health costs and emissions associated with inadequate housing. The authors recommend a shift toward co-developed, long-term, and flexible financial partnerships between governments and Indigenous rights holders to overcome capacity constraints and ensure cultural relevance in housing solutions.

Buildings account for 18% of Canada's GHG emissions, with residential space heating as the primary energy driver. The document argues that deep energy retrofits (DERs)—defined as achieving a minimum 50% reduction in energy consumption—are essential for net-zero targets. While high upfront costs are a barrier, the green building industry could contribute CAD 150 billion to the economy by 2030, with annual energy bill savings estimated at CAD 10.8 billion. The brief recommends adopting the highest tier of the National Building Code, implementing innovative financing like Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), and scaling prefabricated retrofit models like Energiesprong.

The building sector accounts for 18% of Canada's GHG emissions, necessitating a focus on upgrading approximately 11 million existing residential buildings. Achieving net-zero requires a balance of deep energy retrofits (DERs), fuel-switching to heat pumps, and expanding clean electricity. An annual investment of CAD 10-15 billion until 2040 could generate 200,000 jobs and CAD 48 billion in economic development. The document recommends strengthening building codes, implementing PACE financing, and integrating energy efficiency with affordable housing policies.

The report argues that transitioning Manitoba's building sector off fossil fuels through deep energy retrofits (DERs) can reduce provincial emissions, lower home energy costs, and spur green industrial growth. It proposes a neighbourhood-level retrofit program and a workforce development strategy to achieve net-zero by 2050.

The report argues that Manitoba requires a massive, publicly led effort to implement deep energy retrofits (DERs)—defined as improvements reducing energy use by at least 50%—to meet 2050 net-zero targets. It estimates that 200,000 home retrofits are needed, requiring an annual investment of CAD 1.2 billion. The authors propose the creation of a Manitoba Green Bank to provide low- or no-interest financing and the adoption of a retrofit code by 2025. The strategy emphasizes a 'just transition' by prioritizing low-income renters and utilizing social enterprises to train underrepresented groups, including women and Indigenous Peoples, for the thousands of green jobs expected to be created.

The document discusses the challenges of decarbonizing existing buildings in the US and details RMI's work in Massachusetts using 'lighthouse projects' to create a scalable, equitable market for energy retrofits in affordable housing.

The document argues that reducing embodied carbon—which accounts for an estimated 11% of global emissions—is a necessary technology transition that must be completed by 2050. It presents a business case for developers, noting that embodied carbon often comprises a substantial part of Scope 3 emissions and that failure to adopt low-carbon practices could lead to stranded assets. The guide divides recommendations into building-level strategies (reducing material use, increasing utilization, switching to low-carbon materials, and designing for disassembly) and corporate-level strategies (institutionalizing practices, prioritizing retrofits, marketing successes, reporting Scope 3 emissions, and aggregating demand through buyer coalitions).

The 'Roof Over Our Heads' (ROOH) campaign, launched at COP27, focuses on improving housing and living conditions for people in informal settlements in the Global South. The initiative seeks long-term transformation through community empowerment, incremental upgrading, retrofitting, and peer learning, while collaborating with stakeholders and policymakers to secure resources and implement climate-resilient solutions.

Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation (CDC) is implementing deep energy retrofits (DER) at three residential properties in Boston to reduce energy consumption by an average of 55 percent across 103 units. By conducting portfolio-wide Capital Needs Assessments and leveraging a diverse stack of local and federal funding—including an expected $8 million in support—the CDC aims to eliminate on-site fossil fuel combustion and improve tenant well-being. The project utilizes guidance from RMI’s REALIZE-MA initiative and LISC’s 1000 Apartment Challenge to navigate the complex predevelopment phase and align with Massachusetts' climate goals and Boston's Building Energy Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO).

The Renew America’s Nonprofits program, funded by $50 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, provides grants of up to $200,000 to nonprofit 'Prime Recipients' to implement energy efficiency upgrades for 'Subrecipients'. The program aims to reduce operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions for 501(c)(3) organizations, with a particular focus on those in rural areas and those led by people of color. Applications are evaluated based on project team plans, energy impacts, sustainability, and community benefits, including alignment with Justice40.

The document examines how selecting materials with low embodied carbon or carbon-storing properties during building retrofits can prevent emissions spikes and transform buildings into carbon sinks. It analyzes exterior insulation systems and affordable multifamily housing projects in the Northeast to demonstrate that sustainable material substitutes are currently available to help meet 2030 decarbonization goals.

The guide outlines how nonprofits can overcome the barrier of upfront costs for energy efficiency projects by utilizing a combination of utility rebates, state and federal incentives, internal funds, and third-party financing. It highlights specific tools for calculating savings and identifying incentives, such as the DOE's Asset Score and the DSIRE database, and suggests innovative financing models like PACE and on-bill financing for larger-scale building improvements.

The global construction and buildings value chain is a primary driver of resource extraction and greenhouse gas emissions, with significant impacts often outsourced from high-income to lower-income regions. The document argues that sustainability depends on decisions made at early stages—planning and finance—rather than later construction phases. Key challenges include the high cost of low-carbon materials and the difficulty of decarbonizing steel and cement. To address this, the brief recommends a combination of transparent data, material innovation, green public procurement, sustainable urban planning, and expanded retrofitting.

The report identifies that reaching Canada's 2050 net-zero target requires the electricity share of C&I building heating to rise from less than 15% to at least 75%. It highlights barriers such as cheap natural gas, knowledge gaps in the HVAC workforce, and financing constraints. To address these, the authors propose five catalysts: developing near-term electrification plans, integrating electricity and natural gas regulation, aligning utility planning with net-zero pathways, implementing building performance standards, and leveraging public-private financing to crowd in private investment.

The policy brief advocates for targeted, refundable tax credits to drive the transition to zero-carbon buildings and deep energy retrofits in the US. It proposes six specific tax credit mechanisms—including improvements to existing credits like 45L and 179D and the creation of new ones for lead safety and clean heating—to overcome cost barriers, support low-income housing, and scale domestic manufacturing of heat pumps.

The author contends that the United States faces a critical housing shortage that exacerbates economic inequality, public health risks, and climate change. By removing exclusionary zoning regulations and promoting infill, multi-family, and mixed-use development, the U.S. can reduce transportation emissions—the country's largest carbon source—and create a more equitable urban environment. The text calls for the federal government to incentivize local zoning reform through programs like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to enable '15-minute neighborhoods' and low-carbon construction.

The report investigates the potential for a new on-tax financing model (EuroPACE) to drive deep energy efficiency retrofits in European residential buildings. It identifies significant market failures, such as long payback periods and knowledge gaps, that hinder private investment. Through analysis of four target countries and three successful case studies (Energiesprong, Oktave, and KfW), the document highlights that success depends on low-cost, long-term financing and the ability to aggregate demand. It projects a total lending potential for EuroPACE of nearly €4bn over ten years across the four primary countries, provided that penetration and renovation rates increase.

The document is a GCF Readiness proposal for Thailand, implemented by the UN Environment Programme's Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). It aims to address barriers to the adoption of the 2009 Building Energy Code (BEC) by providing techno-economic recommendations and capacity building. The project focuses on five building types (offices, hotels, department stores, medical centers, and condominiums) over 2,000 m2. Key planned activities include establishing energy and GHG baselines, conducting financial and technical assessments of available technologies, performing energy audits on existing buildings for retrofitting, and developing a Measurement, Report and Verification (MRV) framework. The project also includes the creation of three handbooks for local authorities, practitioners, and investors to enhance the enforcement and implementation of BEC standards.

Existing commercial buildings in the United States account for 36% of electricity consumption and over $190 billion in annual energy costs. Globally, the current energy retrofit rate of approximately 1% per year is insufficient to meet the 3.2% annual rate required to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius by 2040. The Zero Over Time (ZOT) approach is proposed to help managers synchronize energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with building life-cycle events.