Realizing GHG Emissions Reductions for Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects in Ontario

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To avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, and meet Ontario's 2020-2030 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals, fundamental changes must be made in infrastructure design and construction. The infrastructure sector contributes $80 billion to Canada's GDP; its GHG impacts resonate throughout Canadian society. However, there has been little effort to account for and reduce these emissions. To address this challenge, this project will develop Infra-Clean, a state-of-the-art GHG accounting and decision support tool. It will reduce GHG emissions by advancing design and construction practices that decrease material and energy use, and increase adoption of low GHG materials and fuels. Infra-Clean will allow users to track actual emissions throughout the project life, providing information on status-quo emissions and ensuring that expected emission reductions are actually realized. Currently, no tool on the market incorporates the breadth and complexity envisioned. To develop Infra-Clean, fundamental research will be conducted to fill knowledge gaps about the GHG emissions from materials and construction activities. Real world case studies will be evaluated to ground the state-of-the-art research in the realities of infrastructure construction. The project team is a partnership between the University of Toronto, Canada's top research university, and the Carbon Impact Initiative, led by EllisDon, Canada's second largest general contractor and builder of some of the nation's highest profile projects. EllisDon is well positioned to lead a critical transformation of infrastructure design and construction by rolling out Infra-Clean across its Canadian portfolio, and marketing the tool across the industry. The outcomes of this exciting project have the potential to significantly influence how infrastructure is built. Thus, providing benefits to industry and more generally, the Ontario and Canadian economies, by incorporating cost-effective GHG emissions reduction strategies at the forefront of project development decisions.