Happy New Year.
Well – let’s hope.
Long before I found my way into construction and sustainability, I studied Political Science. Geopolitics still fascinates me, but lately it feels less enlightening and more exhausting. Last year delivered a relentless stream of shocking and destabilizing events, and 2026 has wasted no time raising the anxiety bar even higher.
So here’s an intention – if not quite a resolution: to be more mindful about what I consume and how much of it. Constantly absorbing global crises is a burden. And while those issues are real and important, they can also distract us from something even bigger: the state of the planet.
By the latest credible accounts released in 2025, it’s clear that progress on climate change remains dangerously slow. The International Energy Agency’s 2025 update on global energy-related emissions confirmed that global CO₂ emissions reached a new record in 2024, despite rapid growth in renewable energy. Similarly, the UN Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report 2025, warns that current national commitments remain far off track from Paris Agreement targets.
In other words: emissions are still rising.
And while clean energy investment is increasing, we continue to build far too many dirty, inefficient buildings – in Canada and around the world. That matters, because buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of global energy-related emissions when construction and operations are combined.
This is where our work comes in.
The shift toward high-performance buildings – toward Passive House – is slow. It can be frustrating. But it is absolutely essential. A certified Passive House building can reduce heating and cooling energy demand by up to 70–90% compared to conventional construction, dramatically cutting emissions while lowering long-term costs for occupants.
Imagine if that approach were the default.
Meanwhile, we continue to hear about hundreds of billions of dollars required to extract, refine, and transport oil – often in politically unstable or environmentally sensitive regions. Rarely do we hear that same scale of ambition applied to building better homes, schools, and workplaces. Buildings that cost less to operate. Buildings that protect people from rising energy prices and climate events. Buildings that simply make sense.
And energy affordability is no longer abstract. As inflation persists in Canada and the U.S., households are making painful trade-offs. A recent Globe & Mail article quoted the CEO of seniors’ advocacy group CanAge, noting that some retirees are already “turning down the heat in their homes.” That should stop us in our tracks – because we already know there is a better way to build.
If you’re reading this, you likely believe that too.
What we need now is more voices. More conversations beyond our usual circles. More people questioning whether doing “what we’ve always done” is still acceptable in a changing climate and economy.
So here’s my New Year’s resolution: Each week, I will talk to one person about Passive House – ideally someone who has never heard of it before. That’s 52 conversations this year.
That feels far more productive than doomscrolling, and far more aligned with who we are. Because at our core, this community is optimistic. We believe change is possible. And we believe it happens one conversation at a time.
And there’s one more reason to be optimistic: 2026 marks Passive House Canada’s 10-year anniversary. Whether you’ve been part of this movement since the beginning or just joined us yesterday – welcome, and thank you! Every voice matters.
Happy New Year!
