Views from Oakridge Redevelopment
Vancouver, British Columbia
(Photo Credit: Hamza Godhrawala)
EllisDon’s Climate Commitment
The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly severe, and it is evident that maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. As a leader in the construction services industry, EllisDon is committed to driving positive change in the built world and to leading the way toward a more sustainable future. We are determined to minimize the impact of the carbon emissions generated by the construction process and the operational impacts of the infrastructure that we construct and operate.
In 2023 our Net-Zero target was approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
This independent global organization assesses whether corporate emission reduction targets are consistent with the Paris Agreement and current climate science. EllisDon is committed to be Net Zero by 2050, with an interim milestone of 42% reduction by 2030.
Our targets encompass both direct emissions (Scope 1 and 2) and indirect emissions from our value chain (Scope 3), which primarily includes the embodied carbon of building materials and the lifetime operational energy consumption of assets delivered by EllisDon. These emissions are challenging to measure and reduce as we have no direct control over them, and the complexity is high due to the involvement of a large number of suppliers and partners in the value chain. We acknowledge that this is an area where we have influence, not control, and that industry transformation takes time. As a result, achieving our indirect emissions (Scope 3) targets by 2030 presents a challenge, and we will monitor and review our progress while actively collaborating with our partners to lead the decarbonization of the industry.
EllisDon is driving to zero emissions across:
Business Operations
Minimizing emissions from construction sites, assets, and products and services. This will include implementing efficiency measures and/or switching fuels to renewable resources for fleet vehicles, heavy equipment and our offices.
Materials Procured
Leveraging supply chain, design and trade partners and industry organizations to reduce the embodied carbon of the materials that go into the buildings and infrastructure that we build, with a focus on structural materials, including concrete, steel and timber.
Operation of Projects Built
Help EllisDon clients to target and deliver near-zero emissions buildings by employing the entire building services value chain to provide innovative, achievable and cost-effective solutions.
As part of our climate commitment, EllisDon has become one of the early adopters of the Government of Canada’s Net-Zero Challenge. This 'Made in Canada' initiative provides a rigorous technical framework and is designed to encourage businesses to create and execute credible and effective plans to transform their facilities and operations to net-zero emissions by 2050.
Our dedication to the sustainable transformation of our industry is an ongoing commitment.
At EllisDon we believe that we are all leaders, and we must demonstrate that leadership in every aspect of our business. Demonstrating leadership through the strategic decarbonization of our projects and our processes is essential to achieving real and lasting change.
We can no longer be satisfied with the status quo when we know that our very existence is at stake. Our opportunity to step forward and contribute our expertise to this global challenge is now! We know it won’t be easy, but at EllisDon, we don’t shy away from hard things – it's what we do, and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished. We hope that by sharing our experience and our expertise, we can create an industry-wide movement toward a more sustainable future. We hope you’ll join us!
Jody Becker Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President, Infrastructure Services & Technology
Emissions Profile
Within the complex carbon accounting landscape, the construction sector continues to experience significant data gaps. EllisDon has significantly invested in research to understand all sources of our emissions, how we can track them, and ultimately, what can be done to reduce them. Our team is dedicated to developing the processes to monitor our emissions. In our second year of reporting, we found that our overall emissions profile is similar to last year in that indirect emissions constitute the vast majority (99%) of our total emissions. This is primarily driven by the embodied carbon of building materials and the lifetime operational energy of our completed building projects. Absolute values and an overview of the methodology for Scope 1, 2, and all applicable Scope 3 categories can be found on the EllisDon website. Our direct emissions (Scope 1 and 2) are auditied and verified by a third-party consultant.
We have seen an increase in our emissions for 2022 compared to our first year of data collection, which is largely in line with an increase in business growth and therefore revenues. On a revenue intensity basis, our emissions have increased by 6%. This is in line with what many others are seeing as we dig into emissions in a more granular way. Fluctuations are expected across the industry due to the nature of our work, as our energy consumption is heavily influenced by fluctuations in the type, location, local weather conditions, construction phase of our projects, and company growth. Recognizing this data collection is still very new to most industries, we continue to improve our processes to build awareness and internal understanding of what is driving our emissions and ultimately our decisions. However, we are not waiting for the perfect data to make things happen, and we are implementing important decarbonization strategies today, as we continue to educate ourselves and the industry.
With only two years of data currently available, trends are limited; however, EllisDon is committed to creating an overall downward trend in our emissions. Specifically, we have developed processes to track our data, and are piloting carbon reduction initiatives to identify best practices, potential limitations, and methods to scale up. These will be deployed at scale across the company over the next few years, as indicated by the Decarbonization Roadmap below. The scale of change that is required to reduce our direct and indirect emissions (Scope 1, 2, and 3) is vast and accomplishing this change will not be easy.
56.45%
Fuel
3.74%
Natural Gas - Offices/Facilities
5.03%
Electricity - Sites
25.83%
Natural Gas - Sites
1.20%
Fugitive Emissions
7.75%
Electricity - Offices/Facilities
At EllisDon we do not shy away from a challenge and we’re committed to supporting the industry in this vital transformation.
Industry Collaboration
While EllisDon is working hard to drive sustainability in our own operations, our climate targets depend on a dramatic shift within our industry.
Collaboration is vital for delivering high-performance, low-carbon buildings and infrastructure, and there is a significant opportunity for all stakeholders in the built environment to effect real and lasting change. Infrastructure owners, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and design and trade partners, must work together to introduce innovative, efficient, and practical solutions to the market. Right now, Canada needs organizations like EllisDon to demonstrate leadership by using our knowledge and influence to push the industry to where it needs to go. EllisDon recognizes the importance of its role as an industry leader and is dedicated to fostering a fulsome change to our industry.
Driving To Zero Emissions: Across Business Operations
Decarbonization Roadmap
EllisDon is investigating and implementing multiple short-, medium-, and long-term initiatives to reduce our direct on-site emissions, as highlighted in the roadmap below (click image to enlarge).
Windjammer Landing: Preserving Paradise
EllisDon is a diverse business and our holdings include the spectacular Windjammer Landing Resort and Residences in St. Lucia. Our commitment to the environment and community is demonstrated by our efforts to decarbonize this Caribbean gem. A Travel + Leisure recognized resort in St. Lucia, Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort has implemented an ESG program that is designed to focus on water, energy, and waste management.
Our dedication to the protection and improvement of local communities is highlighted by our support of the local school system. We have assisted in the renovation of bathroom facilities at a local primary school and have donated bathroom facilities to a local secondary school. We have also committed to the purchase of local ingredients, goods and services, where they align with our sustainability goals.
In keeping with our sustainability goals, we are thrilled to announce we have officially received the Green Globes Certification in 2023.
Green Globes is a global leader in sustainable tourism, and we have worked closely with their team to ensure that the resort fulfills their 44 passing standards. This certification is an exciting step on our sustainability journey, and we look forward to continuing our work with Green Globes.
Driving To Zero Emissions: In the Operations of Projects Built
EllisDon provides design, construction management, and operational services for high-performance buildings and infrastructure. Our projects and services contribute to the low-carbon building stock across Canada, and we are continuously looking for opportunities to help our clients better understand the impact of the operational emissions of the assets over their lifetime. EllisDon has delivered or is actively working on over 230 projects targeting LEED, Net-Zero and other high-performance sustainability targets with a total construction value of over $45 billion.
EllisDon’s LEED, Net-Zero and other high-performance sustainability targets:
Projects Delivered (or actively working on)
Total Construction Value
Cowichan District Hospital - First All-Electric Hospital in Canada
The Cowichan District Hospital Replacement project in British Columbia will make history by becoming Canada's first all-electric hospital. The facility’s all-electric status will be a significant milestone in Canada's transition to a low-carbon economy and a testament to our collective commitment to sustainability. While the hospital will be three times the size of the existing facility, its greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by at least 75%. Cowichan will set a new standard for other healthcare facilities across the country to follow, demonstrating that it is not only possible to provide high-quality healthcare while prioritizing the environment, but that reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change is critical to and contributes to our healthcare.
Loyola Residence | Saint Mary's University Halifax, Nova Scotia
Loyola Residence
EllisDon is proud to be leading the construction of Saint Mary's University’s innovative Loyola residence project. This project will transform an exterior wall of the Loyola residence with an integrated solar façade solution, the tallest and largest BIPV micro-grid application in North America.
Green Path Solutions (GPS)
At EllisDon we understand that preserving existing buildings and retrofitting them to meet low-carbon goals is a complex process. To tackle this challenge, we introduced Green Path Solutions (GPS), a specialized service committed to delivering custom solutions through our in-house teams and extensive industry partnerships. This service integrates our expertise in construction and project management, sustainability and energy performance, facility management and capital planning, technology solutions and integration, and capital services under a client-tailored approach that is solutions agnostic.
EllisDon is working with clients across the industry to deliver bespoke solutions to decarbonization challenges. We know that the path to net zero will change many times and in many ways before we arrive at our 2050 targets. Our objective is to help our clients navigate and strategically recalculate this path as priorities – and technology changes.
As part of our GPS solution, EllisDon is implementing both deep energy and strategic retrofits. EllisDon can help guide clients through a customized path to set out a building or portfolio level Decarbonization Road Map, find financing for projects, lead the construction, and establish a high-performance property management solution to help maintain the savings over the long term.
Deep Energy Retrofits involve comprehensive and extensive renovations to existing buildings. These projects go beyond surface-level improvements and typically encompass significant changes to a building’s systems, components, and overall design. They are often undertaken to achieve ambitious sustainability goals, such as achieving net-zero energy consumption or significantly reducing carbon emissions. Deep retrofits may include upgrading HVAC systems, building envelope, insulation, windows, and even reconfiguring interior layouts. These projects require a substantial investment but can lead to maximization of long-term capital and environmental performance. Deep energy retrofits are a great option when an asset has a wide variety of end-of-life components, when repositioning an asset, or as part of an adaptive reuse project.
Strategic Retrofits involve targeted improvements that aim to optimize specific aspects of a building's performance. These projects can improve performance over discrete system upgrades by grouping relevant measures together to optimize project and energy outcomes. Strategic roadmaps are developed by holistically assessing a building to develop a phased roadmap then aligning projects with natural system end-of-life replacement. This methodology allows asset owners/managers to maximize utilization of deferred capital budgets. If planned properly, strategic decarbonization plans can deliver similar GHG reductions as deep energy retrofits, but with a more distributed capital spend. This phased approach also allows clients to maximize the use of existing systems, and to update plans periodically to take advantage of emerging technologies. Strategic Decarbonization allows us to deliver a comprehensive, cost-effective and future-proof solution for achieving net zero targets by 2050.
Optimized and Sustainable: EllisDon’s EKO Revolutionizes Asset Management
EllisDon’s commitment to innovation and sustainability is exemplified by our revolutionary digital twin platform, EKO. This cutting-edge solution seamlessly integrates building systems, sustainable, operational procedures, and artificial intelligence to optimize building performance and the human experience, marking a significant advancement in the industry.
EKO leverages the Internet of Things to harvest infrastructure data through integrated building systems and AI-enabled fault detection, to provide insights into system performance that previously have not been possible. Through the platform, operators can monitor, analyse, and optimize every aspect of a building’s performance, providing for greater energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Its unparalleled capabilities also enhance the human experience. By integrating building systems, we transform the way we interact with our built environment, opening the door to completely unique and customizable building experiences.
At EllisDon, we say, "You Can't be GREEN unless you're Smart."
EKO sets a new benchmark for sustainability in asset management and is the next step in our mission as we enable the transformation to a more sustainable future.
You can’t be GREEN unless you’re SMART
Greening the Healthcare System
The sustainable construction and retrofit of Canadian healthcare facilities presents a unique challenge. Uninterrupted energy delivery in healthcare facilities is crucial, requiring detailed planning for upgrades or retrofits. Sharing best practices across facilities is also challenging as hospital managers and building operators are often independent groups. EllisDon is bringing its decades-long experience in healthcare services and building operations to help support the greening of the healthcare system. EllisDon Facilities Services, is implementing technology and processes, including EKO, that drive improved energy performance.
EllisDon has also partnered with Greening Healthcare to streamline information-sharing for sustainability improvements. Greening Health Care is a collaboration aimed at achieving deep reductions in energy use, utility costs and greenhouse gas emissions. A prime focus is on utility data management and analytics, as well as identifying and evaluating retrofit and operational improvement opportunities.
Supporting Industry-Wide Decarbonization
EllisDon is dedicated to decarbonizing the industry through our projects. We are constructing Algoma Steel’s new transformative Electric Arc Furnance (EAF) project in Sault Ste. Marie. Upon completion, Algoma will become one of the lowest-cost, low-carbon steel production facilities in North America. At the same time, they will expand their annual steelmaking capacity from 2.8 million tons to 3.7 million tons with an estimated 70% reduction in carbon emissions; setting a new standard for the complete electrification of an integrated steelmaker.
Additionally, EllisDon has been awarded the contract to construct Ontario’s first public hydrogen refueling station, located at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. This project, developed by Carlsun Energy, is a vital first step towards a clean energy future. The project will provide fuel cell-grade hydrogen to light and heavy transport vehicles.
Driving To Zero Emissions: Materials
One of the largest sources of our emissions is the embodied carbon of the building materials that we utilize in our projects. Concrete and steel present some of our most significant challenges due to carbon intensity of the production of these materials in Canada, the embodied carbon disclosure market is nascent, and there is limited data available to quantify embodied carbon emissions for individual products and projects. To address this, we are collaborating with our clients, design partners, sub trades, and suppliers to increase awareness of embodied carbon and identify low-carbon solutions already available in the market. We have also identified critical gaps in current manufacturing processes that hinder the production of zero/low carbon materials. Through engagement with our supply chain, we aim to remove roadblocks and develop short-term solutions that facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
To achieve this, EllisDon is actively engaged in several initiatives focused on disclosing and reducing embodied carbon in the construction industry. These include platforms such as, Clean Energy Canada's Buy Clean Strategy Alliance, ContractorsCAN (Carbon Action Network), and efforts driven by the Canadian Construction Association. Through these platforms we aim to:
- Increase transparency in the supply chain;
- Collaborate across the industry to implement solutions at scale;
- Develop tools and resources that enable contractors to effectively measure and track embodied carbon on their construction sites;
- Promote cleaner production practices; and,
- Advocate for the adoption of policies that prioritize low-carbon building materials and encourage market demand for sustainable products.
In 2023, EllisDon collaborated the development of a guide on cost-effective and efficient strategies for reducing embodied carbon of concrete in the built environment. ‘Concrete: A Pragmatic Approach to Lowering Embodied Carbon’ offers pragmatic options at key project decision points to support stakeholders and consultants in the development of efficient and cost-effective low-embodied carbon concrete solutions. It was developed by leveraging the expertise of EllisDon, ZGF Architects, Fast+Epp, and Lafarge, specifically in the lower mainland in BC.
Sustainability Awards
We are honoured to have been recognized for our sustainability and decarbonization efforts in 2023 through the following awards:
Environmental Management
As a global construction services provider, EllisDon is aware that our work has an environmental impact. However, as with our carbon impact, we strive to continuously improve our environmental performance and minimize the impact. Environmental stewardship is pivotal to our core values, with programs to manage potential aspects such as pollution prevention, construction waste, water quality, and ecological restoration.
EllisDon’s Environmental Management System (EMS)
Our environmental policies and processes support achieving our objectives and obligations. The Environmental Management System is maintained in conformance with international standards (ISO 14001:2015) and covers several construction operations.
Under the EMS, each project or site is required to develop an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to ensure site-specific characteristics and works are considered and to determine the environmental aspects that need controls and/or monitoring. We have developed environmental standards and policies to prevent, manage, and mitigate our operations' more common or potentially significant impacts.
EllisDon has developed comprehensive environmental standards that are applied to all of our projects, providing the framework and guidance for developing site-specific controls, including:
Incident Preparedness and Response
Waste Management
Water Management
Air Quality Management
Erosion and Sediment Control
Noise and Vibration Control
We evaluate our performance through inspections, senior management oversight, incident reporting, and periodic audits. A corporate software platform is used to record incident and performance data and to track trends, allowing for comparative analysis. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are shared with management and project teams regularly to promote awareness and proactive planning.
Environmental awareness and competence training programs are required for all project team members to ensure an understanding of the potential impacts, required controls and acceptable performance criteria.
Pollution Prevention and Response
Spill Management
EllisDon is committed to eliminating environmental incidents that result from construction practises. Through training and awareness of spill response and reporting, EllisDon’s goal is to increase the capture of all environmental incidents while reducing and ultimately eradicating environmental incidents on all project sites.
Alongside rigorous on-site environmental management practices, we use software to track the number of 'reportable' and non-reportable' environmental incidents across all project sites.
'Reportable' spills refer to incidents that must be reported to the regulatory agency overseeing the project, while 'non-reportable' spills are internally recorded. This tracking system enables us to determine the frequency, severity, location, and project distribution trends of environmental incidents. An outcome of our ongoing awareness program is an increase in the number of minor environmental incidents recorded in our tracking system, providing valuable information for reducing the risk of more significant incidents. The most common types of spills are vehicle fluid and sediment releases. Spill prevention and response plans at our sites are risk-based and consider the works, materials and site sensitivities in determining the operational controls and response supplies and locations.
Waste Management
Construction projects inevitably generate waste materials that may require special handling. EllisDon has proven capabilities in meeting waste management targets set by third-party certification programs such as LEED, to minimize the amount of materials sent to landfills.
At present waste is primarily tracked on projects that target third-party certifications. We are working to expand our collection and analysis efforts to establish a reliable baseline across project types, sizes, and provinces. This will allow us to make quantified predictions for project planning at the early stages and will ultimately enable us to set waste diversion and reduction targets for our project sites.
Projecting and monitoring our project waste streams and diversion from landfill is essential to drive the construction industry into the circular economy while promoting industry best practices. Planning for potential alternative material recycling paths is something that has been built directly into our practices. Additional strategies will include necessary site training and signage, early project planning, material stream monitoring during construction, and continually re-evaluating the needs of evolving construction sites.
Project Profile
Royal Columbian Hospital
The Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) project in New Westminster, BC is a great example of our effective waste management planning and source separation in action. The project is targeting LEED Gold, with a goal of 75% diversion from landfill. At the time of building envelope nearing completion, the project is currently residing at 2,074,350kg of material diverted from landfill, representing a successful 93% diversion rate, across at least 5 material streams. RCH is also collaborating with the insulation company Rockwool on a pilot program for an Insulation Take-Back Program, intended to collect reuse insulation off-cuts or discards, to circumvent the landfill altogether.
EllisDon Earth Day Event - Oakridge
In April 2023, EllisDon issued a challenge to all project and office locations across Canada to organize a clean-up event in support of Earth Day. Our Oakridge Project, located in Vancouver BC, saw an opportunity to make a meaningful impact by spearheading participation at our largest site in the province. A group of over 100 EllisDon staff as well as subcontractors collaborated to clean up the neighbouring community, and even enlisted the help of ‘The EllisDon Environmental GreenMan' mascot to rally support and boost morale.
This initiative was a fun and inspirational way for EllisDon to extend our thanks to the neighbouring community for their patience and understanding of the disruptions that can occur with construction projects. By contributing to the upkeep and maintenance of the surrounding area, we hope to make it a more pleasant place to live, work, and play.
Hard Hat Recycling Initiative
To promote sustainability and creativity in line with the theme of Canadian Environmental Week— “Beat Plastic Pollution”— we collected over 500 old hardhats from EllisDon employees while distributing new, safer models as part of our enhanced Safety Program. We prevented these hardhats from ending up in landfills by removing the inner baskets and recycling the high-density polyethylene outer shell into pellets for use in new products. Leeroy New, a Filipino visual artist, repurposed about half of the initial collection into a mixed-media installation. This initiative not only diverted materials from landfills but also supported local art initiatives and sparked conversations about environmental issues. After the exhibit, the hardhats were recycled.
Water Management
Water management, including stormwater management, the dewatering of excavations, or concrete washout, is one of the most common concerns on our construction projects. A proactive incident prevention approach is essential to appropriately manage water on site. Releasing impacted water to watercourses or sewer systems can be challenging to remediate, cause serious aquatic impacts and result in regulatory oversight or fines. Implemented measures include:
- Minimizing disturbed areas
- Stormwater flow management
- Erosion and sediment controls
- Containment ponds and tanks
- Water quality testing and treatment
- Monitoring the quantity of (ground)water taken and discharged
- Ensuring all concrete trucks either have an on-truck enviro bucket or a designated area for washout that captures the wastewater and slurry
- Monitoring surface or groundwater parameters (turbidity, pH, temperature etc.) and water levels
As our construction services do not use a significant quantity of water, our primary concern is the water quality leaving our sites and protecting the aquatic environments we work in or around. Our Looby division in particular has lots of experience working in and around watercourses. Their experience and expertise in constructing large bridge projects while ensuring appropriate planning, mitigation and controls are in place is a great example of water management.
Project Profile Barbut Creek Culvert Replacement Project
EllisDon is an innovator in coming up with ways to deal with unexpected threats to a surrounding environment. One example of this is how Looby, a civil division of the EllisDon Group of Companies, managed the Barbut Creek Culvert Replacement project.
This project involved a variety of unique challenges, including flooding and finding a way to divert the creek water in a non-disruptive manner. Strategies employed included:
- A steel sheet pile cofferdam to be installed around the work area to prevent water from entering the jobsite once it could no longer continue to flow through the existing culvert.
- Using multiple hydraulic pumps and submersible electric pumps to move water under the highway through HDPE pipe to the other side of the creek.
- Turbidity curtains to contain sediment that escaped from the cofferdam.
Other Local Community Impacts
EllisDon prioritizes the elimination of written negative environmental impacts within the communities where we operate. Our efforts include minimizing dust generation, mud track out, odour, excessive noise and vibration. Our focus is to proactively prevent any potential impacts while also responding to and mitigating any community concerns. Our communications teams proactively notify stakeholders of upcoming noisy or dusty operations.
Project sites that have the potential for environmental impacts, such as air quality, noise, or vibration have trained staff who complete a weekly Environmental Inspection Checklist. This ensures diligent monitoring of ongoing construction activities and promptly addresses areas of concern. Technology is also utilized to monitor noise and vibration, odour and dust (PM 2.5/10). Devices establish baseline levels before construction and gauge community impacts during construction activities.
Ecosystem Restoration and Biodiversity
Consistent with our core values, we aim to minimize negative impacts on the communities in which we work and to create positive impacts whenever possible. Ecosystem restoration and protecting biodiversity is an an example of this, as it is crucial for maintaining the health and resilience of our planet and ensuring a sustainable future for all life. A common example encountered on project sites is the nesting of migratory birds. We aim to deter birds from nesting in our work areas, but if they do establish nests, we set up protective buffers and work around them until the nest is abandoned, if possible.
PME Wildlife Crossing
PME, a civil division of the EllisDon group of companies, has completed a wildlife overpass in the Bow Valley area near Banff National Park, which is expected to improve safety for drivers and wildlife by significantly reducing the chances of collisions. It will be the first wildlife overpass built outside of Banff National Park and include 12 kilometers of wildlife fencing.
EllisDon demonstrates a firm commitment to wildlife observation and species identification across sites to monitor nesting and migratory patterns and frequencies, as well as mapping locations throughout the construction process.
Wildlife Observation & Records
EllisDon offers an in-house expertise advantage, compiling visual records with evidence of successful hatching for nesting species, lending itself to the biodiversity of macro-species occurring on site. In-house monitoring allows EllisDon to establish species-specific setbacks, management plans and informed data, as well as collaboration working with local wildlife rescue organizations to optimize the survival and refuge of some found species. Examples of observation logging & mapping include: migratory birds (and their nests), animals, and fish spawning habitats, and amphibian locations.