Canada needs 5.8 million new homes by 2030 to restore affordability – which is more than one-third of Canada’s existing housing stock all over again. How and where we build these homes carries major implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for Canada’s climate targets. 

To date, however, the climate impacts of adding 5.8 million homes have been largely unknown. That’s why, in Fall 2023, the Task Force for Housing & Climate commissioned three distinct GHG modeling reports. Together, these three analyses provide the most comprehensive modeling of the GHG implications of new housing ever conducted in Canada.

Collectively, the three research reports show that, with weak policy approaches, adding 5.8 million homes could lock in as much as 142.7 Mt in new annual greenhouse gas emissions in 2030. On the other hand, with aggressive policy approaches, adding 5.8 million homes could generate as little as 43 Mt of annual greenhouse gas emissions in 2030. In other words, strong policy leadership at the federal, provincial and municipal levels could prevent almost 100 Mt of annual GHGs from new housing – or 34% of Canada’s 2030 GHG reduction target under the Paris Agreement.