The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) is bringing the 2030 Challenge to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to Canada, starting with a professional series.

The series is based on the AIA+2030 (American Institute of Architects) Professional Series, which is a partnership between Architecture 2030 and AIA Seattle.

The OAA+2030 Professional Series will offer members 10 four-hour learning sessions on strategies to become carbon-neutral by the year 2030. The sessions cover topics such as climate-responsive design, lighting strategies and renewable energy opportunities.

“We are excited to be able to offer such a beneficial and relevant educational series to our members. Carbon neutral building is the way of the future and the OAA is proud to bring The 2030 Challenge to Ontario,” says Bill Birdsell, president of the OAA.

Architecture 2030 is an independent, non-profit organization that was created as a response to climate change. In the United States, buildings are responsible for half of the country’s energy consumption and annual carbon dioxide emissions. The organization is trying to transform the built environment from being a contributor of GHG emissions to being part of the solution to climate change.

“The 2030 Challenge is not meant to replace any current green building rating system but rather it challenges all systems to a higher level of sustainable achievement,” says Richard Williams, member of the OAA Sustainable Built Environment Committee and Toronto moderator of the OAA+2030 course. “It sets a progressively higher bar for the design and development community to rise toward.”