A Contractor’s Perspective: Embodied Carbon Accountability

A significant player in the whole building carbon life cycle, the contractor’s perspective on embodied carbon accountability is one we don’t hear all that often. Rather than waiting for clients and RFPs to require this shift in focus, we’re thrilled to bring you two unique perspectives from two Pan-Canadian construction companies leading this charge of their own volition. We’re going to hear about what has motivated this call to action, the processes they’ve initiated and some early lessons learned and pain endured. The format will allow for two brief presentations and a Q&A period where we invite our viewers to engage in this important conversation—one that we hope to continue in next year’s programme as well.

Chandos, headquartered in Edmonton, AB is the first and largest B-Corp Certified commercial builder in North America. They practice social procurement and over 80% of their work is delivered through collaborative delivery models with an emphasis on zero construction waste. There is a strong commitment to inclusion, ingenuity, collaboration and innovation. This platform has placed Chandos in a strong position to delve deeper into their 2040 Net Zero commitment by increasing their focus on Embodied Carbon.

EllisDon, headquartered in Mississauga, ON is a major national player in the construction ​and building services industry, and in particular in the realm of construction research and innovation. EllisDon, a $5B/year, 5,000-employee company has committed to set ​science-based targets across the entire value chain (Scope 1, 2, and 3) that will be consistent with keeping global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. These goals put the company on the pathway to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. EllisDon has been named the winner of the Canadian Construction Association's (CCA) Environmental Achievement Award ​2021, acknowledging the company's climate commitment.

About Our Speakers:

• Denyse van Opbergen, Manager, Corporate Sustainability, EllisDon

In her role as Manager, Corporate Sustainability at EllisDon, Denyse van Opbergen works on identifying and reducing emissions across the company's focus areas: EllisDon's own operations, the materials procured, and the operations of the projects built. Her educational background and industry experience (in-house, consulting, and public policy) allows her to effectively support the company through the process of identifying, defining, and implementing EllisDon's low-carbon agenda at a corporate- and project-level.

• Mark Gaglione, Director, Building & Material Sciences, EllisDon

Initially trained as an engineer, Mark Gaglione spent the early part of his career in private real estate development. Now with EllisDon, Mark leads the Building and Material Sciences team where he is focused on accelerating the adoption of emerging construction technologies and supporting construction operations nationally. Mark has played a central role in the proliferation of mass timber within EllisDon and is passionate about low carbon building solutions.

• Jen Hancock, Vice President, Collaborative Construction, Chandos

Jen has worked for Chandos for the last 15 years and has helped lead many of the company’s innovative practices in that time. She works primarily as a coach, facilitator and trainer for project teams with a focus on Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), collaborative construction practices, lean, sustainability and is a driver of EDI initiatives. She worked on some of the first IPD projects in Canada and has been a key champion in bringing it across the country from BC to Ontario. She oversees Lean integration and training; and, was instrumental in setting up and managing the waste diversion policy in 2010 that has seen the company divert over 75% of its waste in the last 12 years. Jen is also on the board of directors and committee chair with the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance and is on the board of directors for the Edmonton Construction Association and Alberta Construction Association.