CALGARY, AB – Like the rest of the world, Alberta is facing more severe weather events, with rising temperatures, wildfires, and more frequent extreme storms threatening homes and businesses. A new Pembina Institute report Preparing Alberta's buildings for severe weather, written in partnership with the Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator program, highlights the immediate need for deep retrofits to ensure the province’s buildings can withstand these changing conditions.
Over the past decade, the cost of insurable losses in Alberta increased by 495%, which is unsustainable in terms of cost and availability of coverage. Four of the last decade’s 10 most costly and severe climate events in Canada occurred in Alberta. The province is at heightened risk from a range of severe weather events, and multiple actors are advancing building retrofits for resiliency and adaptation to protect homes and businesses and their occupants.
The report highlights the current barriers to completing resilient retrofits and provides recommendations to accelerate them in the province. It lays the foundation for developing a strong insurance business case, emphasizing the cost of inaction and the benefits of proactive retrofitting.
Key findings
- The majority of Alberta’s existing building stock will still be in use in 2050, but lacks the resilience to withstand current and future climate events.
- Multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) require dedicated resources and financial support for retrofitting.
- Strengthening building codes, providing incentive to go beyond minimum code standards, and integrating climate resiliency measures into policies can drive large-scale retrofits.
- Additional beyond-energy benefits, such as health and safety, of resilient retrofits should be accounted for in the full costing of deep retrofits.
- The insurance and real estate industries must be active participants in building out the alternative business case to help demonstrate the cost of inaction and standardize the value retrofits add to homes.
Quotes
“We need immediate investment in resilient retrofits to protect Albertans from worsening severe weather events. Without strong policies, funding mechanisms, and industry collaboration, Alberta’s buildings—and the people who rely on them—will remain vulnerable.”
— Kari Hyde, Manager, Utility Integration and Demand-Side Management, Pembina Institute
“Deep retrofits are a powerful tool to strengthen Alberta’s buildings against severe weather while improving energy performance, cutting emissions, and reducing costs. By scaling up retrofits and removing barriers, we can ensure our province’s buildings are resilient, efficient, and prepared for the future.”
— Deeti Makkar, Senior Program Manager with Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
Quick facts
- 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 have already been built.
- Over the past decade, Alberta has seen the cost of insurable losses increase by 495%.
- Alberta’s home insurance costs have surged 90% in the last 10 years.
- As of 2021, only 37% of Albertan households had an air conditioner.
- Investing $212 million per year in MURBs could help grow the retrofit market, stimulate $850 million per year in GDP growth, and create 42,700 long-term jobs by 2050 in communities throughout Alberta.
Background
Blog: Why Alberta needs resilient retrofits now
Media release: Critical investment needed to lift Alberta's most vulnerable households out of energy poverty
Media release: New retrofit program set to accelerate sustainable buildings in Alberta
Blog: Protecting Albertans from wildfire smoke
Report: Healthy Buildings in a Changing Climate: Improving health with multi-unit residential building retrofits
Contact
Sarah Snowdon
Senior Comms Lead, Pembina Institute
416-838-3423
