Caution | Boating advisory for the Bow River

Water is high and dangerous. For your safety we advise against boating or swimming until conditions improve.

Together we build

The City of Calgary knows that sustainability is a long-term process and series of difficult challenges for you, our business community. We know that you understand the importance of reducing emissions, cutting costs, and enabling customers and partners to do the same. We know that you are finding efficiencies, reducing waste and capitalizing on opportunity. We get it. 

This is why we are creating programs that make upgrades cost-effective, making sustainable development processes easier, and providing events that educate and equip your teams.

Together we can make sustainability the business of Calgary.  

New and noteworthy

Spotlight: Together we build

The environment doesn’t understand business – but Calgary’s business community gets it.

The advantage of building higher efficiency homes – An interview with Calgary home builders.

Improve building performance and lower energy and water use with BenchmarkYYC.

Learn more

Trending themes in sustainability

Incentives and savings

Explore a variety of incentives and tools to help you improve building performance, lower utility costs and make energy retrofits cost-effective.

  • Coming soon: Commercial Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) offers flexible financing solutions for energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits.
  • BenchmarkYYC helps building owners lower energy and water costs and reduce GHG emissions by sharing building performance data, offering a rebate to purchase your building’s data.
  • Home Energy Label Program offers a building permit rebate with EnerGuide label submissions.
  • Brownfield Tax Incentive Program offers a rebate on municipal property taxes for developing a brownfield site into a wind or solar farm.
  • ChargeYYC offers financial incentives to develop a plan to install EV chargers in condos, apartments, townhouses, rowhouses and other multi-residential buildings.

Building and development

Learn how we’re streamlining development processes for energy efficient residential and commercial properties.

Building operations

Explore a variety of strategies to improve building performance, lower energy and water costs, and reduce emissions.

  • Coming soon: Commercial Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) offers flexible financing solutions for energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits.
  • BenchmarkYYC helps building owners lower energy and water costs and reduce GHG emissions by sharing building performance data, offering a rebate to purchase your building’s data and discounts on building efficiency training courses.
  • Emissions-Neutral Building Information Exchange (ENBIX) offers free and rapid sharing of innovative ideas, solutions, best practices and lessons learned  in the building and construction ecosystem. This is an industry-led  initiative powered by Alberta Ecotrust.

Small business community

Discover ways to lower energy and water costs for your business, make energy efficiency upgrades and more. 

  • BenchmarkYYC helps building owners lower energy and water costs and reduce GHG emissions by sharing building performance data, offering a rebate to purchase your building’s data and discounts on building efficiency training courses.
  • Coming soon: Commercial Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) offers flexible financing solutions for energy efficiency upgrades.
  • Home & Small Business webinars provide free resources to support the starting and growing of your business.
  • Business Experience Program offers dedicated support through the business licencing process.
  • Green Economy Calgary offers local businesses microgrants, training, one-on-one support and a peer network to adapt and thrive in the low-carbon transition.

Parking and transportation

Explore ways to lower emissions and support electric vehicle (EV) use in multi-residential and commercial developments.

  • ChargeYYC offers financial incentives to develop a plan to install EV chargers in condos, apartments, townhouses, rowhouses and other multi-residential buildings.

Business community in action

Businesses across Calgary are taking action to lower energy use and emissions.  

The City of Calgary’s BenchmarkYYC program not only helps participants improve building efficiency, it also recognizes leaders in emissions reduction and energy efficiency practices. Here’s a look at the 2024 BenchmarkYYC Award winners.

  • Most Improved Property

    Calgary Board of Education – Catherine Nichols Gunn School

    32% emissions reduction YoY

    29.7 kg CO2e/m2 between 2021 and 2022

  • Lowest GHG emissions intensity - Library

    Calgary Public Library – Memorial Park Library

    19% better than average

    94.5 kg CO2e/m2

  • Lowest GHG emissions intensity – Multi-family

    Boardwalk REIT – Westwinds Village

    56% better than average

    32.6 kg CO2e/m2

  • Lowest GHG emissions intensity – K-12 schools

    Calgary Board of Education – Balmoral School

    54% better than average

    30.2 kg CO2e/m2

  • Lowest GHG emissions intensity – Commercial

    Goodwill Industries Alberta – Calgary Impact Centre

    71% better than average

    36.3 kg CO2e/m2

  • Lowest GHG emissions intensity – Offices

    Cadillac Fairview – Calgary City Centre

    44% better than average

    64.9 kg CO2e/m2

  • Lowest GHG emissions intensity – Non-refrigerated warehouse

    The City of Calgary – Corporate Warehouse

    47% better than average

    49.3 kg CO2e/m2

  • Lowest GHG emissions intensity – Recreation centres

    The City of Calgary – Ernie Starr Arena

    66% better than average

    52.7 kg CO2e/m2

Upcoming events

ChargeYYC

Apply for up to $4,000 in incentives to install EV chargers in multi-residential buildings with ChargeYYC.

BenchmarkYYC

Lower your building’s energy and water use with BenchmarkYYC – Join the program now through October 15.

Home Energy Label Program

Receive a $250 rebate per EnerGuide label for new residential home building permits with the Home Energy Label Program.

Energy Management 101

Improve your energy management knowledge with BenchmarkYYC and Canadian Institute for Energy Training (CIET) – Enroll in Energy Management 101.

In the news

Suite success: 5,700 apply in first year of Calgary’s incentive program

June 3, 2025

Land acknowledgements

The city of Calgary, where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet, was historically a place of confluence where the sharing of resources, ideas and opportunities naturally come together. Long before Scottish settlers named it Calgary, the original Indigenous Nations of this area had their own names for the land. In the Blackfoot language, it is called Moh-kins-tsis (moh-GIN’-stis (a soft ‘g’). The Îethka Nakoda Wîcastabi (ee-YETH’-kah nah-COH’-dah WHISK’-ah-tah-bay) First Nations refer this place as Wicispa Oyade (weh-CHIS’-spa oh-YAH’-day) and the people of the Tsuut’ina (Soot-tenna) nation call it Guts-ists-I (GOOT’-sis). The Métis call the Calgary area Otos-kwunee (oh-TUSS’ - kwanee).

We would like to take this opportunity to appreciate and acknowledge that we are gathered on the ancestral and traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy, made up of the Siksika (Seeg-see-kah), Piikani (Bee-gun-nee), Amskaapipiikani (Om-Skaa-bee-bee-Gun-nee) and Kainai (G-ai-nah) First Nations; the Îethka Nakoda Wîcastabi (ee-YETH’-kah nah-COH’-dah WHISK’-ah-tah-bay) First Nations, comprised of the Chiniki (Chin-ick-ee), Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations; and the Tsuut’ina First Nation. The city of Calgary is also homeland to the historic Northwest Métis and to the Otipemisiwak (Oti-pe-MES-se-wa) Métis Government, Métis Nation Battle River Territory (Nose Hill Métis District 5 and Elbow Métis District 6). We acknowledge all Indigenous people who have made Calgary their home.

undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null,undefined/null