Minto Communities Canada Speaks on Sustainability Panel at Green Living Show in Toronto
Toronto, ON (April 5, 2018) – Agnieszka Wloch, Vice President of Development at Minto Communities Canada, will be speaking on the “Invest in Change” panel at the Green Living Show in Toronto on April 6th at 3:30PM alongside Tim Nash of The Sustainable Economist.
Moderator David McConnachie, publisher of Alternatives Journal, will speak with Agnieszka and Tim about the simple and easy first steps of working towards helping to save the planet from the negative impacts of climate change.
“At Minto, we’re focused on building better communities, one home and one relationship at a time – and sustainability is a big part of our ‘better’”, said Ms. Wloch. “By improving building performance, we’re helping to reduce utility consumption and save homeowners money while reducing the impact of our buildings on the environment. Better buildings are healthier and more comfortable for everyone!”
With a focus on continually improving performance, Agnieszka believes that installing sustainable features in rental buildings increases their value and reduces risk – a benefit to building owners, residents and investors alike. Agnieszka oversees her team on investing in the building performance of newly constructed properties by installing features such as efficient plumbing fixtures to reduce water consumption, more efficient heating systems and appliances, and LED lighting to save energy.
Accomplishing environmental targets, innovation and community design with sustainability in mind has been a longtime goal for all Minto Communities Canada condos and homes. Since its first Net Zero Project in 2008, the company has continued to push towards an affordable Net Zero Energy option accessible to the average homebuyer. While the economics of Net Zero homes are not yet affordable, Minto Communities Canada has continued to stay ahead of codes by using programs like LEED, ENERGY STAR and EnerGuide to help empower consumers with information needed to factor energy efficiency and environmental impacts into buying decisions.
The Minto sustainability team worked with TD Economics to produce a statistical analysis on the resale value of LEED Certified Condos in Toronto, compared with conventional condos. The results indicated 5% resale value premium for LEED Silver Condos and a 14% resale value premium for LEED Gold.
Since 2009, Minto Communities Canada’s annual sustainability report has monitored and disclosed how they are doing as a company overall. They have received multiple awards and recognition on their sustainable initiatives, including ENERGY STAR Builder of the Year in 2014 and 2016, OHBA Home Builder of the Year in 2014, Ontario Green Builder of the Year 2016, and also received the 2017 ENERGY STAR Builder of the Year (Large Volume) Award.