This discussion paper on home performance business models for net-zero emissions and good jobs was created by Efficiency Canada in 2024. 

Meeting Canada’s 2050 greenhouse gas emission goals will require significant efforts to scale decarbonization in existing homes. 

The home improvement sector, including companies and workers involved in installing heat pumps, upgrading insulation, and air sealing homes, plays a crucial role. However, few policy initiatives are focused on their perspective. Instead, policy attention is directed toward customer incentives and regulatory measures. 

It is important to think about home decarbonization policy from a contractor perspective — without businesses driving the change, we don’t see how the scale of high-quality retrofits required to meet Canada’s net-zero goals can be achieved. The goal of this paper is to initiate a discussion on practical, applicable policies that support these key players in their decarbonization work. It explores how policies can align business practices in the sector with net-zero pathways while creating good jobs for workers.