Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is central to Canada’s climate strategy, yet over two million households experience energy poverty, struggling with high energy costs and poor housing. Retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency and low-carbon energy can reduce emissions while alleviating energy poverty, but without targeted support, vulnerable households risk exclusion, worsening inequalities, and weakening climate policy support.
This report explores how integrating energy poverty reduction with net-zero retrofits can lower costs, improve housing, and enhance climate resilience. However, systemic barriers—high upfront costs, fragmented policies, workforce shortages, and limited data—disproportionately affect low-income renters, rural communities, and Indigenous populations. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated policies that prioritize affordability and housing stability.
Key recommendations include delivering no-cost retrofits for energy-poor households, expanding flexible financing for middle-income families, protecting renters from displacement, investing in workforce training, and creating a national energy poverty advisory hub. By implementing these strategies, Canada can ensure an inclusive transition to net-zero that reduces emissions while improving the lives of those most affected.
