At the Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario, we continually look for ways to enhance the quality of life for tenants across the province.

In 2008, we developed and implemented the Certified Rental Building Program (CRBP) to provide a “quality-assurance” benefit that rental-housing consumers can count on when shopping for their rental apartment home.

Apartment buildings and complexes accepted into the program must comply with more than 50 Standards of Practice and are audited regularly by J.D. Power & Associates to track compliance. Once an apartment building has been granted official “certification,” it is considered a well-run, well-managed property where the property manager and their staff care about providing good quality of service to their residents. To date, more than 260,000 rental residents reside in over 950 “certified” apartment buildings across the province.

In 2014, we took the CRBP to a new level by introducing 10 new Environmental Operating Standards as part of our exciting new Living GREEN Together™ groundbreaking initiative.

Basically, the 10 new Environmental Operating Standards are in line with current Canadian trends toward sustainability.

For example, in National Geographic and GlobeScan’s 2014 Greendex scores report, although Canadians rank below the average on several scales, we are among the most frequent recyclers and likely to take reusable bags when shopping. We are among the most likely to have an energy-saving dishwasher and TV in our homes, and we are more likely to wash laundry in cold water to save energy.

The “Cone Communications/Echo Global CSR Study (2013)” reported that corporate social responsibility toward environmental issues is now expected of companies to provide credibility. In the “Energy Efficiency & Canadians – National Opinion Research for CEEA (April 2013)” survey, 75 per cent of Canadians believe that conserving energy is very important. These are just a few of the reports and surveys that show how critical it is to keep respect for the environment at the forefront of our attention, and why Living GREEN Together™ is a timely initiative.

The CRBP’s new Environmental Operating Standards require participating property managers to have an Environmental Policy outlining its commitments and practices; an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy documenting the purchase and use of products/services that minimize negative environmental impact and human health impacts; Environmental Performance Monitoring that enables the efficient identification of areas where action should be taken to reduce consumption and improve performance; Electrical Product Standards; Natural Gas Consumption Practices; Water Product Standards; Waste Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Standards; Indoor Air Quality Standards; Employee Engagement and Education to create a culture of cooperation and positivity; and Resident Engagement through active interaction with tenants.

Examples of how these criteria are being met by participating property managers are the installation of energy-efficient electrical fixtures, lamps/light bulbs; the use of water-efficient plumbing fixtures; the implementation of proactive measures to reduce the occurrence of leaking toilets and dripping taps; the promotion of effective waste management and recycling practices; and the use of Energy Star-qualified or energy-efficient appliances and laundry machines.

Just as Ontario’s rental housing industry has a major impact on the province’s economy (over $18.3 billion annually), CRBP rental building management and their staff and residents can have a massive impact on protecting our environment through progressive thinking and proactive practices. Let’s face it: we’re all in this together, and we all benefit from greener apartment communities.

It’s up to us all to do what we can to lessen our carbon footprint. The CRBP’s Environmental Operating Standards represent a key step forward in corporate environmental responsibility for the rental housing industry.

At FRPO, we are proud of our Living GREEN Together™ initiative — the first industry-developed environmental operating standards for multi-residential apartment buildings.