Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all the members of the committee for the invitation to participate today. My name is Vince Engel, and I'm the western Canadian vice-president for the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers. Let me briefly tell you a little bit about who we are, just for some context, before I speak about our recommendations to improve productivity in the Canadian workforce and the competitiveness of the Canadian economy.
Our association represents Canada's mechanical insulators. We are tradesmen, expert in the insulation of mechanical systems in buildings—buildings just like this one—and in refineries, pulp mills, hotels, schools, and hospitals. Mechanical insulation restricts heat loss or gain in mechanical systems, ultimately increasing the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. Mechanical insulation reduces greenhouse gas emissions, saves money, and puts people to work. Mechanical systems that require insulation are primarily ducts, pipes, and equipment such as boilers, furnaces, pumps, and fans.
Our skilled tradespeople are industry leaders in health and safety through the removal of hazardous waste, including asbestos. Our members also support fire prevention through the insulation of firestop materials. There are approximately 7,000 qualified, ticketed insulators in Canada. The mechanical insulation industry also includes Canada's mining and manufacturing sector in the production of insulation. Fibres used in modern insulation are made from raw materials mined right here in Canada.
Mechanical insulation is a practical, cost-effective solution for improving energy efficiency in buildings. In a report released last month, the Canada Green Building Council said that the country could reduce emissions by as much as 50% by 2030 if owners worked with governments and investors on energy consumption initiatives, including more efficient heating and cooling systems. The Government of Canada has made substantial investments in improving the energy efficiency of buildings to reduce their environmental footprint. These investments are essential to ensure the competitiveness of the Canadian industrial and commercial sectors. The Green Building Council's report also noted that energy-efficient retrofits to private sector buildings could save Canadian industry as much as $6.2 billion in business costs, resulting from reduced energy consumption. That's $6.2 billion that could be reinvested into Canada's economy to improve things like critical infrastructure, health care, and supporting small businesses, all of which improve the country's productivity and competitiveness.
Supporting heat and frost insulators goes hand in hand with these commitments. By working with construction trades like ours, the federal government has the opportunity to improve productivity and competitiveness within the trades and contribute to environmental objectives, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
It's also important to ensure that the monies set aside for greening buildings is well spent so that work is not being unnecessarily repeated in the future. For Canada's mechanical insulators, this means making use of qualified, certified tradespeople on all federal building projects. Supporting skilled tradespeople who have been properly trained ensures that the work needed to upgrade buildings is done right the first time, ultimately saving on costs down the road. By requiring the use of properly trained and certified skilled tradesmen on work sites, the federal government can enable a productive workspace by ensuring that the work contracted is completed professionally and sustainably.
Our main asks of the committee are these. Continue financial investments in union-based training programs that support those in the skilled trades, including insulators, in the green economy. Ensure that any federal-provincial incentive programs for energy-efficient retrofits in the private sector include mechanical insulation. Finally, require the use of qualified, certified mechanical insulators on projects designed to support energy efficiency.
Thank you. That's my report.