I could simply say that, indeed, the building sector is extremely energy-intensive. We have much to gain from having more energy-efficient buildings, and that efficiency can come from heat pumps and geothermal energy. However, above all, the thermal envelopes of buildings must be improved.
We must strengthen building codes. We must also ensure that building owners are aware of their energy consumption and receive an energy rating for their buildings. Natural Resources Canada establishes building performance ratings, but this is not mandatory, which means that building owners are not even aware of their own consumption and are not incentivized to improve the performance of their buildings.
So, obviously, there are plenty of electric technologies that have a role to play, but the federal government could play a much bigger role in building energy ratings and in transportation systems. Yes, we need electric vehicles, but above all, we need to reduce the share of private vehicles and promote rail and public transit more, which are both cheaper and use far less energy. We need to be mindful of Canadians' wallets. However, these are sustainable modes of transportation that cost less than buying an electric or gas-powered SUV.