About Us
Making Canada's building stock efficient, one building at a time.
Our Mission
Our mission is to develop retrofit solutions that respond to the climate crisis at speed and scale.
Our Values
We are guided by five values that put humanity at the core of our work.
Nothing about us, without us
We believe everyone deserves a home and workplace that is healthy, secure, and affordable, and Everyone should be paid well for their work.
We also believe that solutions must empower and be co-created by communities.
Transparency
Transparency is our compass. We pledge to be honest and open in all our communications, even when vulnerability arises.
We strongly believe that our commitment to transparency builds trust and fosters genuine connections.
Kindness
We redefine kindness through radical candor, valuing clear and direct communication.
We acknowledge the pitfalls of excessive niceness, commit to fostering a culture honesty and kindness, driving positive change.
Action
Action defines us. We prioritize 'doing' over planning, embodying a culture of progress.
We actively seek and implement small yet impactful steps, driving tangible outcomes in our pursuit of deep retrofit solutions.
Courage
Courage propels us forward. Our unconventional choices showcase the courage needed to drive innovation and positive environmental, social, and economic change.
Our Story
The ReCover Initiative is a non-profit organization at the forefront of pioneering scalable deep retrofit solutions in Atlantic Canada. Founded in 2020and based in Nova Scotia, we are developing deep retrofit solutions that respond to the climate crisis at speed and scale.
As a deep retrofit accelerator and trailblazer in Atlantic Canada, ReCover is forging partnerships to transform the building landscape for the betterment of all Canadians. We are of the few groups to have successfully completed feasibility studies for panelized retrofits inspired by the Dutch Energiesprong Initiative.
Central to our mission is the removal of barriers hindering deep retrofit implementation, including economic, market, and equity-related complexities.
The Context
Earth’s climate is undergoing rapid changes unlike anything documented throughout human history. These changes are primarily attributed to human activities that release harmful greenhouse gases (GHG), such as carbon dioxide and methane, into our atmosphere.
In Canada, homes and buildings are the source of seventeen percent of Canada’s GHG emissions. This proportion is even higher in Nova Scotia at forty-two percent. Increasingly stringent building and energy codes are improving the performance of new buildings. But across the country, tens of millions of existing buildings will need to be upgraded for Canada to meet its 2050 Net Zero target.
Currently, Canadians retrofit just over one percent our building stock yet but this rate needs to be ramped up to twelve percent.
Our Response
From forestry, to manufacturing, to administration and engineering, ReCover will create thousands of jobs in Canada. Using locally sourced, low-carbon materials, we will reduce the carbon footprint of each retrofit project and build carbon stores. Since we will source many of the materials right here in Canada, we will contribute to rebuilding the local economy while creating sustainable careers.