HHSC asked HH Angus to develop a strategic and comprehensive GHG Reduction and Resilience Action Plan to guide HHSC in meeting provincial and federal greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2030 and, eventually, "Net Zero" by 2050.

The scope of the work HH Angus provided covered the following HHSC sites (totaling approximately 3,200,000 ft2):

1. McMaster Children’s Hospital
2. Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre
3. Hamilton General Hospital
4. West Lincoln Memorial Hospital
5. St. Peter’s Hospital
6. Ron Joyce Children Health Centre
7. David Braley Research Building

HH Angus developed a Strategic GHG Reduction and Resilience Action Plan (GRRAP) for HHSC to support their goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This plan included establishing a GHG inventory for Scopes 1 and 2, in addition to forecasting future emissions. (Scope 1 emissions include direct emissions from on-site combustion, and have consistently represented the majority of total emissions. Scope 2 emissions are associated with purchased electricity, steam and/or chilled water.)

GHG reduction targets were set in alignment with leading international frameworks such as the SDGs (sustainable development goals), SBTi (science-based targets initiative), and UNGC (UN Global Compact).

Some key considerations in developing the GRRAP included:

• Aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance
• Emissions from natural gas combustion
• Carbon tax financial risk
• Integration of redevelopment with decarbonization
• Uncertainty in future district energy and waste heat
• Embedding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and sustainability culture

HH Angus completed an analysis of existing energy and sustainability plans, policies, and facility assessments to identify key opportunities for GHG reduction, while adhering to GHG Protocol standards. The newly created GRRAP document outlined the necessary steps, measures, infrastructure requirements, and financial scenarios needed to meet or exceed the proposed GHG reduction targets.

The implementation plan focused on energy conservation, electrification, renewable energy generation, and zero-carbon building solutions. Additionally, HH Angus provided HHSC with a GHG Manager tool to facilitate ongoing scenario modeling.