Concern over the global environment has been growing steadily in recent years, particularly since the release of the 1987 report by the World Commission on Environment and Development. Cold climate countries, such as Canada, contribute disproportionately to environmental stresses because of higher per capita consumption of energy, water and other resources, and higher generation of related air, water and soil pollutants. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the federal government's housing agency, has undertaken a serious examination during the past two years of how Canadian housing can be made more sustainable. Housing is an important component of the sustainable development equation, having significant impacts both environmentally and economically. While the term "cold climate housing" conjures up images of Canada's far north, this paper focuses on the more temperate regions of Canada ....