To support the initiative of the Government of Quebec, which aims to enrich government intervention in green and smart buildings and to stimulate the development of a sector in this field, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec is submitting seven recommendations as part of the consultation conducted by the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI).
“Developing a green and smart building ecosystem is crucial for sustainable development. The potential for optimizing our buildings is still immense. A large number of engineers play a key role here throughout the life cycle of the buildings, ”underlines the President of the Order, Kathy Baig , Eng., MBA, ASC, DHC.
Clear and uniform regulations
Regulation and taxation are two levers available to the State to accelerate the implementation of green and smart buildings. The Order believes that the government can take concrete action by:
adopting a regulatory approach that accelerates the adoption of innovations;
creating regulatory or tax incentives that encourage the voluntary adoption of environmental standards;
imposing performance standards or targets.
Exemplary nature of the State as a client As a client, the Quebec government can further promote the development of the green and intelligent building ecosystem, in particular by encouraging all public clients to follow the example of the SQI and to explore avenues other than the traditional method of awarding contracts to the lowest bidder.
“The lowest bidder rule is not always the best approach to awarding contracts. Other approaches make it possible to place more emphasis on the quality of construction and to integrate innovative proposals more easily, particularly from an environmental standpoint, ”comments the President of the Order.
Data protection and cybersecurity: ensuring the protection of the public The Order also considers that certain preventive measures must be put in place to ensure the protection of the public.
On the one hand, it will be necessary to put in place the conditions that allow clients to have the means required to adequately manage the data and technologies used, in particular Building Information Modeling (BIM) and artificial intelligence tools, when the projects and contexts justify it. The Order recommends the establishment of standards to regulate the collection, hosting and use of data in the context of smart green buildings. In particular, it is necessary to ensure that privacy is respected.
On the other hand, the Order recommends that the government ensure that managers of smart green buildings put in place robust measures to prevent and mitigate the risks of cyber attacks. Frequent analysis of cybersecurity management plans would contribute in particular to reducing the vulnerability of buildings.
The full version of the brief submitted by the Order as part of this consultation is available on its website . To learn more about the Order's position and commitments in terms of sustainable development, consult this document.
About the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec The Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec turned 100 years old in 2020. It brings together some 65,000 engineering professionals from all disciplines, with the exception of forest engineering. Its mission is to supervise the practice of engineering and to support the development of the profession in order to ensure the protection of the public. For more information, visit oiq.qc.ca.
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SOURCE Order of Engineers of Quebec via CISION
CONTACT: Source: Patrick Leblanc, Senior Public Affairs Advisor, Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, Tel. : 514 441-3697 (cell.)
Quebec's cybersecurity landscape has been tested in recent months. In June, a ransomware attack targeted the Quebec City ambulance dispatch center, raising concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. Thankfully, the attack didn't disrupt emergency services. The provincial government also faced a denial-of-service attack on its websites, possibly by a pro-Russian group. While no data breaches were reported, these incidents serve as a stark reminder of the constant threat posed by cybercriminals. Josh hacking update revealing that over 60% of Quebec small and medium businesses have been targeted by cybercriminals in the past year, highlight the urgent need for increased cybersecurity measures across the province.