We are thrilled to announce that our Emissions-Neutral Buildings Information Exchange (ENBIX) initiative has earned a 2026 Gold Quill Award of Excellence, the global standard of excellence in business communication. Presented by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), this global honour recognizes strategic communication that delivers real-world impact. Winning in the Climate Change and Sustainability category, this award celebrates ENBIX’s success in sharing knowledge, building capacity and advancing sustainable building practices across Alberta.

While buildings contribute up to 60% of total emissions in Alberta’s major urban centres, we recognized that emissions-reduction strategies can be perceived as ideological, costly, or disconnected from the on-the-ground realities of our local market. This created a communication challenge: how to move forward when the path to sustainable building feels increasingly complex.

To address this, with the help of our partners and funders, we launched ENBIX as a central, industry-led hub. Our journey began with deep research to understand the unique barriers and motivations within Alberta’s building industry. We saw an opportunity to create a platform that reflects our local challenges—like extreme cold—while focusing on outcomes the industry already values, including building performance and durability. By demystifying complex concepts and providing practical, Alberta-specific resources and tools, ENBIX has helped overcome engagement barriers and foster genuine collaboration.

The work of ENBIX cannot be done alone. From the start, we have brought together industry leaders and innovators to share knowledge and build capacity for energy-efficient and high-performance building practices. This award is a testament to the power of that collaboration, and we want to extend a sincere thank-you to everyone who has shared their expertise and gotten involved with the initiative.

We are grateful for the support of our ENBIX partners and funders, including the City of Edmonton, City of Calgary, Natural Resources Canada, Peter Gilgan Foundation, RBC Foundation, and the Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association (SSRIA).