As one of only 13 LEED Fellows in Canada, Jason Packer stands at the forefront of sustainable design and environmental leadership. In this interview, he shares his perspective on the critical role engineers play in shaping a resilient, low-carbon future. Jason exemplifies CIMA+’s commitment to integrated, forward-thinking solutions that generate long-term value—for our clients, communities and the planet.
Being one of only 13 LEED Fellows in Canada is a rare distinction. What does this recognition mean to you, and how does it influence your approach to sustainable engineering?
Becoming a LEED Fellow is an honour. It’s nice to be recognized for my efforts, but it also reflects the collaboration and support of peers, clients and a community committed to sustainable transformation. It underscores my responsibility to lead by example, mentor others and push for solutions that elevate both environmental and human outcomes. It’s a reminder that our work doesn’t stop at compliance; it’s about impact and continually raising the bar for what’s possible in sustainable engineering.
You’ve made sustainable design and environmental performance central to your work. What triggered that commitment, and why do you believe it's now essential across all sectors?
I’ve been a life-long tree hugger. I grew up in a small community and spent most of my time outside in the woods. To this day, I’m happiest spending time in nature. This led me to a career supporting and encouraging a built environment that supports human connection to nature and one another.
Early in my career, I saw the disconnect between technical excellence and environmental stewardship, and I knew we could do better. Today, the need is urgent and undeniable. Sustainability shouldn’t be a specialty. Rather, it should be a core competency. Every sector must consider resilience, climate risk and ecological responsibility not just as obligations, but as opportunities for innovation and long-term value.
How do you see green building practices and certifications like LEED contributing to the 'E' in ESG (Environmental performance) in a measurable and impactful way?
LEED and other third-party certifications provide both a framework (or a recipe for green building) and a system of accountability. They translate environmental intent into specific, measurable outcomes.
In ESG terms, certifications are a way to align project-level decisions with organizational sustainability goals, providing third-party validation that those goals are being met. That transparency builds trust for investors, regulators and communities, while for practitioners, it drives continuous improvement.
Beyond certifications, how can a sustainability mindset transform how we design and deliver engineering projects?
Sustainability is just long-term thinking. It is literally the ability to adopt practises that will be applicable in perpetuity, to live within one’s means or the means of the planet. A true sustainability mindset asks deeper questions from the outset: What’s the long-term purpose of this project? Who does it serve? How can it regenerate ecosystems or contribute to people’s well-being, not just minimize harm? With that mindset, we shift from doing “less bad” to generating net-positive outcomes. It affects how we engage stakeholders, how we define success and how we innovate with materials, systems and strategies. It’s not just about ticking boxes— it’s about transforming our role as designers into that of stewards.
Buildings are responsible for significant environmental impacts. Many people are concerned about the environment and feel helpless in the face of it. We are in the very industry that can do something about it. Long-term thinking demands that we up our game. At the same time, solutions may be closer than we think! Transformation can happen quickly: the costs of solar photovoltaics and batteries have fallen by 80-90% in the last decade, and the trend continues. Since I began my career, smartphones have condensed a room’s worth of technology into the palm of your hand. We have the power to radically rethink and redesign the built environment for efficiency, resilience and well-being.
What do you see as the next big ESG challenge for the built environment, and how can experts like you help organizations rise to it with innovation and integrity?
There are so many challenges: climate resiliency, habitat preservation and restoration, and ensuring our built environment serves people.
One important topic is whole-life carbon. We must account for operational energy, but also for embodied emissions across a building’s entire lifecycle. Tackling this requires rethinking everything from design to deconstruction. Again, long-term thinking. As experts, we need to embed lifecycle thinking into every project phase and partner with clients to make climate-smart decisions both realistic and compelling.
Integrity means not just chasing certifications, but asking: “What’s the right thing to do here, and how can we lead others to do the same?”