// ON THE RECORD
Lara Ryan Consulting
Lara Ryan Consulting is a Halifax-based sustainability consultancy providing strategic advice on climate action, stakeholder engagement, ESG/CSR planning, and sustainability strategy to organizations across Atlantic Canada. Principal Lara Ryan co-manages BuildGreen Atlantic — described as Atlantic Canada's only green building conference, hosted by the ASHRAE Halifax Chapter — and serves as Senior Advisor to the Building to Zero Exchange (BTZx), a collaborative network advancing the building sector's transition to net-zero. Past clients span energy, legal, education, and arts sectors in the region.
📍 Halifax, Nova Scotia✓ 72% first-party verified
// CLIPS FROM Lara Ryan Consulting
“people ask us who's your number one competitor and I say the granite countertop guy down the road”
“they did a test in Toronto using low-TEDI buildings and they ran that test for up to two weeks”
“Finance trumps everything isn't just for private this is something you deal with publicly as well”
“the feds put out the program for the green homes right they're going okay we're going to spend this money”
“we had a developer involved locally who was kind of a front-runner and a leader as far as Net Zero”
“I was thinking about a post I seen on LinkedIn this winter — I think it was East Port Properties did a test”
“when the 2020 code went out for public consultation it had mandatory blower door testing in it”
“it was interesting when Roxanne and I started our business we were looking for an opportunity”
“Keith and I did a presentation for public works and that was their piece”
// LESSONS FROM Lara Ryan Consulting
Sequence net-zero upgrades by demand reduction first: super-insulate, right-size windows, right-size mechanicals, then offset residual load with renewables — in that order.
Splitting capital and operating budgets across different entities (province builds, school board pays bills) is the structural root cause of under-investment in building energy performance.
Developers with tenant-paid utilities have a rational incentive to build to minimum code; removing that misalignment requires either mandatory labelling or split-incentive reform.
BC’s step code — a pre-announced ratchet of air-tightness and insulation targets every 3–5 years — is the most replicable model for driving industry-wide performance improvement without market shock.
Mandatory energy labelling at point-of-sale is the single fastest behaviour-change lever for the existing housing stock, provided it is phased in starting with new construction.
Air-tightness is the highest-ROI first step in any retrofit because it reduces the demand on every downstream system — mechanicals, renewables, and insulation all shrink.
// SELECTED PROJECTS
BuildGreen Atlantic
Status unconfirmedSenior Consultant & Event Manager
Described as Atlantic Canada's only green building conference, hosted by the ASHRAE Halifax Chapter. Lara Ryan Consulting co-manages organization and delivery (alongside Tracy Ashley Communications). The 2023 edition (March 30, 2023, Halifax Convention Centre) drew over 300 industry delegates.
Building to Zero Exchange (BTZx)
Status unconfirmedSenior Advisor & Co-Creator
Collaborative initiative with Net Zero Atlantic serving as secretariat; launched fall 2023 to connect building-sector stakeholders and grow capacity for high-performance, net-zero construction across Atlantic Canada. Lara Ryan was 'one of the catalysts of its creation.'
Atlantic Canada Solar Summit
Status unconfirmedSenior Consultant & Event Manager
Regional solar industry event listed among Lara Ryan Consulting's managed engagements.
// KEY PEOPLE
LR
// NOTABLE