Whereas emissions by buildings account for 40-60 of a communitys green-house gas GHG emissions, and current actions in British Columbia to reduce GHG emissions from buildings are insufficient to achieve the provinces GHG targets for 2030 and 2050; And whereas the November 2020 mandate letters to ministers include direction to provincial ministries to move forward with three of the five policy measures included in the Help Cities Lead campaign to drive GHG reduction in British Columbias building sector: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon the provincial government to immediately introduce legislation supporting the three measures identified by Help Cities Lead and addressed in ministerial mandate letters: GHG requirements for new buildings, PACE financing, and home energy labelling; And be it further resolved that UBCM call upon the provincial government to introduce empowering legislation to permit local governments who so choose to implement the remaining two measures identified in the Help Cities Leads campaign: GHG requirements for existing buildings and building energy benchmarking.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation The Province is taking action on GHG Requirements for New Buildings, Property Assessed Clean Energy PACE financing, and Home Energy Labelling commitments. The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation EMLI is currently focused on implementing energy labelling for ground-oriented residential buildings, including developing market supports and proceeding to the required legislative amendments. We will consider options for multi-unit residential buildings and commercial buildings over the coming years. The Province is proceeding to next steps on a PACE program, including determining the scope and phasing of PACE. Additionally, the Province is currently developing carbon pollution standards for new construction for voluntary adoption by local governments. The CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 committed to new requirements to make all new buildings zero emissions by 2030 - this will be implemented through the introduction of carbon pollution standards in the base Building Code. The Roadmap to 2030 also commits to: - Increased energy efficiency requirements, including a requirement that after 2030, or earlier where feasible, all new space and water heating equipment sold and installed in B.C. will be at least 100 efficient, significantly reducing emissions compared to current combustion technology. - A greenhouse gas emissions cap that will require gas utilities to undertake activities and invest in technologies to further lower GHG emissions from the fossil natural gas used to heat homes and buildings and power some of our industries. These two commitments, along with program supports, will achieve the emission reductions required to meet 2030 and ultimately 2050 targets. They are considered alternatives to the GHG requirements for existing buildings called for in the Help Cities Lead campaign. EMLI encourages UBCM and Help Cities Lead to engage with EMLI staff to explore ways in which local governments can take early action to support market readiness for these regulations.