Victoria, B.C.—New requirements will be added to British Columbia’s CleanBC Roadmap which will ensure all new buildings are net-zero. This is one of the province’s additions in an attempt to create a more ambitious climate plan and reach emission reduction targets.
The CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 plan will look to build on the actions of the 2018 CleanBC plan and will look to help B.C. achieve the Paris emissions reduction targets for 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.
“Here in B.C., the threat of climate change is no longer decades or even years away. The impacts are all around us, from devastating wildfires to intense heat waves and droughts,” said John Horgan, premier of B.C.
The CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 builds on British Columbia’s progress since 2018 by making polluting more expensive and shifting from fossil fuels to clean alternatives more affordable. In addition, the plan will help power more businesses and communities with clean, renewable made-in-B.C. hydroelectricity.
Highlights of the expanded roadmap include:
- New requirements to make all new buildings net-zero emissions by 2030
- Increased energy efficiency requirements, including a requirement that after 2030, new spaces and water heating equipment sold and installed in B.C. will be at least 100 per cent efficient
- Updated regulations to shift the focus of utility-funded efficiency programs from conventional gas-fired heating equipment such as furnaces and boilers, to building-envelope improvements and heat pumps
- A greenhouse gas emissions cap that will require gas utilities to invest in technologies to further lower greenhouse gas emissions from the fossil natural gas used to heat homes and buildings and power some of our industries
- A commitment to increase the price on carbon pollution to meet or exceed the federal benchmark, with supports for people and businesses
- Requirements for new projects to have enforceable plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2050
- Stronger regulations that will nearly eliminate industrial methane emissions by 2035
“The scale of the climate emergency demands that we act with even greater urgency than ever before. By bringing people and businesses together, we can rise to the challenge and seize the opportunity to build a stronger, more resilient B.C. for everyone. That’s what this plan is all about,” said Horgan.
The newly expanded climate actions in the Roadmap to 2030 will look to ensure that B.C meets its legislated greenhouse gas target of 40 per cent below 2007 levels by 2030.