The B.C. government recently announced changes to the province’s building code to ensure cleaner, more efficient buildings, reflecting a plethora of initiatives the City of Delta has already been undertaking.
The province said that effective May 1, 2023, the BC Building Code will require 20 per cent better energy efficiency for most new buildings throughout the province.
The Zero Carbon Step Code provides tools for local governments to encourage or require lower emissions in new buildings, the province said, adding that the changes meet commitments in the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 to gradually lower emissions from buildings until all new buildings are zero carbon by 2030 and are net-zero energy ready by 2032.
Della North MLA Ravi Kahlon, the provincial housing minister, said the province, working together with industry, can meet its housing needs as well as climate goals.
Already having undertaken climate initiatives over several years to lower Delta’s carbon footprint, the city recently applied for a $200,000 grant to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Community Buildings Retrofit Program to complete GHG reduction pathway feasibility studies for five recreation facilities.
A staff report also notes that many successful retrofits of Delta’s buildings and measures implemented over the years within the city’s fleet resulted in the achievement of a 20 per cent reduction in GHG emissions from 2007 levels.
However, more needs to be done to continue to improve energy efficiency and further reduce GHGs within Delta’s facilities, the report notes.
The buildings targeted for studies include the South Delta Recreation Centre, Ladner Leisure Centre, Sungod Recreation Centre, North Delta Recreation Centre and Tilbury Arena.
Meanwhile, the city is also currently updating its Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP).
Staff last year wrapped up another round of public consultation through a survey and are to come back to council with a draft report this year on a new plan.
The plan, among other things, will help identify priorities for the most appropriate and effective climate action decisions for the city and community.
The last round of engagement asked residents’ input on such “big moves” as reducing emissions, considering electrifying transportation, active transportation and transit, new buildings that are energy efficient and low carbon, as well as retrofitting existing buildings.
An earlier round of public engagement last year found that participants feel a personal sense of responsibility to help reduce emissions that contribute to climate change and are looking to the city to lead by example.
The plan is to include revised targets for energy-efficient and low-carbon new buildings as well as retrofitting existing buildings, making them more energy efficient with low-carbon heating systems.
