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Climate Emergency: Home Heating and Cooling

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Thanks for all your feedback. Staff are now reviewing and analyzing comments and input received, and developing the report to reduce carbon pollution and increase climate resilience in Vancouver’s detached homes.

Nearly 60% of Vancouver's carbon pollution comes from burning natural gas (which is methane, a fossil fuel) for space and water heating in our buildings. Carbon pollution, also known as greenhouse gases or emissions, causes climate change and contributes to smog and air pollution, which impacts our health and environment.

That’s why, in 2020, City Council approved the Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP), our roadmap to cut Vancouver’s carbon pollution in half by 2030 and do our fair share in preventing climate breakdown.

The good news is by changing how we heat and cool our buildings, we can:

  • Increase home comfort
  • Better prepare our homes for extreme temperatures and wildfire smoke
  • Do our part to dramatically reduce Vancouver’s emissions

Through our 2016 Zero Emissions Building (ZEB) Plan, we’ve reduced carbon pollution from new buildings, which now produce 70% less carbon pollution than they did in 2007.

Now, through CEAP, we’re focusing on reducing emissions from existing buildings.

This phase of engagement is now complete

This phase of engagement focused on the following proposed regulations for detached homes:

  • Recommend to City Council that new space and water heating equipment (such as furnaces and hot water tanks) be more energy efficient, and/or use renewable energy when the old equipment needs to be replaced (due to end-of-life)
  • Recommend to City Council that major renovations to perform additional energy efficiency improvements
  • Highlight resources and supports for residents

Residents were invited to get involved in the following ways

Thanks for all your feedback. Staff are now reviewing and analyzing comments and input received, and developing the report to reduce carbon pollution and increase climate resilience in Vancouver’s detached homes.

Nearly 60% of Vancouver's carbon pollution comes from burning natural gas (which is methane, a fossil fuel) for space and water heating in our buildings. Carbon pollution, also known as greenhouse gases or emissions, causes climate change and contributes to smog and air pollution, which impacts our health and environment.

That’s why, in 2020, City Council approved the Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP), our roadmap to cut Vancouver’s carbon pollution in half by 2030 and do our fair share in preventing climate breakdown.

The good news is by changing how we heat and cool our buildings, we can:

  • Increase home comfort
  • Better prepare our homes for extreme temperatures and wildfire smoke
  • Do our part to dramatically reduce Vancouver’s emissions

Through our 2016 Zero Emissions Building (ZEB) Plan, we’ve reduced carbon pollution from new buildings, which now produce 70% less carbon pollution than they did in 2007.

Now, through CEAP, we’re focusing on reducing emissions from existing buildings.

This phase of engagement is now complete

This phase of engagement focused on the following proposed regulations for detached homes:

  • Recommend to City Council that new space and water heating equipment (such as furnaces and hot water tanks) be more energy efficient, and/or use renewable energy when the old equipment needs to be replaced (due to end-of-life)
  • Recommend to City Council that major renovations to perform additional energy efficiency improvements
  • Highlight resources and supports for residents

Residents were invited to get involved in the following ways

  • Climate Emergency: Home Heating and Cooling Survey

    Thank you for your feedback on the proposed regulation

    By shifting how we heat and cool our buildings and hot water, we can fight climate change and improve home comfort and indoor air quality, making our homes more climate resilient.

    The comments received between January 18 and March 6, 2022, will help fine-tune the Climate Emergency Home Heating and Cooling program. 

    In this guided feedback form residents had the opportunity to: 

    • Learn about the causes of climate change, how the energy we use in our homes matters, and the role our buildings can play to reduce carbon emissions. 
    • Share their thoughts on the proposed regulation including size of house we should focus on to reach our climate goals.
    • Provide feedback on the programs, resources and supports we identified to address concerns we heard from homeowners in previous engagement when exploring home energy upgrades.

    Comments were accepted between January 18 - March 6, 2022.


    Visit the feedback form


    Have a question? Email us directly: green.buildings@vancouver.ca 


    On top of helping to shape the program, everyone who completed the feedback form had a chance to win: 


    For more details, see the contest rules.



    Complete Form
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Page last updated: 07 Mar 2022, 04:57 PM