WHEREAS the Province of Ontario adopted greenhouse gas reduction targets of 30% by 2030, and emissions from buildings represented 22% of the province’s 2017 emissions;
WHEREAS all Waterloo Region municipalities, including the Township of Wilmot, adopted greenhouse gas reduction targets of 80% below 2012 levels by 2050 and endorsed in principle a 50% reduction by 2030, an interim target that requires the support of bold and immediate provincial and federal actions;
WHEREAS greenhouse gas emissions from buildings represent 45% of all emissions in Waterloo Region, and an important strategy in the ClimateActionWR’s, TransformWR Community Climate Action Strategy, adopted by all Councils in Waterloo Region, targets new buildings to be net-zero carbon or able to transition to net-zero carbon using region-wide building standards and building capacity and expertise of building operators, property managers, and in the design and construction sector;
WHEREAS the draft National Model Building Code proposes energy performance tiers for new buildings and a pathway to requiring net zero ready construction in new buildings, allowing the building industry, skilled trades, and suppliers to adapt on a predictable and reasonable timeline while encouraging innovation;
WHEREAS the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is consulting on changes for the next edition of the Ontario Building Code (ERO #: 019-4974) that generally aligns with the draft National Model Building Code except it does not propose adopting energy performance tiers, it does not propose timelines for increasing minimum energy performance standards step-by-step to the highest energy performance tier, and, according to Efficiency Canada and The Atmospheric Fund, it proposes adopting minimum energy performance standards that do not materially improve on the requirements in the current Ontario Building code;
WHEREAS buildings with better energy performance provide owners and occupants with lower energy bills, improved building comfort, and resilience from power disruptions that are expected to be more common in a changing climate, tackling both inequality and energy poverty;
WHEREAS municipalities are already leading the way in adopting or developing energy performance tiers as part of Green Development Standards, including Toronto and Whitby with adopted standards and Ottawa, Pickering, and others with standards in development;
WHEREAS Green Development Standards are being developed by local municipalities in partnership with the Region of Waterloo, and all local electricity and gas utilities through WR Community Energy;
WHEREAS while expensive retrofits of the current building stock to achieve future net-zero requirements could be aligned with end-of-life replacement cycles to be more cost-efficient, new buildings that are not constructed to be net-zero will require substantial retrofits before end-of-life replacement cycles at significantly more cost, making it more cost-efficient to build it right the first time.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council request the Province of Ontario immediately adopt a more ambitious energy performance tier of the draft National Model Building Code as the minimum requirement for the Ontario Building Code and the necessity for bold and immediate provincial action on climate change; and,
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Council request the Province of Ontario encourage and provide authority to municipalities to adopt higher energy performance tiers and Green Development Standards than the Ontario Building Code; and,
THEREFORE BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED THAT Council request the Province of Ontario to facilitate capacity, education and training in the implementation of the National Model Building Code for municipal planning and building inspection staff, developers, and homebuilders to help build capacity; and,
THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT this resolution be provided to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to area MPPs, and to all area Municipalities who participate in the Waterloo Region Chief Building Officials group.