Briefing note: Future-proofing BC buildings toward net-zero

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment calls for British Columbia to update its Building Code and Energy Step Code to prohibit new gas connections by 2022 and set deadlines for existing buildings to switch to clean energy. The briefing highlights that buildings cause 12% of the province's greenhouse gas emissions and that natural gas use contributes to health risks, including childhood asthma from indoor nitrogen dioxide and lung disease linked to hydraulic fracturing in the Peace region. It notes that retrofitting a home from gas to electric currently costs over $20,000, making the 'future-proofing' of new buildings a cost-effective necessity to meet the province's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

• Buildings in British Columbia are a major source of climate pollution, accounting for 12% of provincial greenhouse gas emissions and more than 50% of emissions in individual cities.
• The extraction of natural gas via hydraulic fracturing in the Peace region of northeast BC is linked by physicians to increased rates of cancer, lung disease, and negative pregnancy outcomes, while also polluting local air, land, and water.
• Indoor air pollution from gas cooking, specifically nitrogen dioxide (NO2), is correlated with higher rates of childhood asthma, and most Canadian gas ranges fail to meet Health Canada's 2015 long-term NO2 exposure standards.
• Converting an existing home from natural gas to electric heating costs more than $20,000, whereas clean-energy technologies can be installed in new buildings today at no additional cost to the consumer.
• The author recommends that the BC Building Code and BC Energy Step Code be amended to prohibit new buildings from connecting to gas lines starting in 2022, with potential extensions for northern regions, and to set specific dates for existing buildings to transition to clean energy.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). Briefing note: Future-proofing BC buildings toward net-zero. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Future-proofing-BC-buildings-towards-net-zero-CAPE-2020-06.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Briefing note: Future-proofing BC buildings toward net-zero. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Future-proofing-BC-buildings-towards-net-zero-CAPE-2020-06.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Briefing note: Future-proofing BC buildings toward net-zero |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Future-proofing-BC-buildings-towards-net-zero-CAPE-2020-06.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentndbriefing, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Briefing note: Future-proofing BC buildings toward net-zero}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Future-proofing-BC-buildings-towards-net-zero-CAPE-2020-06.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }