Introduction

The causes of global climate change come from many sources: vehicles, manufacturing processes, solid waste and garbage, to name a few. One often overlooked source, however, are the buildings in which we live and work; in fact, 54% of all Greenhouse Gases (GHG’s) generated in the City of Vancouver are produced by the construction and operation of buildings, both residential and commercial.

City Council is well aware of the impact Vancouver’s buildings have on global environmental health, and the importance of implementing changes now to ensure a sustainable future. To that end, Council adopted two ambitious targets (274kb) last year: 1) to reduce community GHG emissions to 33% below current levels by 2020, and 2) to have all new construction in Vancouver be GHG-neutral by 2030.

City staff took on this challenge, and have begun work on charting a path to meet these goals. One such path, applying only to new one- and two-family homes, is known as the Green Homes Program. This Program addresses energy and water efficiency issues by requiring that all new building permit applications for one- and two-family homes meet a specific set of requirements. The Program also includes requirements that will improve the air quality in all new houses, as well as provide the homeowner with the ability to easily install roof-mounted solar energy systems and electric vehicle charging systems in the future. View the full Council Report (134kb) or the actual Building By-law amendments (163kb).

City staff estimate that new homes built to comply with the Green Homes Program will consume up to 33% less energy than a house built to current Building By-law standards. Reducing energy consumption will reduce both GHG emissions and the homeowner’s electricity bill.

This website provides an overview of the Program and additional “good to know” information regarding building green. Use the links in the left column to learn more about the various components of the Program, as well as the new building permit application requirements.

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