Ontario's Proposed Housing Bill Threatens Climate Goals

Strategic Insights -

Critics of the Building More Homes Faster Act, introduced last week, argue that the legislation will make new buildings in Ontario's cities less efficient and more expensive to heat and cool, sabotaging efforts to cut carbon emissions and fight climate change.

The bill eliminates the ability of municipalities to enforce more stringent energy efficiency standards in new buildings, a move that could have far-reaching consequences for cities like Toronto, which has been working towards achieving net zero emissions by 2040. "For the last 15-20 years, the city of Toronto has been on a deliberate trajectory to make buildings more and more climate friendly with an ultimate goal of making them net zero," said Coun. Gord Perks. "The new provincial legislation effectively kills that work."

Key Takeaways:

  • The Building More Homes Faster Act eliminates the ability of municipalities to enforce more stringent energy efficiency standards in new buildings, which critics argue will make new buildings in Ontario's cities less efficient and more expensive to heat and cool.
  • The legislation will have far-reaching consequences for cities like Toronto, which has been working towards achieving net zero emissions by 2040.
  • Toronto's Green Building Standard, which was passed city council unanimously in 2013, is nullified by the new law, and experts argue that it was a useful tool for developers and cities to set climate-friendly targets.
  • The bill's authors claim it will speed up the construction of new buildings, but critics argue this is not the case, and that energy efficiency actually improves affordability by ensuring quality homes with lower operating costs.
  • The changes could make it impossible for the city of Toronto to meet its building emissions targets, according to Environmental Defence.
  • The bill's effects will not be limited to Toronto, but will extend to other municipalities across the province, including Ottawa, Brampton, Ajax, Whitby, Pickering, Markham, Vaughan, and Halton Hills.
  • Experts argue that the gutting of local energy efficiency standards will lead to spiraling energy costs and carbon prices for future homeowners.
  • Inclusion of stricter energy efficiency standards in the development approval process has never delayed development, and no building permit has ever been denied because of them, according to Brian Purcell, Vice-President of The Atmospheric Fund.

Statistics:

  • Toronto aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 through its TransformTO plan.
  • The city's buildings will need to be near net zero by 2040 in order to reach this goal.
  • The Green Building Standard started out with not very aggressive efficiency rules, but ratcheted up over time.
  • 100% of Toronto's buildings are required to be near net zero by 2040 under TransformTO.

Sources:

  • "Toronto city councillors question Ontario's new housing bill" by Marco Chown Oved, The Toronto Star
  • Letter to Premier Ford from Brian Purcell, Vice-President of The Atmospheric Fund
  • Environmental Defence statement on the Building More Homes Faster Act