Coquitlam decides not to advance energy efficiency requirements for new builds

Coquitlam won’t take a step ahead of the province.

In a split vote on Monday, Coquitlam council voted against moving ahead of schedule to implement the Zero Carbon Step Code.

The code, which focuses on increased electrification including the use of heat pumps and water heaters, is slated to become mandatory in B.C. by 2032. However, local governments can fast-track those standards to: “future-proof new buildings from potentially costly retrofits,” according to a city staff report.

Given the recent construction slump, the city should move in lockstep with the province, contended Coun. Brent Asmundson.

“Today, we’re not getting any highrise buildings built, we’re not getting a lot of mid-rise built. We’re getting some townhousing built but we’re not dealing with the housing shortage,” he said. “This just isn’t the time to be accelerating.”

More than 30 local governments and First Nations in B.C. have adopted the higher environmental standards. Some of those cities, such as Burnaby and New Westminster, have still managed to get a lot of new housing built, countered Coun. Robert Mazzarolo.

“If we do it, we are actually bringing ourselves in line with what the regional approach is, as opposed to being an outlier,” he said.

Coun. Dennis Marsden, who introduced the motion to move in sync with provincial regulations, disagreed.

“First and foremost, I am a proponent of a consistent building code across the province, not modified city by city,” Marsden said.

The city should adopt the building standards ahead of the province, in part to save residents from costly retrofits in the future, according to Mazzarolo.

“What we do today is going to have an impact for decades to come,” he said.

After reviewing industry studies, Coquitlam city staff found there was no clear correlation between cost and building performance, with some more efficient electric buildings being less expensive.

Buildings account for about 42 percent of Coquitlam’s GHG emissions. Unless or until they’re retrofitted, buildings that primarily use fossil fuels “further contribute to these emissions in perpetuity,” according to a previous city staff report.

While the building standards would impact the electrical grid, a city staff report noted BC Hydro is planning to invest $360 million to support infrastructure in the Tri-Cities over the next decade.

Both Asmundson and Mayor Richard Stewart contended the city shouldn’t make the choice.

“The building code, in particular, shouldn’t be done by council or by politics. The building code should be done by experts,” Asmundson said.

“I think the province needs to make sure there’s no politics in building code decisions,” Stewart concurred.

The mayor also took aim at the province for exporting natural gas.

“The zero carbon step code isn’t about not pulling gas out of the ground, it’s about not burning it in British Columbia,” he said. “We’re still going to breathe its fumes . . . the carbon will still going to affect our climate but it won’t be burned here so we arguably will feel better about it, maybe.”

Council ultimately voted to follow the provincial timeline on implementation of the Zero Carbon Step Code, rather than taking an accelerated approach, which would have brought the issue back to council chambers later this year.

The motion passed 5-4 with Coun. Teri Towner, Craig Hodge, Matt Djonlic, and Mazzarolo opposed.