But the motion received significant opposition from dozens of people who spoke to council over a marathon two-day meeting, with critics arguing that buildings account for a majority of Vancouver’s emissions and the city should not roll back green initiatives.<\/p>\n
Even provincial Housing Minister Christine Boyle had urged the city in a letter<\/a> to delay decisions on building codes until the fall, when her ministry would finish a review of provincial emissions goals.<\/p>\n Dozens protested a move to reverse the ban on natural gas heating in new homes at Vancouver council in July 2024. That move was ultimately shot down in a later vote at council in November of that year. (Chad Pawson\/CBC)<\/p>\n But for his part, Sim said the decision was in line with moves to remove the federal<\/a> and provincial<\/a> consumer carbon tax, and the motion would cut red tape.<\/p>\n “Every extra rule, every added delay and every layer of bureaucracy gets passed directly onto the people trying to afford rent, buy a home, or keep a small business alive in this city,” Sim said in a statement.<\/p>\n His motion means that the bylaws connected to Energize Vancouver<\/a> \u2014 a city initiative that sees owners and strata councils in large buildings report their carbon emissions per year and sets limits on natural gas emissions \u2014 will be paused.<\/p>\n Sim argued that allowing the option of natural gas heating in new homes would spur new home construction.<\/p>\n The bylaws that sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were part of climate-friendly policies stretching back years in Vancouver.<\/p>\n On its website, the city itself estimates<\/a> that nearly 60 per cent of the carbon pollution generated in Vancouver was due to burning natural gas for space and water heating.<\/p>\n Seven councillors with Sim’s ABC slate voted to approve Sim’s motion, while all four opposition councillors voted against it.<\/p>\n Previously, some ABC councillors helped vote down an effort<\/a> to reverse the ban<\/a> on natural gas heating in new homes in November 2024.<\/p>\n Doctor critical of change<\/p>\n In her letter to city council, Boyle said that the province was working on a review of its zero carbon step code<\/a> that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in new buildings.<\/p>\n She said the analysis would incorporate feedback from representatives from B.C.’s housing sector, and that a previous review<\/a> of B.C.’s climate action plan had recommended a push for zero-carbon new buildings by 2030.<\/p>\n “I encourage the City of Vancouver to delay a decision on further changes until the fall, when the [provincial] cost and impact analysis with the sector is complete,” the letter reads.<\/p>\n![\"Dozens](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2edde101f9373da671d2eac1ab6ed7b2.webp\"\/)
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