'How can we be going backwards?' Vancouver city council votes to allow natural gas heat in new buildings

Vancouver city council has voted to allow natural gas for heating and hot water in new construction.

The decision was made at Tuesday’s council meeting following a bylaw amendment from ABC Coun. Brian Montague.

Council voted 6-5 for new home construction to implement this option. ABC councillors Peter Meiszner and Lisa Dominato voted against the amendment, with Mayor Ken Sim calling in from Europe to support Montague.

“I think the amendment brings a balance, which is super important,” Sim said. “Look, we all love the environment and we all have a stake in the outcome and we need balance.”

According to Montague, the shift away from electrification is about affordability and fast-tracking the number of new builds that come onto the market.

“Electrification is not the way to go right now,” he said.

Bryn Davidson, the co-owner of Lanefab Design/Build, told CTV News he was disappointed in council’s decision.

“I think this is definitely moving us backwards at a time that the climate crisis is getting worse,” he said.

Davidson said the belief that electrification is more expensive isn’t true.

“Often, the cheapest buildings that we’d do were all electric because it’s cheaper than running a gas service, cheaper than putting in the boiler, cheaper than the gas cook top,” he said.

He added he’d like to see the city focus on fee increases and delays in permitting instead.

Green Coun. Adrianne Carr called the amendment a “dinosaur move."

“How can we going backwards?” she said. “To roll back climate measures, especially when the industry is all moving in the direction of implementing those changes, is absolutely ridiculous.”

According to a report from Brad Badelt, the city's general manager of planning, urban design and sustainability, the city is currently not on track to meet the target established by council to reduce carbon pollution by 50 per cent by 2030. 

At Tuesday’s meeting, Coun. Christine Boyle asked Badelt if Montague’s amendment would move the city away from meeting its climate targets.

Badelt said yes, adding,“it would set us back thousands, potentially tens of thousands of tons of GHG’s or greenhouse gas emissions.”

He added it would also cause some confusion and upheaval in the industry.

When asked about this, Montague said he fundamentally disagreed.

“My understanding is that this will significantly help build homes, specifically multiplexes and missing middle homes, which are desperately needed,” he said.

According to the City of Vancouver, burning natural gas in buildings for heat and hot water accounts for 55 per cent of the carbon pollution generated in Vancouver.