Whereas the BC Building Code has incorporated the BC Energy Step code, which sets increasingly stringent energy efficiency and greenhouse gas GHG reduction requirements for new buildings and major renovations, effectively limiting the current uses and eliminating the future uses of natural gas as a fuel in areas of BC that use the BC Building Code; And whereas many local governments, including those with significant agricultural, industrial, and rural residential needs, require flexibility and ongoing energy investment to ensure affordable, reliable, and diverse energy options for residents, businesses, and farms; And whereas limiting or eliminating natural gas as an energy option could increase energy and construction costs, reduce economic competitiveness, and limit the ability of local governments to attract and retain, families, businesses and agricultural entities that rely on natural gas for their operations: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM petition the Province of British Columbia to amend the BC Building Code to ensure that natural gas remains a viable energy option now and in the future, allowing residents, businesses and local governments the flexibility to determine the most appropriate energy solutions for their unique economic, geographic, and community needs, while still supporting reasonable and achievable energy efficiency goals.
