Green Building Policy
Building for a climate-resilient future
Developing Vancouver’s first Green Building Policy is an important step toward protecting our community from the impacts of climate change while reducing the carbon emissions that contribute to it.
What is the Green Building Program?
The Green Building Program will introduce new building and development code standards and incentives to significantly reduce energy use and emissions and increase protections from the effects of climate change. to lower energy use, reduce emissions, and protect against climate change. These changes will happen gradually, helping Vancouver reach its goal of zero carbon emissions by 2040. The program will apply only to new buildings, not to existing ones or remodels.
The City is also planning a separate policy with stricter rules for both new and existing City-owned buildings.
The Program will focus on:
- Improving energy efficiency
- Reducing emissions from making and reusing building materials
- Conserving water
- Making buildings and communities better able to handle extreme weather, like storms, heat waves, and smoke from wildfires
- Encouraging renewable energy and emergency power sources
- Protecting wildlife and natural spaces
The City of Vancouver will also evaluate how the new Green Building Program can support housing affordability, aiming to make the policies just and equitable.
Why is Vancouver developing a Green Building Program?
Unlike many places in Washington, Vancouver does not have a consistent green building program. This can confuse developers and create inconsistent experiences for buyers, owners and renters.
Buildings are a major source of carbon emissions, which cause climate change. In Vancouver, 37 percent of carbon pollution comes from heating, cooling and running appliances in buildings. The production and transport of building materials like cement and steel add even more pollution during construction. In addition, as climate change hazards like wildfire smoke and extreme heat become more common, buildings need extra protections to keep people safe.
This program will help set clear standards for sustainable practices across all new developments in Vancouver.
Citywide Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector (2023)
Chart: The energy used by our buildings for heating, cooling, powering appliances, and other uses accounts for 37% of Vancouver’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Green building policies do more than reduce pollution. They make buildings more comfortable and healthier by improving air quality and using better heating and cooling systems. These policies can also protect nature by including designs that are safer for birds, using plants that need less water, and saving trees. Green building rules also help buildings and communities handle extreme weather. They do this by adding better insulation, keeping buildings cooler with shading or reflective materials, controlling energy use during busy times, and providing backup power for outages.
How is the Program being developed?
The Green Building Strategy was created using a mix of careful research and planning. The City reviewed a lot of information, studied best practices, created models to predict energy use and emissions, and did financial modeling. They also talked to people who would be interested in or affected by the new program. The City hired a climate planning consulting firm called SSG to help guide the project.
Community Outreach Activities
A table of community outreach activities conducted to date can be found below.
| Activity | Activity dates | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meetings | April 30, 2024 May 3, 2024 June 27, 2024 August 1, 2024 | The TAG was formed to provide technical inputs on the development of the GBS, including scenario analysis, performance themes and approaches, and the proposed implementation approach. Its seventeen members include representatives from the development industry, trades, utilities, housing organizations, and green building experts. |
| Green Building Program Roundtables | June 24, 2024 July 3, 2024 | Two policy roundtables were held, the first focused on non-residential buildings was held on June 27, 2024 and had five participants. The second roundtable was held on July 3, 2024 with four participants and focused on residential buildings. The roundtable discussions revolved around costs, incentives, and potential challenges and supports required for implementing the proposed GBS approaches. |
| Equity Workshop | June 24, 2024 | The seven participants of the equity workshop were representatives of local affordable housing providers, developers, and advocacy organizations; a real estate and mortgage firm, and a concerned community member. The participants provided an equity lens to the challenges and solutions associated with implementing the GBS. |
| Public Workshop | June 5, 2024 | This hybrid workshop was attended by twenty community members—five online and fifteen in-person. Participants shared their perspectives on priorities, as well as policy and implementation considerations related to the GDS approaches. |
| Municipal Facilities Interview | July 3, 2024 July 31, 2024 | Interview sessions with City staff working on municipal facilities to understand the current approach and opportunities related to applying green building strategies to existing municipal facilities. |
| Developer and Contractor Survey | July 22, 2024 to August 16, 2024 | The survey aimed to get broader input from the local development and construction industry to better understand their capacity and concerns related to applying green building approaches to upcoming building projects. 41 completed responses were collected. |
| City Staff Workshop | August 14, 2024 August 16, 2024 | These workshops were held with City staff working on building permitting to refine the proposed implementation approaches for GBS. |
Project Timeline (2023-2025)
The Green Building Program (GBP) development began in October 2023 with initial data collection. From November through April, the City focused on reviewing existing strategies and projecting energy use and emissions. In May, they explored different policy options and created models to evaluate them. By June, they had crafted the main elements of the GBP and outlined how to implement it. In July, the team began drafting revisions to Vancouver’s building codes (VMC Title 17) and land use codes (VMC Title 20) to support the strategy.
The Green Building Program (GBP) team is currently reviewing proposed policies based on the results of the November 2024 election, including measures like I-2066. City staff will present early policy ideas, along with possible incentives and timelines for putting these ideas into action, at the December 16th Council Workshop for Council members to consider.
How can I comment on the draft Green Building Program policies?
You can provide input for the Green Building Program through
- Emailing City Council members
- Attending the Dec. 16 City Council Workshop, which will discuss some of the specific policies and incentives being considered
- Provie written or verbal testimony for the Dec. 16 Workshop
- Request a presentation from City staff to your group or organization
- One-on-one conversation or email with City staff
- Sign up for the project newsletter
Contact Information
Any general questions on the overall Green Building Program development process can be sent to Rebecca Small, Climate Action Lead, City Manager’s Office, rebecca.small@cityofvancouver.us.
Questions on potential Title 17 changes should be directed to Chad Eiken, Director, Community Development Department, chad.eiken@cityofvancouver.us.