Does a Natural Gas Ban Fit Into Canada’s Net-Zero Future?

Montreal, New York City, and Vancouver are the latest additions to a growing list of cities across North America banning natural gas in new buildings. The move-intended to combat rising building emissions by replacing oil and gas with zero-emission heating systems-has been met with everything from enthusiasm to outrage, as building developers and policymakers grapple with how to meet heating needs while driving down building emissions by 2050.
The phaseout of natural gas, which experts acknowledge is critical to meeting net zero goals, faces a bumpy road. From the U.S. to Europe, concerns have been raised around the readiness of regional grids to handle a surge in electricity demand, while energy incumbents are highlighting the benefits of burning natural gas over oil, and state and provincial governments are clashing with municipalities on whether-and how-to get off gas.
What lessons can Canada learn from natural gas bans in other parts of the world? Is banning natural gas in new construction a viable decarbonization pathway for Canadian municipalities? The Transition Accelerator held a timely discussion on the use of natural gas in building electrification, highlighting best practices from other countries at the forefront of the transition.
Co-presented by the Building Decarbonization Alliance, an initiative of the Transition Accelerator aimed at accelerating the electrification of Canada’s buildings. For an in-depth look at how governments across Canada, the US, and Europe are currently using policy to transition building heating towards non-emitting energy sources, be sure to read their recently released Jurisdictional Scan: Building Heating Decarbonization.
buildingdecarbonization.ca/re...

[@johndegrummond5130]

Homelessness is a big problem in California. Housing shortages. Part of that is cost to build. Part is land use restrictions. Building costs are a big concern for builders. Restrictions on use/choice don't make that easier.

[@EddieGNAR]

@Monica Vidal great work using the accurate terminology 'fossil gas' 👏