GHG Emissions Regulations Advisory Published

Engineers and Geoscientists BC's practice advisory Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulations for Large Existing Buildings, published May 15, 2025, provides initial guidance on the City of Vancouver’s Annual Greenhouse Gas and Energy Limits By-Law and the roles registrants can play in support of the reporting and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) limit regulations.

“Vancouver’s GHG bylaw is the first of its kind in Canada and targets significantly reducing GHG emissions from the City’s existing large building stock,” said Harshan Radhakrishnan, Manager, Climate Change and Sustainability Initiatives at Engineers and Geoscientists BC. “Engineers and Geoscientists BC registrants play an important role in assisting building owners and managers successfully align capital replacement projects with the decarbonization targets in the bylaw.”

More specifically, this advisory provides information for registrants to understand:

• the current regulations;
• their potential roles and responsibilities; and
• the process and some of the specific requirements for registrants when assisting owners in meeting the regulations.

“This advisory provides initial guidance that will be revised and updated as the City provides more information on the implementation of its regulations, and in response to other regulatory developments relevant to existing Part 3 buildings,” Radhakrishnan said.

Regulatory Background

In July 2022, Vancouver implemented the bylaw to limit and reduce the GHGI of existing buildings. The main objective was to reduce emissions from heating and hot water – as the largest sources of emissions – while transitioning to low-carbon and renewable energy sources.

The bylaw requires emissions reporting. All buildings subject to the GHGI limits and/or heat energy requirements must have their energy and carbon reporting data periodically verified by a qualified third party, which includes professional engineers, certified energy managers, or certified measurement and verification professionals. Third-party verification will be required in the reporting year 2026 and every four years thereafter.

The bylaw also calls for decreased emissions intensity limits for some building types over time, and targets zero emissions for these structures before 2040. It follows a phased implementation approach based on building type and size.

Importantly for registrants and the general public, existing office and retail buildings larger than 100,000 ft² will also be subject to a GHGI limit starting in 2026. The approved limits for large commercial buildings and phase-in dates are:

• 2026 – GHGI limit of 25 kg CO₂e/m²/year (office)
• 2026 – GHGI limit of 14 kg CO₂e/m²/year (retail)
• 2040 – GHGI limit of 0 kg CO₂e/m²/year (office and retail)

Photo: Aditya Chinchure/Unsplash