Buildings & Climate Action Survey
Stepping Up Toward Zero Emissions

The Link Between Buildings and Climate Action

Surrey has declared a Climate Emergency and Council has adopted a target to reduce city-wide carbon pollution to net zero levels by 2050. 
 
Buildings account for 40% of Surrey's carbon pollution, mostly from heating buildings with fossil fuels -  nearly as much as all the vehicles on our roads. Making sure new buildings are zero emissions at the outset is one way to help meet our climate targets, improve health and comfort, and avoid costly retrofits down the road.  This could include using heat pumps instead of gas furnaces, as well as making buildings more efficient. 
 
The City of Surrey has adopted the provincial Energy Step Code, which focuses on improving energy efficiency, but does not regulate carbon pollution. The Province has indicated that local governments are to be given authority to set carbon pollution limits for buildings. The details of this authority are yet to be announced.
 
The purpose of this survey is to better understand the building industry’s awareness about and readiness to adopt low-carbon energy systems in buildings for heating, cooling and cooking.
For more information about the City of Surrey’s climate plan, please visit www.surrey.ca/climateaction, and for information about the City’s Energy Step Code policy, please visit www.surrey.ca/stepcode. You can also see a slide presentation shared with builders in December 2020 about potential updates to the City’s Step Code policy here.