New bylaw aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of large buildings in Montreal

MONTREAL -

Cars are the first thing most of us think of when it comes to emissions — but with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, Montreal is turning its attention to buildings.

“We need to put [in] all the efforts necessary to reduce emissions by 50 per cent for 2030,” said Mayor Valerie Plante as she introduced a new bylaw that will centre upon building emissions.

The bylaw will require that, each year, owners of large buildings disclose the forms and quantities of energy used by said structures. The city will then assign a performance rating to each building.

The goal is to encourage owners to better manage their energy consumption.  

“This simple approach will benefit owners, tenants and the community by allowing the compilation of the information required to improve our environmental performance," said city councillor responsible for ecological transition Laurence Lavigne Lalonde.

The bylaw will focus primarily on commercial and industrial spaces and will exclude private residences.

In 2022, buildings of 15,000 square metres or more will be assessed. In 2023, the regulation will expand to include buildings of 5,000 square metres, including buildings of 50 dwellings or more.

Finaly, in 2024, the regulation will include buildings of 2,000 square meters and buildings of 25 dwellings or more.

Officials say buildings account for six per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in Montreal.

This is the third green announcement the city made this week, following the mayor’s plan to ban several pesticides next year, and to ban plastic straws and utensils at restaurants by March of 2023.