An otherwise routine update about city hall’s strategy to curb greenhouse gas emissions prompted questions about whether London would eventually ban natural gas heating in new homes.
On Tuesday, the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) received an update about the Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP).
However, Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen focussed his questions on just one of the plan’s 200 actions, potentially banning the use of natural gas or other fossil fuels to heat buildings constructed after 2030.
“It would be counterproductive to go in the direction of working towards somehow phasing out or banning that precious fossil fuel that so many rely on,” Van Meerbergen told colleagues.
Development of the Climate Emergency Action Plan began in January 2020.
One action reads, “Review and provide options to reduce, restrict, or phase out fossil fuel as the primary source of heat in all new buildings in London as of 2030 including a review of other municipalities, applicable legislation, and jurisdiction, implementation benefit, and other factors.”
Jay Stanford, director of Climate Change, Environment, and Waste Management, explained to the committee, “It was not directed to us by council. It was just one of the areas that if one is going to look at net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, one must look at the burning of all fossil fuels.”
In November, Vancouver’s city council narrowly voted to maintain its ban on natural gas heating in new construction.
“We know there’s the potential if we use the arbitrary date of 2030, that this could lead to blackouts in the province just based on energy use and consumption if we were to phase out natural gas,” said Coun. Corrine Rahman.
Since the matter of natural gas heating in new construction wasn’t explicitly on the committee’s agenda, the discussion did not result in a decision by members of SPPC.
“A ban of natural gas or fossil fuels in London buildings is not on the agenda for discussion in any sort of way,” emphasized Mayor Josh Morgan after the meeting. “What we would do is follow the lead of other levels of government in the management of energy across this country. So both the provincial and federal governments would have some jurisdiction and authority.”
But Van Meerbergen wants to remove the proposed action from the climate plan altogether.
“It’s certainly incumbent on this council to abolish it and make sure it is not part of the plan,” he told CTV News. “That’s not fair to our kids. It’s not fair to any of us who have to buy homes in 2030 or later.”
Later this year city staff will provide council with a CEAP progress report based on data from 2024.
