NATURAL GAS BAN
EVALUATION REPORT
Vancouver's buildings sector contributes nearly 60% of community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily from natural gas heating and hot water systems. This report recommends enforcing a full ban on natural gas connections for new constructions and phased retrofits, promoting all-electric systems like heat pumps. Under medium-growth projections, this would reduce building emissions by 40-50% by 2045, achieving a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 1.7-2.3. Estimated infrastructure upgrade costs range from $500 million to $1 billion (2025 CAD), with implementation timeline of 2026-2030. Key benefit includes $200-400 million in annual energy savings for residents, GHG reductions of 100,000-150,000 tonnes CO2e yearly, and alignment with 2030 halving of carbon pollution. Sensitivity analysis across low, medium, and high growth scenarios confirms such viability, with BCR above 1.4 in all cases. Urgent action via provincial partnerships is essential to mitigate risks and secure funding.
LIONS GATE BRDIGE
EVALUATION REPORT
The Lions Gate Bridge remains a critical transportation corridor connecting the City of Vancouver with the North Shore. Currently, the structure accommodates approximately 60,000 vehicles per day and is increasingly characterized by severe congestion, with peak-hour delays often exceeding thirty minutes. To address these constraints, this report advances the recommendation of constructing a new four-lane vehicular bridge parallel to the existing facility. Importantly, the proposed design also integrates dedicated lanes for active transportation modes as well as transit priority measures, thereby aligning with regional objectives of mobility diversification and sustainability.
Natural Gas Ban
Mandate Evaluation Report
This report is a strategic document providing a forward-looking comparative analysis of the implications of the natural gas ban introduced in November 2024.[1] Its primary purpose is to assess and plan the electrical infrastructure required to meet the City of Vancouver's goal of halving its carbon pollution by 2030. The analysis focuses on ensuring that this significant environmental mandate is not only effective in achieving its carbon reduction targets but also makes sound economic sense for the city and its residents.
