posting
06-17-2008, 10:49 PM
The following motion on energy efficient will be considered by Kingston City Council at its meeting to be held on June 17, 2008.
-- Kingston Electors
LEED Certification of buildings in the City of Kingston
Moved by Councillor Foster
Seconded by Councillor Gerretsen
WHEREAS climate change, caused by human greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is accelerating at an alarming and unexpected pace; and,
WHEREAS it is forecast that climate change will make the Arctic free of ice in summer by 2013 and not within 100 years as previously predicted; and,
WHEREAS this will be the first time in a million years, and the first time within the 200,000 year experience of our species, Homo Sapiens, that the Arctic will be free of ice; and,
WHEREAS the City of Kingston endorsed the Kyoto Protocol in May, 2002; and,
WHEREAS the City of Kingston is a participant in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Partners in Climate Protection Program (PCP) and has set Kingston’s GHG reduction target (using 2000 as the baseline) at 25% by the Corporation and at 10% by the community by 2014; and,
WHEREAS buildings are responsible for over 40% of GHG emissions; and,
WHEREAS the current Ontario Building Code was not sufficiently updated in 2006 and 2008 with final steps effective 2011, and because these changes fall short of recognizing the need for immediate and urgent action that must be taken on climate change;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff work with the Kingston Home Builders’ Association (KHBA) and other stakeholders with the goal to have a guideline in place encourage the design of all new homes in the City of Kingston built to Energy Star®, or similar accreditation, by 2010;
- and further -
THAT staff work with the Kingston Construction Association (KCA) and other stakeholders with the goal of developing a municipal guideline to be in place by 2010, that encourages all new Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) buildings to have a review for a minimum of LEED® Silver certification, or similar certification, to be included with the building design in order to allow the owner to see the benefits of such a design;
- and further -
THAT a comprehensive energy efficiency checklist be supplied as a guideline for all renovations and additions to buildings (including heritage applications) that require a building permit, for implementation by 2010;
- and further -
THAT guidelines be developed for site plan control applications to promote energy efficiencies for such items as such as exterior lighting and landscaping;
- and further -
THAT staff investigate how a development or building can be ‘bonused’ to encourage the incorporation of energy efficiency into the plans and develop an implementation strategy;
- and further -
THAT staff prepare a comprehensive report to brought back to Council as soon as possible that will provide analysis and comment on the legal implications and economic impacts of the proposed measures outlined above, and includes:
• Research on what other municipalities in Ontario are doing to drive energy efficiency in the residential and ICI building sectors, and their success;
• Consideration on how zoning bylaws, subdivision agreements, site plan control and building permits could be used to increase minimum energy efficiency levels for new structures and major renovations;
• Consideration of accreditation standards that would be acceptable to the City of Kingston in addition to LEED® and Energy Star®;
• Recommendations for measures that will increase the minimum energy efficiency of new structures and renovations in the residential and ICI sectors of the community.
-- Kingston Electors
LEED Certification of buildings in the City of Kingston
Moved by Councillor Foster
Seconded by Councillor Gerretsen
WHEREAS climate change, caused by human greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is accelerating at an alarming and unexpected pace; and,
WHEREAS it is forecast that climate change will make the Arctic free of ice in summer by 2013 and not within 100 years as previously predicted; and,
WHEREAS this will be the first time in a million years, and the first time within the 200,000 year experience of our species, Homo Sapiens, that the Arctic will be free of ice; and,
WHEREAS the City of Kingston endorsed the Kyoto Protocol in May, 2002; and,
WHEREAS the City of Kingston is a participant in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Partners in Climate Protection Program (PCP) and has set Kingston’s GHG reduction target (using 2000 as the baseline) at 25% by the Corporation and at 10% by the community by 2014; and,
WHEREAS buildings are responsible for over 40% of GHG emissions; and,
WHEREAS the current Ontario Building Code was not sufficiently updated in 2006 and 2008 with final steps effective 2011, and because these changes fall short of recognizing the need for immediate and urgent action that must be taken on climate change;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff work with the Kingston Home Builders’ Association (KHBA) and other stakeholders with the goal to have a guideline in place encourage the design of all new homes in the City of Kingston built to Energy Star®, or similar accreditation, by 2010;
- and further -
THAT staff work with the Kingston Construction Association (KCA) and other stakeholders with the goal of developing a municipal guideline to be in place by 2010, that encourages all new Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) buildings to have a review for a minimum of LEED® Silver certification, or similar certification, to be included with the building design in order to allow the owner to see the benefits of such a design;
- and further -
THAT a comprehensive energy efficiency checklist be supplied as a guideline for all renovations and additions to buildings (including heritage applications) that require a building permit, for implementation by 2010;
- and further -
THAT guidelines be developed for site plan control applications to promote energy efficiencies for such items as such as exterior lighting and landscaping;
- and further -
THAT staff investigate how a development or building can be ‘bonused’ to encourage the incorporation of energy efficiency into the plans and develop an implementation strategy;
- and further -
THAT staff prepare a comprehensive report to brought back to Council as soon as possible that will provide analysis and comment on the legal implications and economic impacts of the proposed measures outlined above, and includes:
• Research on what other municipalities in Ontario are doing to drive energy efficiency in the residential and ICI building sectors, and their success;
• Consideration on how zoning bylaws, subdivision agreements, site plan control and building permits could be used to increase minimum energy efficiency levels for new structures and major renovations;
• Consideration of accreditation standards that would be acceptable to the City of Kingston in addition to LEED® and Energy Star®;
• Recommendations for measures that will increase the minimum energy efficiency of new structures and renovations in the residential and ICI sectors of the community.