Fall is already upon us and it’s shaping up to be an exciting time, what with municipal and federal elections taking place as we continue to cope with the pandemic. There’s also a good chance that with all the hot weather this summer, climate change and reducing GHGs will be more topical than ever, and will gain momentum.
Speaking of news, we’ve mentioned several times that mandatory building energy use disclosure regulations were going to be introduced by MERN (Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources) in the near future. Now the City of Montreal has surprised us by launching its own Regulations regarding Disclosure of GHG Data for Large Buildings.
Actually, it’s not such a big surprise. Montreal had previously announced that initiative in its Climate Plan. But now it’s a reality, and there’s only one step remaining before this by-law is put into effect: a vote in favour at the next City Council meeting. Click here for the City of Montreal press release and here for the Technical Specifications of the Regulations.
All large buildings in the City of Montreal will be subject to the regulations starting in 2022. Rest assured, BEC participants, you are already well on your way. By voluntarily sharing your data with BEC on Energy Star Portfolio Manager, you are ahead of this new initiative. Our vision and your leadership have already brought us to this crucial step, where large buildings need to take immediate action to reduce GHG emissions.
We would like to take advantage of this surprising news to remind you that we are in the 4th year of the BEC, and that it is a very special year. In addition to the Improved Energy Performance 2020-21 awards, the BEC will also be presenting an award for GHG Reduction. Our aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% from 2018 to 2021. All those who manage to do so will receive the award.
To be eligible, however, your complete energy consumption data for 2018 and 2021 must meet the requisite criteria. We would love to continue to count on your ongoing commitment to this long-term project, and encourage you not to wait until the end of the year to update your data.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to enter all other buildings in your portfolio in the BEC. They will also be eligible for the Improved Energy Performance awards for Year 4 (data required: 2020 and 2021) and the GHG Reduction award (data required: 2018 and 2021).
As mentioned in the June newsletter, we might be contacting some of you to encourage you to submit your missing data.
We’ve warmed up nicely over the past 3 years of the BEC, and with the launch of BEC 2.0 the next few years will further solidify the turnaround we’ve undertaken. Your commitment has already taken you beyond the requirements of government regulations.
For more info about fees, awards and how to participate, visit the Participate in the BEC page at https://defienergie.ca/participer/. You can also view the list of winners for 2019 and 2020 on the page des Gagnants.
September is a time for renewed momentum. Good luck to everyone!
Mario Poirier
Program Director
