National building code: 15% target
Petitioners ask the government to work with provinces and territories to develop a new National Building Code cutting buildings' energy demand to 15% of current levels. The government responds that 2020 code high-performance tiers estimate 60–70% reductions and supports adoption, funding and future updates.
Why we would sign this petition
- Sets a clear national standard to sharply lower residential energy use in line with climate goals.
- Locks in long-term savings because building efficiently is usually cheaper than retrofitting later.
- Creates harmonized rules and market certainty for builders, suppliers and developers across jurisdictions.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The 15% target is highly ambitious and may be technically or economically impractical in some regions, complicating implementation.
- Provinces, territories and municipalities control code adoption; a federal-driven target could face jurisdictional resistance and uneven uptake.
- Existing model-code tiers already aim for large reductions, so a new code might duplicate efforts; incentives or phased approaches could be preferable.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada draw to the attention of the House to the following: THAT, WHEREAS the advent of climate-change makes reducing energy consumption a necessity; WHEREAS 17% of all energy consumed in Canada is used to power home; WHEREAS most of this consumption is waste resulting from inefficient appliances, home design, and insulation; and WHEREAS it is cheaper to build an energy-efficient home than it is retrofit one that is not. THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the Government of Canada to work with the provinces and territories to develop a new national building codes that reduces overall energy demands to 15% of what current structures use.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Signed by The Honourable Tim Hodgson, P.C., M.P. Natural Resources Canada notes that the highest energy performance tiers of the current 2020 editions of the National Model Codes go above this percentage and are estimated to yield at least a 60-70% reduction in energy consumption over the baseline tiers of the codes. The National Model Codes are a suite of objective-based model codes related to health, safety, accessibility, the protection of buildings from fire or structural damage, and the protection of the environment. The National Model Codes serve as models for provincial and territorial building and fire regulations and include the National Building Code of Canada, the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings, the National Fire Code of Canada, the National Plumbing Code of Canada, and the National Farm Building Code of Canada. The National Model Codes are developed and maintained by the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes which is made up of representatives from the provincial, territorial, and federal governments. The adoption and enforcement of the National Model Codes are the responsibility of provincial, territorial, Indigenous governments, and some municipalities, known as authorities having jurisdiction. These authorities can adopt the National Model Codes in full or in part or amend to suit regional needs. Energy efficiency provisions that guide the design and construction of new buildings and additions are addressed in both the National Building Code of Canada and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings. Energy provisions for housing and small buildings (referred to as Part 9 buildings) are set out in Section 9.36 of the National Building Code, whereas those for large buildings (referred to as Part 3 buildings) are set out in the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings. Regular updates to the National Building Code of Canada and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings continue to increase the energy efficiency of Canada’s homes. Published in March 2022, the 2020 editions of the National Building Code of Canada and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings introduced a new energy performance framework, with progressively stringent performance tiers designed to reduce the energy required to operate a building. Notably, the performance improvement of the highest tiers of these codes, as stated above, is estimated to yield at least a 60-70% reduction in energy consumption relative to the baseline tiers. These provisions provide a flexible framework for provincial and territorial authorities to regulate energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions over time, at a pace and level that aligns with their respective policies, priorities, and capacities. Also, the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes offers a list of the adopted codes in each province and territory, which you can find on its website, along with other codes related information. In addition, to supporting ongoing updates to the energy provisions of the National Model Codes, Natural Resources Canada supports authorities having jurisdiction with their adoption through a targeted funding initiative. Launched in 2023, Natural Resources Canada’s Codes Acceleration Fund has three program objectives: accelerate the adoption and implementation of the highest feasible energy performance tiers of the 2020 National Model Codes or other high-performance building codes, such as net-zero emissions codes; promote higher rates of compliance with adopted codes; and, build capacity and support market preparedness for ambitious codes adoption. The complete list of funded organizations can be found on the program's website. More projects resulting from a second call for proposals will be announced soon. Looking ahead, the next editions of the National Model Codes are set to be published in December 2025. The 2025 editions of the National Building Code of Canada and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings will include enhancements, such as prescriptive provisions to address energy efficient alterations to existing buildings and a performance framework for new construction leading to reduced GHG emissions from building operations. Like the energy performance tiers introduced in the 2020 editions, the new greenhouse gas emissions performance levels provide flexibility for authorities having jurisdiction to regulate and reduce operational greenhouse gas emissions at a pace and level that aligns with respective policies, priorities, and capacities. Further ambition is planned in the 2030 edition of the National Model Codes, including the development of new provisions to address the embodied carbon associated with building materials and construction processes. These combined efforts in updating the National Model Codes and supporting authorities having jurisdiction with their adoption are helping Canada move toward more efficient, lower-emission buildings across the country.