Commercial – office, retail (Groups D or E, Part 3): Built to BC Building Code until October 31, 2024

Zero-Carbon Zero (EL-4) beginning November 1, 2024

Residential – wood frame, 6 storeys or less (Group C): Energy Step 3 + Zero Carbon Zero (EL-4) beginning July 1, 2024

Commercial – office, retail (Groups D or E, Part 3): Zero Carbon Zero (EL-4) beginning November 01, 2024

Assembly or Care – restaurant, hospital (Groups A or B, Part 3): Built to BC Building Code

Council has taken the initiative to require EV charging with the following wording currently included in covenants as part of rezoning applications for residential infill development:

that the new dwellings will include a socket for electric vehicle charging that is constructed with a dedicated 240-Volt line, capable of 50 Amps, has a NEMA (6-50) socket, and located to serve a vehicle parking inside or outside of the garage;

For a table of required energized spaces based on land use, see: https://www.centralsaanich.ca/sites/default/files/2023-05/land_use_bylaw.pdf

Continue to focus development in the Urban Settlement Areas through residential infill and densification. Furthermore, support opportunities to
incorporate local business areas and other amenities close to residential infill with the goal of increasing the number of homes within 400 metres of: work
places, transit stops, bike paths, grocery stores, elementary schools, and parks. Compact and complete communities encourage trips on foot, by bicycle or
transit rather than car.
Identify additional opportunities to support reduced vehicle travel, including supporting home-based businesses with appropriate bylaws, and supporting
neighbourhood commercial within neighbourhoods located within urban settlement areas. Incorporate low carbon considerations in new infrastructure
designs (e.g. safe routes for all modes, roundabouts that reduce idling).

Create an active transportation plan that outlines a policy and key actions for supporting a significant mode shift toward walking, cycling, ride share and transit within the community.

Develop a community electric vehicle strategy that includes a plan for increasing charging facilities at key locations throughout the community, considering requirements for charging stations in new residential and commercial developments, and providing parking spots for EVs only. EV sales continue to increase quarterly in BC, however, the share of new passenger car sales that are electric is still less than 10% in BC. Building supportive infrastructure is critical to assisting with a more rapid transition toward electric vehicles in our community.

Actively connect community members with existing provincial, utility or other programs such as the Clean Energy Vehicle Program by raising awareness through marketing, social media, and community events.

Collaborate with the Capital Regional District, neighbouring municipalities, researchers and local industry to identify and support opportunities to generate, distribute and/or purchase biofuels or renewable natural gas in the region.

Develop and implement a BC Energy Step Code adoption strategy that goes beyond the base BC Building Code, beginning with the lower steps (1-3).
Monitor implementation and increase requirements over time as industry builds capacity and costs come down – aiming to implement the upper steps (4-
5) by 2025.
Support development of buildings that go beyond the required steps by adjusting development cost charge reductions, or providing other incentives such
as building permit rebates.

Establish a Deep Green Retrofits program with a target of having 3% of existing buildings (residential and commercial) undertake energy efficiency retrofits
and install zero emission home heating and hot water systems annually. Typical renovation rates are closer to 1% per year. Partnerships with utilities, senior
governments and other agencies will be important to provide incentives that are sufficient to substantially increase the rate of retrofits occurring.
In addition to external funding, the District can also evaluate local funding opportunities such as building permit rebates, and implementing a broad green
development fee that gets re-distributed to these initiatives. As a first step, the District can reimburse the cost of a building energy audit and follow-up
coaching to support the selection of the most cost-effective upgrades.
Consider incorporating water-saving retrofits into the same program, supporting climate change adaptation for anticipated hotter, drier summers.

Actively connect community members with existing provincial, utility or other programs by raising awareness through marketing, social media, and
community events. Investigate the potential to provide “top-up” incentives for specific outcomes – for example, an incentive that facilitate a 100% shift away
from heating oil in the community.

Collaborate with the Capital Regional District, neighbouring municipalities, researchers and local industry to identify and support opportunities to generate, distribute and/or purchase renewable natural gas in the region. Potential sources could include anaerobic digestion of municipal and/or agricultural organic waste, and gasification of forestry by-products.

Explore the development of a low carbon district energy system for the Keating Industrial area.

Work with the Capital Regional District, residents and local businesses to achieve 100% organic waste diversion from residential and commercial sources. Consider opportunities to phase-out or ban single use items (e.g. straws and take-out containers).

Support regional efforts to maximize the capture of landfill gas from the Hartland landfill, and to pursue opportunities to transform the captured gas into an energy resource (for example, renewable natural gas).

Support regional efforts to maximize the capture of landfill gas from the Hartland landfill, and to pursue opportunities to transform the captured gas into an energy resource (for example, renewable natural gas).

Currently multiple private companies provide collection services in the community – resulting in multiple trucks covering the same route. Review
opportunities to consolidate services by area to reduce truck trips.

Since 2015, the District has been carbon neutral in its operations through the purchase of carbon offsets. Continue to support carbon reduction projects through the purchase of carbon offsets, with a focus on local or near-local projects where possible.

Beginning in 2018, transition the light-duty fleet to electric vehicles at time of renewal, or in advance of renewal where fuel and maintenance cost savings
support the investment. Identify suitable applications where the use of vehicles can be replaced with zero emission alternatives (e.g. electric bicycles).
In 2019, develop a strategy to convert heavier-duty fleet vehicles to lower emission vehicles best suited to meet the performance requirements. In the
near-term this is most likely a conversion to natural gas vehicles

Identify opportunities to support increased use of biofuels in the fleet (e.g. through use of higher blends of biodiesel such as B20, or the purchase of renewable natural gas in natural gas vehicles).

Identify opportunities to showcase various renewable energy projects that are visible to the community as a means to raise awareness, support local capacity building opportunities and encourage community members to uptake renewable energy. For example, installing a solar array on a municipal building demonstrates a visible commitment to renewable energy. Other examples include branding on fleet vehicles that are low or zero emission, or are powered with biofuels.

Ensure new facilities meet high standards of energy efficiency, demonstrating leadership in the community and supporting industry transition toward more efficient building practices. Where appropriate, integrate use of alternative energy technologies such as geo-exchange and solar technologies

Identify opportunities to protect and increase tree canopy and other natural assets that contribute to carbon sequestration, and consider carbon sequestration in all land acquisition and management activities.

To prepare ourselves for potential changes to our climate, we need to understand how sensitive our community systems (people, economy, food), infrastructure and natural assets are to the range of potential projected changes in our climate (from hotter, drier summers, to wetter winters, to more intense rainfall events, etc.) This risk and vulnerability assessment can build off the CRD climate projections work completed recently to help us identify how to prepare for the changes with minimal disruption and costs, while seeking to maximize the benefits.

Identify opportunities to build from emerging technical resources to support integration of climate considerations into planning and operations to address risks and vulnerabilities identified during the initial assessment. Examples may include partnerships with Engineers and Geoscientists of BC to apply new future ‘climate-proof’ IDF curves to infrastructure design standards, making improvements to hard infrastructure, informing development considerations for expanding flood plains and areas affected by sea level rise, promoting local food systems that increase resilience, and enhancing emergency response programs. Incorporate climate considerations into future updates of the Official Community Plan.

Collaborate with the Capital Regional District and neighbouring communities to incorporate climate-related communications, emergency preparedness and disaster planning, and promotion of local food systems into public outreach materials and activities.

Participate in regional efforts to identify the value of natural assets in climate change adaptation (e.g. reducing flood inundation, protecting shorelines from erosion, providing shade during extreme heat events) and incorporate findings into park and land management decisions.

2023 CEA Climate and Energy Action Award Nominee – This program allows homeowners in the District of Central Saanich to receive an interest-free loan to replace a fossil fuel heating system with an electric heat pump and then pay back the loan over 10 years on their property taxes. This property-assessed clean energy (PACE) program is a pilot for British Columbia and has attracted nearly 50 participants.

2018 CEA Climate and Energy Action Award Nominee

2019 CEA Climate and Energy Action Award Nominee

2023 CEA Climate and Energy Action Award Winner – This nomination showcases the work undertaken by the City of Victoria, District of Saanich, District of Central Saanich, and Capital Regional District to engage with building professionals and develop the policy and bylaw amendments necessary to adopt the Zero Carbon Step Code (ZCSC) before it was even rolled out by the Government of BC. As a result, the municipalities will be the first in BC to have the ZCSC take effect, and the RD will be the first regional government to adopt the ZCSC. Their collaboration will also provide industry with predictability over the long term.