In December 2017, City Council adopted an amendment to the Richmond Zoning Bylaw requiring that all new residential parking spaces feature an energized outlet capable of providing “Level 2” EV charging.

Townhomes & Apartments: Energy Step 5 + Zero-Carbon Moderate (EL-2), OR: Energy Step 4 + Zero-Carbon Strong (EL-3), OR: Energy Step 3 (BCBC) + Zero-Carbon Zero (EL-4)

Single Family and Duplexes: Energy Step 5 + Zero-Carbon Moderate (EL-2), OR: Energy Step 4 + Zero-Carbon Strong (EL-3), OR: Energy Step 3 (BCBC) + Zero-Carbon Zero (EL-4)

Office & Retail Buildings: Energy Step 3

Residential Wood-frame Low/Mid-Rise: Energy Step 4

Residential Concrete Towers: Energy Step 3, OR: Energy Step 2 (BCBC) + low-carbon energy system

Hotels & Motels: Energy Step 3, OR: Energy Step 2 + low-carbon energy system

To support access to EV charging in residential parking spaces, Richmond City Council adopted Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 Amendment Bylaw No. 9756, on December 18, 2017. Council subsequently added requirements for non-residential parking spaces, adopting Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 Amendment Bylaw No. 10463, on September 5, 2023.

Establish light-duty EV charging requirements for parking stalls in new commercial and industrial development

Extend current residential EV charging requirements to include visitor and carshare parking stalls

Establish light-duty EV charging requirements for parking stalls in new commercial and industrial development

Advance Implementation of low carbon energy systems in new construction

Implement building energy and emissions performance reporting and disclosure

Allocate annual capital funding for active transportation infrastructure sufficient to achieve OCP 2041 mode share goal by 2030

Review current inventory of public bicycle parking in Richmond, and bring forward recommendations on new bike parking infrastructure where needed

Expand existing walking and rolling connectivity within and between neighbourhoods

Identify opportunities for creating walking and rolling connections between nonconnecting streets

Ensure supportive land use along frequent transit routes so that active transportation is a convenient choice for shorter trips

IMPLEMENT BUILDING ENERGY AND EMISSIONS PERFORMANCE REPORTING AND DISCLOSURE

Build out a network of public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at civic facilities in Richmond to accelerate rate of local EV adoption

Create mobility hubs with EV charging stations near transit stations, within neighbourhood service centres and at community centres

Support curbside EV charging stations in areas where residents are less likely to be able to charge at home, and encourage car share providers to electrify and expand their fleets

Extend current residential EV charging requirements to include visitor and carshare parking stalls

Expand battery electric bus service and implement e-bus charging facilities within Richmond

Establish light-duty EV charging requirements for parking stalls in new commercial and industrial development

Establish light-duty EV charging requirements for parking stalls in new commercial and industrial development

Partner with other interested municipalities, Metro Vancouver and the Province to implement a low-interest financing program for building energy retrofits

SET PARKING STANDARDS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL OPTIONS

Establish further reductions for parking space requirements in new development

Support implementation of Provincial Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) sales requirements, and advocate for further improvements

ADVANCE IMPLEMENTATION OF LOW CARBON ENERGY SYSTEMS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION

Accelerate use of low-embedded carbon content materials in new construction

Engage with affordable housing providers to identify challenges and
incentives that could be provided with respect to low carbon energy
provision

Support timely development and adoption of energy efficiency requirements for retrofitting buildings

Collaborate with other local governments to advocate for passage of provincial ‘right-to-charge’ legislation

Create a “how to” guide for retrofitting existing visitor and car-share parking stalls with Level 2 EV charging capability

Increase public awareness of, and support for, car-sharing and electric mobility

Ensure good practices in mechanical equipment design, installation and commissioning

Raise awareness of the benefits of building electrification

Offer subsidized training on the Energy Step Code for homebuilders, designers and trades, to build competency with advanced envelope and mechanical systems

Advocate for improvements (as needed) to existing Provincial Step Code regulations

Deliver a program for strata and rental apartment buildings incenting low-carbon systems and energy improvements focused on occupant health, comfort and affordability

Develop a heat pump incentive program targeting residential buildings which currently lack mechanical cooling systems

Improve building electrification awareness, coordination, and advocacy among key stakeholders

Support local certification of promising new building technologies not yet certified in Canada

Expand active transportation programs and services (e.g. e-bike and e-scooter services) in Richmond

Engage residents and business owners to encourage e-mobility and active travel modes

Work with TransLink on to implement the 2050 Low Carbon Fleet Strategy to advance battery electric bus service in Richmond

Ensure supportive land use along high frequency transit routes so that transit is a convenient choice for most trips

Define sustainable travel services and infrastructure that would be available to transit riders at Mobility Hubs in Richmond, and synchronize funding of Hub infrastructure with transit service improvements

Create a comprehensive, multi-year plan to accelerate the retrofit of existing buildings

Integrate building, energy and spatial data to identify priority building types and optimal strategies to incent or require lowcarbon energy improvements

Support timely development and adoption of energy efficiency requirements for retrofitting buildings

Implement greenhouse gas (GHG) performance requirements for existing buildings

Create a framework that guides the use of renewable natural gas (RNG) for heating in existing buildings

Deliver a program for strata and rental apartment buildings incenting low-carbon systems and energy improvements focused on occupant health, comfort and affordability

Achieve efficiencies of scale in marketing and administering building retrofit programs

Explore policy, program and regulatory options to encourage installation of local carbon mechanical systems during building retrofits

Develop a heat pump incentive program targeting residential buildings which currently lack mechanical cooling systems

Partner with other interested municipalities, Metro Vancouver and the Province to implement a low-interest financing program for building energy retrofits

Advocate for energy utility rates that encourage low-GHG building energy retrofits

Develop a decarbonisation strategy for affordable housing in partnership with stakeholders

Work with equipment suppliers and contractors and utility stakeholders to increase local availability of mechanical systems with a high coefficient of performance

Improve building electrification awareness, coordination, and advocacy among key stakeholders

Advance energy and emissions performance reporting and disclosure requirement for existing buildings

Identify where larger existing buildings could be connected to City’s district energy system

Build out a network of public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at civic facilities in Richmond to accelerate rate of local EV adoption

Create mobility hubs with EV charging stations near transit stations, within neighbourhood service centres and at community centres

Support curbside EV charging stations in areas where residents are less likely to be able to charge at home, and encourage car share providers to electrify and expand their fleets

Extend current residential EV charging requirements to include visitor and car-share parking stalls

Establish light-duty EV charging requirements for parking stalls in new commercial and industrial development

Support an EV Charging Retrofit Advisor program for existing multi-unit residential buildings

Collaborate with other local governments to advocate for passage of provincial ‘right-to-charge’ legislation

Support homeowners wanting to implement Level 2 EV charing at home

Advocate for low GHG emission requirements for ride-hailing services

Advocate for low GHG emission requirements for ride-hailing services

Increase public awareness of, and support for, car-sharing and electric mobility

Support implementation of Provincial zero emission vehicle sales requirements and advocate for further improvements

Work with partners to accelerate transition of heavy duty vehicles to zero emission fuels and/or battery electric power

Support continued implementation and further improvement to Federal vehicle fuel efficiency regulations

Support the construction of flagship high-performance, low-carbon buildings in Richmond

Support training on designing, constructing and commissioning of high performance buildings

Accelerate use of low-embedded carbon content materials in new construction

Support ongoing improvements to Energy Step Code regulation and performance standards

Advocate for adoption of emission intensity (GHGI) targets that local governments can reference in tandem with the Energy Step Code

Ensure good practices in mechanical equipment design, installation and commissioning

Raise awareness of the benefits of building electrification

Maximize low carbon energy in new construction

Assess the feasibility of using Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) for residual or peak heating needs in new buildings

Encourage local availability of low-carbon domestic hot water and space heating systems with a high coefficient of performance

Build capacity and momentum for a mandatory energy and emissions reporting requirement for new buildings

Continue expansion of City’s low carbon district energy systems and explore new opportunities outside existing district energy service areas

Encourage cost-effective on-site renewable energy generation in new construction

Support local certification of promising new building technologies not yet certified in Canada

Encourage Provincial and Federal governments to enact more stringent regulation related to high global warming potential (GWP) coolants and technologies

Assess the impacts on energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as new local area plans are introduced, and when there are amendments or updates to the Official Community Plan (OCP)

Work to achieve a net reduction of community GHG emissions as new development occurs and transportation infrastructure is replaced or extended

Encourage the development of compact and complete communities with a wide range of housing options throughout Richmond, as per OCP direction

Determine the land use and transportation policy implications of an increased number of residents working from home

Prioritize walking, rolling and cycling as a preferred way to travel in Richmond

Allocate annual capital funding for active transportation infrastructure sufficient to achieve Official Community Plan (OCP 2041) mode share targets by 2030

Expand existing walking and rolling connectivity within and between neighbourhoods

Identify opportunities for creating walking and rolling connections between non-connecting streets

Expand active transportation programs and services (e.g. shared e-bike and e-scooter services) in Richmond

Ensure there are supportive land uses along transit routes so that active transportation is a convenient choice for shorter trips

Maintain and expand investments in walking, rolling and cycling infrastructure within City Centre and within 400 metres of Neighbourhood Service Centres

Maintain and expand investments in walking, rolling and cycling infrastructure within a 400 metre pedestrian catchment zone along Frequent Transit Network (FTN) routes

Establish further reductions for parking space requirements in new development, where appropriate

Explore options to enable the conversion of parking spaces within existing buildings to support active transportation

Ensure supportive land use along high frequency transit routes so that transit is a convenient choice for most longer trips over four kilometres

Increase the range of housing types, supply and tenure close to frequent transit

Facilitate expansion of high-frequency local and regional transit service with TransLink

Work with TransLink to introduce rapid bus service on frequent transit routes and other transit service improvements identified in the Southwest Area Transport Plan

Reduce barriers to transit by investing in supportive, accessible, people-friendly infrastructure

Expand battery electric bus service and implement e-bus charging facilities within Richmond

Engage residents on transit service and mobility hub improvements and benefits

Achieve a robust, long-term urban forest on public and private land

Implement citywide strategy and actions to preserve Richmond’s natural carbon stores

Consider opportunities to use agricultural waste as biomass fuel, partnering with the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Consider opportunities to use agricultural waste as biomass fuel, partnering with the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Consider opportunities to use agricultural waste as biomass fuel, partnering with the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Assess potential to preserve Richmond soils for use as future agriculture, in partnership with developers and landowners

Develop a strategy to achieve up to 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent carbon sequestration annually by 2050

Integrate Circular Economy principles into the City’s corporate plans, processes and standards to lead by example

Inspire residents to participate in the Circular Economy and accelerate demand for products derived from circular processes

Accelerate adoption of Circular Economy approaches by the private sector in the design, manufacture and retooling of products and services

Accelerate the use of construction materials with low embodied carbon content

2016 CEA Climate and Energy Action Award Nominee

2018 CEA Climate and Energy Action Award Winner

2019 CEA Climate and Energy Action Award Nominee

2019 CEA Climate and Energy Action Award Winner

2021 CEA Climate and Energy Action Award Winner

2024 District energy systems centralize energy production for space heating, cooling, and domestic hot water heating, servicing all types of customers in a given service area. In itself, this is a more efficient way to deliver energy, but it also creates the opportunity to bring low-carbon energy to whole communities at a time. The City of Richmond’s City Centre District Energy Utility (CCDEU) is a phased approach to developing what could be North America’s largest district energy system. By 2050, the utility is expected to service 170 new residential and mixed-use commercial development sites and 50 million sq. ft. of floor space, reducing cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by over one million tonnes.