OneCity on climate: heat pump permits, home cooling and gas rules for new buildings
OneCity's Built to Last plan would make heat pump permits flat and low-cost, install cooling in the homes of the highest-risk residents, put solar panels on public buildings, restore building rules it says ABC rolled back, and expand clean energy programs.
CITY COUNCIL
The aim of A Resilient City Where Climate Action is Built to Last, in the party's words
The five-part plan will bring life-saving cooling to at-risk homes, cut City Hall's own fees that punish homeowners’ clean energy choices, and restore climate standards ABC rolled back.
OneCity's climate plan is called Built to Last and was published on August 7, 2026. The party presents it as a response to the 2021 heat dome. It focuses on homes and public buildings: keeping people cool in extreme heat, making clean heating cheaper, and restoring rules for new buildings.
The plan sets out five parts and a timeline. The party says Council would list every climate rollback within three months of taking office, restore retrofit funding in the 2027 budget, and change bylaws and permits in 2027 and 2028. Vancouver has its own building bylaw, so Council can set these rules itself. The cooling and clean energy programs count on money from BC Hydro and the provincial and federal governments.
1 CHAPTERS
Every chapter in A Resilient City Where Climate Action is Built to Last
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Who holds the power for these 6 commitments
Each chapter page names the body for every commitment and gives the reason in one sentence.
ON THE BALLOT
The OneCity candidates behind this
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about A Resilient City Where Climate Action is Built to Last
What is OneCity's climate plan for Vancouver?
OneCity's Built to Last plan, published August 7, 2026, would create a flat, low-cost heat pump permit, install cooling in high-risk homes, put solar panels on schools, libraries and community centres, restore building climate rules and expand clean energy programs (OneCity Built to Last).
What would OneCity do to prepare for another heat dome?
OneCity's Direct Install Cooling Program would put cooling, air filtration and heat pumps into the homes of Vancouver's highest-risk residents, which the party puts at "roughly 500", at an estimated gross cost of $4 to $7.5 million (OneCity Built to Last, August 7, 2026).
Does OneCity want solar panels on Vancouver schools?
Yes. OneCity would put solar panels on schools, libraries and community centres, with community subscriptions so renters and co-op residents can share the power. Schools belong to the School Board and community centres to the Park Board, so both would need to agree (OneCity Built to Last).
Would OneCity bring back the ban on gas in new buildings?
Yes. OneCity says it would reverse the repeal of the ban on gas-powered hot water systems and restore the zero-emissions heating rule for new low-rise buildings that the party says was in place from January 2022 (OneCity Built to Last, August 7, 2026).
Can Vancouver City Council change building climate rules on its own?
Yes, for new buildings. Vancouver has its own building bylaw, so Council can set energy and emissions rules that other BC cities cannot. OneCity's cooling and clean energy programs would also need money from BC Hydro and other governments (OneCity Built to Last).
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- OneCity Vancouver Announces Built to Last, a Climate Crisis Building, Adaptation, and Retrofit Plan SAYS SO ITSELFOneCity · published · checked