Canadian Province Changes Building Codes To Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

摘要

Changes to residential building and plumbing codes in Canada's Manitoba province will improve energy and water efficiency and help the province meet its climate change goals, provincial Labor Minister Jennifer Howard said Oct. 15.rnThe changes, which will be incorporated into new construction and homes undergoing extensive renovations, follow extensive consultations by the Office of the Fire Commissioner with home builders, contractors, and technical experts and will make Manitoba one of the most energy-efficient jurisdictions in North America, Howard said in a prepared statement.rn"These changes are designed to further reduce our footprint on the environment," she said. "They will mean that, in an average two-story, gas-heated home, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by more than half, or about 1.25 tonnes [metric tons] per year." The code changes will help the province meet its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, she said.