Zero Carbon Step Code vs Alberta's Energy War Room
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On September 25th Nanaimo City Council voted 5-3 in its third reading to adopt the Zero Carbon Step Code starting in July 2024. This will start six years ahead of the provincial government’s timeline. The Zero Carbon Step Code will make it so new home builds in the city will no longer be able to have natural gas heating. This is in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia.
Prior to this vote, the Alberta government-funded Canadian Energy Center, or CEC, targeted the City of Nanaimo with an advocacy campaign to sway mayor and council to vote in opposition to the adoption of the code. The CEC is also known as Alberta’s energy war room and was created by former Alberta premier Jason Kenny. Before the campaign was removed from their Support Canadian Energy website, they claimed to have sent more than 2,400 emails to Nanaimo’s Mayor and Council. It is not clear what amount of this came from residents of Nanaimo.
So why is the CEC, a government-funded lobby group from Alberta targeting the City of Nanaimo when it is just one of the many other BC municipalities moving to adopt the Zero Carbon Step Code?
Today I’ll be joined by journalist Rochelle Baker, to discuss her September 22nd story in the National Observer that reported on this campaign by the CEC.
Then I’ll speak with City of Nanaimo Counselor Paul Manly and Counsellor Sheryl Armstrong about their opinions on the Zero Carbon Step Code and their views of CEC’s advocacy campaign.
Transcript:
Transcription Incoming.
Report Transcription errors by emailing production@chly.ca.
Guests:
Rochelle Baker — Reporter with Canada’s National Observer
Paul Manly — Nanaimo City Councillor.
Sheryl Armstrong — Nanaimo City Councillor.
Program Team:
Lauryn Mackenzie — Host and Producer.
Jesse Woodward — Executive Producer.
Arbie Fru — Technical Assistance.
Theme Music:
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