Carbon Emission Reporting in the City of Vancouver: What Strata Corporations Need to Know

As part of a broader effort to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the City of Vancouver has implemented mandatory carbon emission reporting requirements for large buildings. For many strata corporations, this represents yet another example of the increasing regulatory complexity facing multi‑unit residential buildings.

This article focuses specifically on carbon emission reporting in the City of Vancouver (CoV): what the program is, why it matters, how it has rolled out, and what strata councils should expect going forward.

What Is the Carbon Emission Reporting Program?

The City of Vancouver requires owners of large buildings to annually report energy use and greenhouse gas emissions through the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager platform. The program applies to multi‑unit residential buildings with a gross floor area greater than 100,000 square feet, as well as many commercial and mixed‑use properties.

The reporting obligation is not, in itself, a carbon tax or penalty. Rather, it is a data‑collection and benchmarking initiative. The City’s position is straightforward: before emissions can be reduced, they must first be measured. Capturing consistent, standardized data allows the City to understand where emissions are coming from, track trends over time, and design future policies aimed at reducing carbon output.

 

Why Is This Important?

The goals of the program are, in our view, entirely laudable. Buildings account for a significant portion of urban greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing emissions from heating, cooling, and energy use is a critical component of any serious climate strategy.

By requiring building owners to report energy and emissions data, the City is seeking to:

• Establish a reliable baseline of emissions across Vancouver’s building stock
• Identify high‑emitting buildings and systems
• Inform future incentive programs, regulations, and retrofit strategies
• Ultimately cap and reduce carbon emissions to mitigate climate change and its associated environmental and social impacts

From a policy perspective, data collection is the necessary first step toward meaningful emissions reduction.

Rollout Challenges and Unanticipated Complexities

While the objectives of the program are clear, the initial rollout revealed several technical and practical challenges that were not fully anticipated.

One of the most significant issues has been data availability, particularly in mixed‑use and commercial properties. In many cases:

• Energy accounts (for example, FortisBC natural gas accounts) are held directly by commercial tenants
• Former tenants are under no contractual obligation to provide historical utility bills to the strata corporation or to a related airspace parcel
• Records may be incomplete, unavailable, or difficult to obtain after a tenant has vacated

These challenges made full compliance difficult, and in some cases impossible, during the initial reporting period. In recognition of this, the City issued waivers and leniency during the first year of the program.

That leniency, however, has now largely expired. The City has made it clear that mandatory reporting is expected going forward, notwithstanding the practical difficulties involved in gathering historical tenant data.

Deadlines and Current Requirements

For affected multi‑unit residential buildings in the City of Vancouver:

• Annual reporting is mandatory
• Reports must be submitted through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
• The submission deadline is June 1, 2026 (and annually thereafter)

Failure to report can expose strata corporations to compliance issues and potential enforcement measures as the program matures.  Moreover, homeowners will want to know that their strata councils are diligently complying with this important program.

Detailed guidance from the City can be found here:
https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/report-energy-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data.aspx

How Is Reporting Typically Handled?

In practice, this type of reporting is best handled by specialized third‑party consultants who are familiar with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (a very complex and difficult to use tool), utility benchmarking, and the City’s submission requirements.

Several firms are now offering flat‑rate pricing, in some cases as low as $500, to prepare and submit reports on behalf of strata corporations.

Stratawest’s role is typically supportive rather than technical. On behalf of our clients, we assist by:

• Preparing historical invoices and records
• Gathering building drawings and insurance documentation
• Coordinating with consultants and responding to follow‑up data requests
• Acting as a central point of contact between council, consultants, and utility providers

This work necessarily involves manual review and coordination, and it falls outside the scope of routine management services for most strata corporations.

 

Final Thoughts

Carbon emission reporting is another example of how the role of strata councils and strata managers continues to expand beyond traditional property maintenance and governance, as we have been writing about in our series of articles on the increasing complexity of strata management – here are links to Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of our initial articles. While the administrative burden is real, the underlying policy objective is sound.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions requires reliable data. For better or worse, strata corporations are now part of that data‑collection effort.

We encourage councils to plan ahead, budget appropriately for third‑party assistance, and engage early with consultants and their management team to ensure timely compliance.

As always, Stratawest Management Ltd. will continue to support our clients as these regulatory requirements evolve.

 

Addendum: CHOA Support

Many of our clients are proud members of and supporters of the Condominium Homeowners Association (CHOA).  They are going to be holding a seminar on Tuesday February 3rd, 2026 for members to discuss the finer points of this program in detail.  We encourage any interested Council members to register and attend.