Impacts of Housing on GHG Emissions

In 2019, Peterborough City Council passed a Climate Emergency Declaration to expedite achieving the community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goal of 45% reduction by 2030 from 2011 levels. To support meeting this emission goal, low-rise residential buildings are being targeted for climate action because they represent 39% of Peterborough's total community GHG emissions. Renovating existing homes is key to limiting emissions. This can be achieved by incorporating building improvements to lessen inefficient energy and fossil fuel use. A recent building survey found that Peterborough contains the following housing profile:

• Single-family homes represent 58% of the City’s existing housing stock
• Most of the housing stock (65%) was built before 1980
• Natural gas space heating accounts for more than 80% of housing-related emissions

Reducing energy consumption from older detached homes will help in lowering community GHG emissions by using less overall energy. Transitioning away from fossil fuels for space and water heating to electric or heat pumps will also rapidly decrease housing emissions.

Once launched, the Home Energy Efficiency Program will support participating homeowners through a financing mechanism to undertake energy renovations that will lead to a reduction in community GHG emissions.