Summary
Details
- Victoria
The Victoria Bylaw No. 25-022 applies to owners of large buildings located within the City of Victoria. Reporting is phased in:
- From 2026: buildings larger than 2,878 m² (30,000 ft²) report their 2025 energy data.
- From 2027: buildings larger than 929 m² (10,000 ft²) report their 2026 energy data.
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Background
Buildings account for a significant share of Victoria's community-wide greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to energy used for heating, cooling, lighting, and other building operations. To better understand and reduce these emissions, Victoria adopted Bylaw No. 25-022 in June 2025. The bylaw establishes mandatory annual energy and carbon emissions reporting for large buildings. Rather than imposing emissions limits, it requires building owners to benchmark their buildings using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and submit annual performance data through the Capital Regional District (CRD) Building Benchmarking Program. The City intends to use the collected information to design policies, programs, and services that improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the community. The District of Saanich has adopted a similar bylaw, enabling a coordinated regional reporting programme.
Reporting and Compliance Requirements
Affected building owners must:
Benchmark their building using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
Submit annual energy use and carbon emissions data through the CRD Building Benchmarking Program.
Meet the annual reporting deadline (currently 1 June each year).
Maintain accurate reporting records and provide additional information if requested.
Comply with public disclosure requirements, as certain building performance information may be published by the City.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Failure to comply with the bylaw may result in enforcement action by the City of Victoria. The bylaw establishes offences for:
Failing to submit a required report.
Submitting false or misleading information.
These offences are subject to municipal ticketing and bylaw enforcement. Under the City's ticket schedule, failing to submit a required report or submitting false or misleading information carries a $250 municipal ticket, in addition to other enforcement options available under the bylaw.
Current Status and Outlook
Bylaw No. 25-022 is now in force, with the first mandatory reporting deadline falling on 1 June 2026 for larger buildings. The City has partnered with the Capital Regional District to administer reporting, provide training, and operate the online reporting portal. As benchmarking data becomes available, Victoria expects to use the results to inform future energy efficiency initiatives, climate policies, and building decarbonisation strategies. The programme also aligns Victoria with a growing number of North American jurisdictions requiring large-building energy and emissions disclosure.
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