MONTREAL TO BAN NATURAL GAS IN NEW BUILDINGS.Stephanie Hulse, Greenpeace Canada,

Nelson,   A few months ago, I told you about the City of Montréal’s plans to ban natural gas in new buildings in the Fall of 2024. And I have an exciting update to share!   The Metropolitan Community of Montréal (CMM) has now officially banned the installation of all fossil fuel-powered heating systems and appliances in new small buildings. This landmark regulation will roll out between this October and next April.   What makes this even more remarkable, is that this ban will impact a total of 82 municipalities, which make up half of Québec’s population.   “This regulation will help avoid 500,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in the CMM area by 2035, the equivalent of the pollution generated by more than 100,000 motor vehicles,” explains Patrick Bonin, Climate and Energy campaigner at Greenpeace Canada.   Not only does this decision align with Montréal’s climate plan — which aims to have zero-emission buildings by 2040 — but it’s a critical step toward achieving Québec’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.   “This is a major victory!” exclaims Bonin. “Greenpeace Canada has been working for years to get gas out of buildings, in partnership with our colleagues in the Let’s Take Out the Gas! coalition — which we are a member of in Québec.” © the Bialons/ Unsplash. Townhouses on a Plateau-Mont-Royal street, Montréal, QC.  While this is a major win, there’s room for improvement and opportunities to strengthen the ban. For instance, the CMM hasn’t banned the renewal of gas boilers in existing buildings and has allowed renewable natural gas in new big buildings. But we will keep up the pressure.   Along with the Let’s Take Out the Gas! coalition, we’re demanding an immediate shift to energy systems that will minimize gas usage, ban the renewal of gas boilers, and promote a transition to 100% electric solutions complemented by energy efficiency projects.We’re also encouraging the Québec government to show leadership and support municipal ambitions to phase-out fossil gas in buildings. Nelson, as a Greenpeace supporter, you allow us to encourage governments of all levels to adopt measures that will help address the climate crisis. Because of your continued support we will continue transitioning gas out of our homes and buildings. “We intend to continue campaigning for cities, provinces and the federal government to end the use of gas in buildings. And thanks to the mobilization of our supporters, we can look forward to more victories in the near future!” says Bonin.   In fact, a number of cities — including Vancouver, Prévost, Candiac, and Mont-Saint-Hilaire — have already adopted similar gas bans, and the CMM’s regulation will encourage other municipalities to do the same. With each new ban we’re accelerating the transition to cleaner and safer cities, and a greener and better world.   For more examples of the incredible things we can achieve together, I’ve shared other recent global campaign updates and victoriesbelow. In determination,   Steph Supporter Communications Manager, Greenpeace Canada   P.S. I really appreciate all of your feedback! Please keep it coming by sharing your rating below. And as always, you can share this story with others with this link. GLOBAL CAMPAIGN UPDATES Greenpeace occupation of a gas drilling platform forces gas company to halt work Greenpeace activists climbed and occupied a gas drilling platform in the middle of the North Sea off the coast of Germany and the Netherlands, to protest a new gas extraction project. After an intense 8-hour protest, news broke that the highest Dutch court ruled that the fossil fuel company pushing for this new gas extraction project must once again halt its construction due to concerns over its impacts on the environment! This was another successful example of people power, and we will continue to stand up to the fossil fuel industry until the world has transitioned to clean energy. ⁣ Greenpeace report ensures banks invest in ethical farming in Brazil A recent Greenpeace Brazil report on the financial institutions funding farms involved in illegal socio-environmental practices has had an impact. The report convinced the Brazilian Federal Public Prosecutors to demand eight banks cancel their loans and end their contracts with farms on Indigenous lands, public forests, and within conservation units. While the recommendation is not mandatory, if the banks decline, they could face civil and administrative action. This is an important victory for preventing farms involved in illegal activities that negatively impact the environment and Indigenous peoples from receiving funding. Major land rights win for Indigenous Peoples in Southwest Papua The Knasaimos Peoples, Indigenous Peoples to Papua, have received legal recognition of their customary rights over 97,411 hectares of tropical rainforest — nearly the size of Hong Kong — in Indonesia’s Southwest Papua province. After decades of struggle against exploitation by loggers and palm oil companies, this victory allows the Knasaimos Peoples to manage their land and protect its rich biodiversity. Greenpeace Indonesia continues to advocate for full legal protection and recognition of Indigenous forests, urging Indonesia’s House of Representatives to address deforestation in Papua. Greenpeace Italy temporarily shuts down chemical plant PFAS production at the Solvay plant in northern Italy, was temporarily stopped by local authorities after pressure from Greenpeace and local communities. PFAS are a complex group of synthetic chemicals that are toxic to humans and the environment. The area where Solvay operates is the most PFAS-polluted in Europe, with massive contamination of water, soil and crops. Greenpeace Italy has worked for several months to support the local groups affected by that pollution, and will continue to push for strict and legal limits on PFAS pollution, and for companies to replace PFAS with safer alternatives.