Toronto, ON — Bryan Purcell, VP Policy and Programs, The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) made the following statement in response to Ontario’s Bill 98, the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026:
“Ontario’s recently announced Bill 98 proposes new rules that would require municipal official plans to comply with provincial criteria. Among several changes to planning authorities, the bill would limit municipal authorities to regulate development in the public interest.
“We are concerned that Bill 98 undermines municipalities’ abilities to manage growth in a sustainable way, or to protect energy affordability, public health, and climate objectives. Proposed changes to municipal authorities for green development standards risk setting back progress towards sustainable buildings by a decade. This would do little if anything to accelerate housing development, while potentially leaving homebuyers with substandard housing and higher utility bills.
“By proposing rolling back cost-effective energy efficiency and resilience standards, Bill 98 increases the likelihood that buildings will default to gas heating. This regression would deepen Ontario’s reliance on imported US natural gas, undermining our energy independence and leaving the province more exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices and trade disruptions. When new homes aren’t built to meet high energy standards, the people of Ontario end up paying more for heating, cooling, and electricity over the building’s lifetime.
“This is the fourth bill in the last four years to include major overhauls to planning authorities for Ontario municipalities, and housing starts have continued to decline throughout that period. Policy instability is compounding with global economic uncertainty to deter investment in new housing. Bill 98 contributes further to the environment of uncertainty, and risks leaving provincial housing and climate targets further out of reach.”
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