392/2008

904/2008

December 9, 2008

Climate Change Accountability Act

Carbon Neutral Government Regulation

[Last amended April 1, 2026 by B.C. Reg. 127/2025]

392_2008_pit

Definitions

In this regulation:

Act means the Climate Change Accountability Act ;

carbon dioxide equivalent means the mass of carbon dioxide that would produce the same global warming impact as a given mass of another greenhouse gas, as determined using the 100 year time horizon global warming potential set out in column 4 of the Schedule;

director means the government employee designated in writing by the minister as director for the purposes of the Act;

responsible minister , in relation to a public sector organization, means the minister who is the appropriate minister within the meaning of

section 24 of the Financial Administration Act .

In the Act and this regulation:

public business , in relation to the Provincial government, means business necessary or ancillary to a public official's duties;

public official means

a member of the Legislative Assembly and any person on the member's staff,

an employee of the government of British Columbia,

a member or employee of a tribunal as defined in the Administrative Tribunals Act ,

a provincial court judge, justice of the peace or judicial justice,

an employee of the Legislative Assembly, including a permanent officer of the Legislative Assembly appointed under

section 39 (1) of the Constitution Act , or

an officer of the legislature within the meaning of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and an employee of an officer of the legislature

but does not include

an officer or employee of a government body within the meaning of the Financial Administration Act ;

Treasury Board means the Treasury Board continued by the Financial Administration Act .

[am. B.C. Regs. 55/2010, s. 1; 66/2021; 45/2024, s. 1.]

Excluded organizations or corporations

The following organizations or corporations are excluded from the definition of "public sector organization" in

section 1 of the Act:

Canadian Blood Services;

regulatory colleges within the meaning of the Health Professions and Occupations Act .

[en. B.C. Reg. 127/2025, Sch., s. 1.]

How measurements of emissions are to be expressed

For the purposes of the Act, greenhouse gas emissions must be expressed in tonnes based on their carbon dioxide equivalencies and tonnes of each specific greenhouse gas listed in the Schedule.

PSO sources of greenhouse gas emissions

In this section:

building includes a structure or other permanent improvement;

equipment includes components of an information technology system;

indirect energy emissions , in relation to a public sector organization or the supply of a good or service, means greenhouse gas emissions specifically associated with the production of electricity, steam, heating or cooling that is consumed or used by the organization or supplier.

Subject to subsection (3), the following greenhouse gas emissions are deemed to be PSO greenhouse gas emissions:

direct emissions and indirect energy emissions from the heating, air conditioning and lighting of a building or portion of a building owned or leased by the public sector organization, other than the heating, air conditioning and lighting of a building that is leased to another public sector organization;

direct emissions and indirect energy emissions from the operation of appliances, equipment and machinery, other than mobile combustion sources, owned or leased by the public sector organization;

direct emissions from the operation of a vehicle or other mobile combustion source, other than a public transit or school bus owned or leased by the public sector organization;

in relation to the Provincial government, direct emissions and indirect energy emissions from the supply of travel and accommodation services to a public official who is travelling on public business for which travel expenses and accommodation expenses are covered by the consolidated revenue fund;

direct emissions from the production of office paper purchased by the public sector organization for use in its business.

Greenhouse gas emissions from an electricity generating facility or electricity transmission equipment operated by the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority are not emissions for which that authority is deemed to be responsible under the Act.

[am. B.C. Regs. 272/2009, App. B, s. 1; 45/2024, s. 2.]

Additional reporting requirements

In addition to the requirements of the Act and this regulation relating to PSO greenhouse gas emissions, a public sector organization must determine and report greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the operation of a public transit bus or school bus that is owned or leased by the public sector organization.

How emissions and their levels are to be determined

A public sector organization must determine, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions in the manner and form specified by the director.

Emission offsets

A public sector organization, other than the government, that is required to apply emission offsets in order to be carbon neutral must do so by requesting that the minister apply the emission offsets on behalf of the public sector organization.

If the government is required to apply emission offsets in order to be carbon neutral, the minister must apply the emission offsets on behalf of the government.

[en. B.C. Reg. 124/2014, App. 1.]

Repealed

Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 193/2014.]

Schedule

[en. B.C. Reg. 124/2014, App. 3; am. B.C. Reg. 271/2022.]

Specified Gases and Their Global Warming Potentials

Column 1

Item

Column 2

Specified Gas

Column 3

Chemical Formula

Column 4

Global Warming Potential

(100 year time horizon)

Carbon dioxide

CO 2

Methane

CH 4

Nitrous oxide

N 2 O

HFC-23

CHF 3

12 400

HFC-32

CH 2 F 2

HFC-41

CH 3 F

HFC-43-10mee

C 5 H 2 F 10

1 650

HFC-125

C 2 HF 5

3 170

HFC-134

C 2 H 2 F 4 (CHF 2 CHF 2 )

1 120

HFC-134a

C 2 H 2 F 4 (CH 2 FCF 3 )

1 300

HFC-143

C 2 H 3 F 3 (CHF 2 CH 2 F)

HFC-143a

C 2 H 3 F 3 (CF 3 CH 3 )

4 800

HFC-152a

C 2 H 4 F 2 (CH 3 CHF 2 )

HFC-227ea

C 3 HF 7

3 350

HFC-236fa

C 3 H 2 F 6

8 060

HFC-245ca

C 3 H 3 F 5

Perfluoromethane

CF 4

6 630

Perfluoroethane

C 2 F 6

11 100

Perfluoropropane

C 3 F 8

8 900

Perfluorobutane

C 4 F 10

9 200

Perfluorocyclobutane

c-C 4 F 8

9 540

Perfluoropentane

C 5 F 12

8 550

Perfluorohexane

C 6 F 14

7 910

Sulphur hexafluoride

SF 6

23 500

[Provisions relevant to the enactment of this regulation: Climate Change Accountability Act , S.B.C. 2007, c. 42, s. 12.]