Climate Action

What does resilient, equitable and low-carbon travel look like on Vancouver Island in the future? And how do we get there?

The District’s Climate Action & Natural Environment Coordinator joined folks from around BC in a two-day E-Mobility Visioning workshop hosted by the Community Energy Association to answer those questions! The lively discussions inspired us to envision a total shift to low-carbon active & electric transport and challenged us to define key project concepts for our respective regions to get there.

Why focus on travel & transportation?

Transportation accounts for 37% of all greenhouse gas emissions in BC. It’s the largest-emitting sector and the fastest growing. Passenger transport from our own vehicles and heavy-duty truck & rail freight make up the majority of these emissions, including here in Central Saanich. It’s clear that reaching our District targets of carbon neutrality and 100% renewable energy by 2050 means significant changes to the way we move ourselves and our stuff. Due to the fact that 95% of BC’s electricity is generated from renewable energy (mostly hydropower), electrification of passenger and freight transport is a practical, efficient, and cost-effective component of our shift to zero-emission transportation systems. Happily, BC has the highest EV sales per capita of any jurisdiction in North America, and the federal government’s announcement at end of June that 100% of passenger car & trucks sales must be zero-emission by 2035 will only increase the pace of adoption.

What can we take away from the E-Mobility Visioning Workshop for Vancouver Island?

Those of us from Vancouver Island had the chance to develop key themes for our e-mobility future. Together, we identified connected communities with integrated transportation, broad electrification, and a focus on renewable energy as central to our pathway and were tasked with writing headlines from 2040 that celebrated these visions. Some of our favourites were “10-Year Celebration for Island’s Electric Train, with final station unveiled in Port Hardy” and “Last gas station converted to an electric mobility hub”. Taking into account reductions in air & noise pollution, how about: “Due to shift to electric transportation, Vancouver Island biodiversity is regenerating”. Using these themes as guideposts, we went on to identify ambitious yet realistic projects advance the vision:

1. Full built-out EV and e-bike charging infrastructure network: A key step to advance e-mobility is inspiring confidence & peace of mind through supportive infrastructure. This includes multi-modal hubs & connections, accessible public charging, and innovative new ideas like e-bike rentals at campgrounds or tourist destinations.
2. Zero-emission vehicle delivery zones: Use of smaller EVs & electric cargo bikes to deliver goods to city centers, helping prioritize pedestrians, active transport & local business in urban cores.
3. Regional e-bike and recreational sea-side tourism route: Wouldn’t this be a great way to enjoy the coast of the Peninsula and southern island? No parking stress, less air & noise pollution in our shoreline communities and ecosystems, and fewer cars on the roads for short trips.

Related to #1 above, the CRD recently presented their Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Roadmap to the Board (p. 47 – 96). The roadmap indicates that 770 new public Level 2 charging ports and 132 new DCFC ports will be required by 2030 to accelerate adoption and support EV user needs. The District’s Climate Action & Natural Environment Coordinator participated in the related workshops.

What is the District doing to support & advance e-mobility?

Here in Central Saanich, we’ve taken solid steps to build a strategic foundation for our e-mobility future. Our Climate Leadership Plan targets 100% conversion to zero-emission vehicles by 2050 (and an interim target of 25% by 2030!), and we have dedicated one of the five priority action areas in the plan to Transportation and Land Use to help us get there. In Fall 2020, we adopted our first District-wide EV & E-Bike Strategy, which emphasizes sustainable transportation & electrified transit and includes over 30 actions related to public & private charging networks, EVs in our community and District fleet, education, and advocacy. Our Plan also aims for 50% of all trips made by active transport by 2050 and, just this month, our Active Transportation Plan was adopted by Council after almost two years of public and stakeholder consultations!

And we’re already well on our way in implementing these plans! Just a few weeks after adopting the EV & E-Bike Strategy, we completed a key action by implementing EV & e-bike ready requirements for all new construction in the District. This will help ensure that residents can charge at home & employees and customers have access to charging while at work or shopping. In June 2021, we broke ground on the new Saanichton Village Bike n’ Ride, a community project led by the Saanichton Village Association with generous support from local businesses, residents, and the District. The sheltered Bike n’ Ride will feature bike racks, an e-bike charging port, a bike repair station, seating & solar lighting, and is set to be completed by August. The District already manages several public charging stations – including at the Cultural Centre and Municipal Hall – with plans to install more over the next year. This is to keep pace with the growing number of EVs in the region, with data from ICBC showing that 2% of all vehicles registered in the District in 2020 were EVs and a further 2% were hybrid vehicles. In our own fleet, we have acquired a half dozen EVs and an e-bike for use by our Public Works team for water metering.

What resources & rebates are available for e-bikes and EVs?

If you’re considering purchasing an EV or e-bike, take advantage of the many rebates available! In April 2021, after years of community and municipal advocacy, the province announced that e-bikes are now exempt from PST. This will likely save you hundreds of dollars on your purchase! E-bikes are a great way to tackle longer commutes, travel in rural areas, and leave the car at home for quick grocery trips and local chores. If you’re ready to scrap a vehicle, you can receive a rebate of $1,050 towards the purchase of an e-bike through the Scrap-It program. Lastly, the province’s program providing $1,700 for businesses purchasing a cargo e-bike is still on! Learn more about the Specialty Use Vehicle Incentive (SUVI), which also provides rebates on electric motorcycles, utility trucks, buses and more.

The CleanBC Go Electric rebates helps to make EVs more affordable, providing $3,000 for the purchase or lease of a new battery electric, long-range plug-in hybrid electric, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and $1,500 for a shorter-range plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. When you stack on the rebates from the federal iZEV program, you could see a total rebate of up to $8,000! There are also rebates available to help with installing a Level 2 charging station in a single-family home (up to $350) or in your condo or apartment (up to $2,000). For the latter, PlugIn BC’s EV Charging Station Advisors are here to help with five free hours of advice for employers, residents of multi-unit residential buildings and strata councils.

Check out the series of EV factsheets & videos created by the CRD, City of Victoria and District of Saanich through their EV awareness campaign. And of course, PlugShare can help you find the closest EV charging station when you’re out and about! Available online and as a free app for iSO and Android.

We’re only halfway through the summer, and already we’ve experienced record-breaking heat waves, low rainfall and drought conditions, and devastating wildfires across the province. BC’s climate is changing, and these types of climate impacts are expected to become more frequent and severe in the future, affecting our health, treasured ecosystems and non-human beings, livelihoods, infrastructure, water supply, and agriculture.

As part of climate adaptation and resilience measures being taken by all levels of government, the government of BC has produced a draft Climate Preparedness & Adaptation Strategy: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/climatereadybc/ - and you’re invited to provide feedback and ideas! The strategy is open for public comment until August 12. Individuals can submit comments to ClimateReadyBC@gov.bc.ca while organizations should review the written submission criteria before submitting.

The strategy aims to strengthen our capacity to anticipate and respond to climate events and impacts, with the goal of protecting people, communities, and ecosystems in BC. In it, you can read about short-term actions being taken this year, such as improving provincial-level response to extreme heat and wildfire smoke for unhoused and housing insecure populations. The strategy also outlines proposed plans for 2022 – 2025, including strengthening individual & community health in a changing climate, promoting watershed security and marine resilience, and increasing building and infrastructure resilience.

One of the priority action categories in Central Saanich’s Climate Leadership Plan is “Adaptation to Climate Change. We are working to better understand the risks we face from climate change – such as through collaboration with the CRD on a comprehensive Capital Region Coastal Flood Inundation Mapping Project – and are approaching the current Official Community Plan review through a lens of climate action & resilience. Our newly updated Tree Bylaw is a step towards enhancing the value of natural assets, as is our recent work to restore habitat in Adam Kerr Park. And let’s not forget the 360-panel solar array on the roof of Fire Station #1, a great example of local renewable energy resilience!

Climate change will affect each one of us here in BC. Take this opportunity to share your ideas and solutions – whether personal, professional or community-based – and contribute to a strategy that is informed by our lived experiences and helps build towards a climate-resilient future.

Please welcome Timio Colistro, a UBC Sustainability Scholar working on a research project related to organic waste this summer! Due to the pandemic, Timio will be working remotely on this project under the guidance of Dr. Carol McAusland, UBC Professor in Food & Resource Economics and Canada Research Chair in Trade and Environment, and Ali Rivers, the District’s Climate Action & Natural Environment Coordinator. Timio will be working on his project from May to August 2021.

Describe your research project with Central Saanich.

My research project aims to explore different ways to take organic waste and convert it to a useable fuel. There are several different technologies currently available, so the goal will be to see what’s most feasible within Central Saanich’s unique context, as a rural community with lots of agricultural land.

Do you have any connections to the Saanich Peninsula?

Yes! I was raised on the Peninsula, very close to Central Saanich in fact. After several years living abroad in the US and China, I moved back to the lower island and consider the Saanich Peninsula home. The climate, community and pace of life are hard to beat.

What are you currently studying at UBC? How are you hoping to use your degree once you graduate? What’s it been like starting a new program during Covid?

I am currently in the Masters of Food and Resource Economics program at UBC. It was certainly an adjustment getting used to all the screen time for online classes! But our program was still fortunate to be one of the few to run some classes on campus over the past year. After graduation, I am hoping to explore careers related to food or waste policy in local or provincial government.

What attracted you to Central Saanich’s waste-to-biofuel project? What element(s) of the project are you looking forward to most? What do you think will be the most challenging?

There were several attractive elements: an exposure to local government, a connection to a community I call home, but mainly the opportunity to work on a project that implements principles of circular economy – that is, using the output from one process as an input to another. I think the most challenging aspect will be identifying options that work within a small rural context but could still be scaled up in the future, and that are cost-effective either way. Food waste is a social issue that’s beginning to get more attention, so I’m grateful to be working on a project that aims to tackle it.

What is one action you’ve taken to decrease your own waste footprint?

An easy, painless change I made was actually just a psychological one: be okay with buying “ugly” produce, like a misshapen pear. A fair amount gets wasted at the retail level when it doesn’t conform to our ideal image, even though this produce is just as tasty and nutritious. So it’s a small thing but I try to give these poor outcasts a home when I go grocery shopping. I don’t need my food to be pretty, just to provide nutrition.

Our thanks to UBC for offering this innovative program that connects motivated students with local partners to work on real-world sustainability challenges, to BC Hydro for funding our scholar’s work this summer, and to Timio for interest & work on this project. Good luck Timio!

Today is Earth Day. It’s a great day to celebrate our connection to the Earth, and also to re-commit in our responsibility as environmental stewards. The theme of Earth Day 2021 is #RestoreOurEarth, and a great way to do this is through our relationship with food.

This year, we invite you to plant your own garden. Whether that’s in your yard, containers on your balcony, or near a sunny window in your house.

To support you in this, we’re hosting a SEED GIVEAWAY.

When: May 6

Where: Municipal Hall, 1903 Mt Newton Cross Rd, Saanichton

Time: 12:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Come pick up some vegetable, herb, and local native wildflower seeds.

Local food systems are so critical to local climate resilience. They reduce the distance our food travels to get to us, reduce food waste, and increase our appreciation for the communities and ecosystems that feed us.

Hope to see you May 6! Remember to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Happy Earth Day!

Launching the “Climate Action in the Community” series

Over the past few years, the District has ramped up our goals and initiatives related to climate action. We’re constantly making improvements, introducing policies, and implementing initiatives – and we want to make sure you get the opportunity to learn about them and the benefits they bring to our community.

We’re excited to introduce our new “Climate Action in the Community” series, a social media & Let’s Talk campaign that spotlights climate projects across the District. Every couple weeks, we’ll post a snapshot summarizing a new or existing initiative – such as the retrofitting of the Caretaker House at Centennial Park to 100% LED lights.

Taking the Express Lane to transition the municipal fleet

This spring, Central Saanich is deepening our commitment to decarbonize our fleet by increasing our pledge under the West Coast Electric Fleets program to the “Express Lane” level. This commits the District to at least 10% zero emission vehicle procurement by 2025 for our light-duty vehicles and a portion of our medium and heavy-duty fleet, and to an annual review of this pledge to assess room for increased ambition.

This pledge is in line with our Climate Leadership Plan, especially our target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and the “Green fleet transition” action under Municipal Operations. Being in the Express Lane group opens the door to access resources, funding, and technical support. The District has already taken significant steps, including acquiring EVs, installing public EV charging stations, using an e-bike for water metering, introducing an Electric Vehicle & E-Bike Strategy, and implementing a policy in Fall 2020 requiring new construction to be EV and e-bike ready.

And on this topic… Central Saanich Police kicked off the New Year with a new electric vehicle! As Chief Ian Lawson put it, “The Central Saanich Police Service received a second electric vehicle this year as part of its commitment to the District’s Climate Leadership Plan to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Municipal “top-up” rebate

The CleanBC Better Homes program offers a suite of rebates for energy conversion & efficiency projects and, since January 2020, Central Saanich has sweetened the deal with an additional $350 rebate for folks converting their primary heating from fossil fuels to electric heat pumps.

As a result of these and other rebates and the regional Bring It Home 4 Climate program, of which we are a key partner, residential retrofits are booming! Our original municipal contribution helped support over 25 homeowners in upgrading from oil or natural gas to electric heat pumps, which will reduce GHG emissions by around 200 tCO₂e each year – equal to 13% reductions of residential fuel oil emissions community-wide!

PACE Pilot Program

The top-up rebate is just one of the steps we’re taking to get closer to our goal of converting all remaining oil heating in the District to electric by 2030. Homeowners in Central Saanich wanting to replace their oil heating systems with an electric heat pump will soon have access to 0%-interest financing through the District of Central Saanich.

The District’s two-year pilot program is one of the first of its kind in the province. The program, funded by the District and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, is known as Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. It enables homeowners to fund the up-front cost of the home improvement through an interest free loan repaid on property tax bills over 10 years.

“By enabling homeowners to make the switch, we will reduce carbon-intensive energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions in our community,” said Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor. “It will also decrease home energy bills for participating homeowners, which can be put towards repaying the loan.” The program will also helps increase resilience against future climate impacts, since heat pumps are able to heat and cool homes and can therefore handle the hotter summers anticipated for southern Vancouver Island.

Workshops and educational sessions for Central Saanich’s PACE pilot program will be scheduled over the summer while the official launch is planned for fall 2021.

For more information

If you are a homeowner in the District currently using heating oil and would like to be kept informed of program developments, please contact Ali Rivers, Climate Action Specialist for Central Saanich at ali.rivers@csaanich.ca or 250-652-4444.

Stay engaged on the Official Community Plan

What would make Central Saanich better now and in the future? The District is asking the community to share their ideas during the Official Community Plan (OCP) review. The OCP impacts all areas of our life in the District – and is a wonderful opportunity to further embed climate action into our plans and build a more resilient Central Saanich.

How to get involved

• Visit the project site, LetsTalkCentralSaanich.ca/OCP
• If you weren’t able to attend the virtual town hall, check out the video online
• Complete a “Community Conversations” workbook by April 30! You can do this on your own, with family or your bubble, or virtually with neighbours & friends

Further public consultation will take place in the fall, when the District hopes to be able to offer both online and in-person events and present draft policies for discussion and feedback.

Partnership with UBC Sustainability Scholars program for local biofuel research

The District of Central Saanich is partnering with a Master’s student from UBC’s Sustainability Scholars program to conduct research into the local context for biofuel generation from municipal organic waste streams. The scholar, who will be mentored by the Climate Action Specialist with support from our Public Works and Planning departments, will work virtually from May to August to research potential technologies, processes, and best practices to help us advance climate action related to waste diversion and renewable energy through the application of circular economy processes.

Leveling up our buildings with Step Code

As of January 4, 2021, Central Saanich has moved to Level 3 of the BC Energy Step Code for (most) new home construction! The Step Code is an initiative to increase the energy efficiency of new construction in the province beyond the requirements of the BC Building Code – for example, Level 3 requires new homes achieve energy efficiency performance levels of 20% better than the Building Code.

Don’t forget that Central Saanich and the province offer rebates to help finance high-efficiency projects! We have authorized building permit rebates for construction that exceeds our current Step Code level and a $500 Blower Door rebate for projects building to Step Code and completing a mid-construction blower door test. At the provincial level, CleanBC offers rebates through the Better Homes New Construction Program for residential buildings and the Better Buildings program for commercial buildings.

Go By Bike Week 2021

Check your tires and mark your calendars, folks – Go By Bike Week is coming up! From May 31 to June 6, get out of your car and onto your bike to soak in some sunshine while reducing your carbon footprint. Same as 2020, the event has been re-branded to Go By Bike Week, meaning any & all trips by bike count towards the goal – not just trips to and from work. Did you know that since the start of the pandemic, more folks in Central Saanich are biking for recreation? Start getting your team together now and look forward to great prizes, the Sticker Challenge, Neighbourhood Rides, and more!

Nearby Active Transportation planning

Regional collaboration is key for active transportation planning, and while our staff works actively with other municipalities through the CRD Inter-Municipal Working Group on Climate and other collaborations, it’s just as critical that residents support neighbouring municipalities in their goals, too.

• Esquimalt has started engagement for their own Active Transportation Plan, and they have a survey, interactive map, and ideas forum open for feedback from anyone who works, plays or socializes there.
• North Saanich has just wrapped up engagement on their Active Transportation plan, which can now be viewed online: https://www.connectnorthsaanich.ca/active-transportation-plan.

Plan a beautiful yard that supports climate resilience & biodiversity

Gardening is a great way to help increase local climate resilience through local food security, green infrastructure services (like absorbing run-off), and creating landscapes that support local pollinators. This year, enjoy a climate-friendly yard!

Central Saanich is already experiencing warmer summers, and these are anticipated to be hotter and drier in future. Save water – and money on your utility bills! – by choosing water-efficient species and making good use of mulch. Water-wise, or “xeriscaping”, landscaping considers the natural conditions of the environment, with a focus on native and drought-tolerant species. Don’t think this limits you to rock gardens and succulents, though – water-wise gardens can be lush, colourful, and biodiverse!

Try to keep lawn spaces small and select drought-tolerant grass mixes and clover. Water lawns sparingly, and do so early in the morning or in the evening to reduce evaporation. Lots more great tips in the CRD’s Homeowner’s Guide to Outdoor Water Use.

Choosing native species (and avoiding invasive species at all costs!) also helps our native pollinators like bees and butterflies, whose populations are crucial for the long-term health of our local agricultural lands. Avoid pesticides and harsh, GHG-intensive fertilizers and instead make use of natural soil enhancements - like compost, kelp, and coffee grounds - and permaculture techniques that recreate natural ecosystems to keep pests under control.

Check out more tips from Habitat Acquisition Trust in their Gardening with Native Plants guide or join a free virtual workshop on Gardening with Native Plants during April!

Reach your goals and help Central Saanich meet our climate goals!

Do you have a New Year’s resolution to stay healthy or improve your health and wellbeing? If so, your goal aligns well with the District’s climate action goals.

While only 21% of all trips in the District are taken sustainably by active transportation and transit right now, we’re aiming for 50% by 2050! What trips could you do by foot, bike or bus this year?

Transportation accounts for two thirds of our total community GHG emissions, and driving is by far the biggest contributor. During the pandemic, more of us have been learning & working from home, hitting the trails for exercise and fresh air, and travelling less to do our part to flatten the curve. In 2021, let’s continue some of these habits by committing to driving less and using active transit more to create climate-resilient, equitable, and healthy communities!

A great place to start is by registering for Winter Go by Bike Day at https://gobybikebc.ca. On Friday, February 12, 2021, enjoy the first scents of spring on your bike, then log your ride online to be eligible for the chance to win great prizes!

Council highlights climate action as a priority

Central Saanich Council recently met to identify priorities for the remainder of the Council term. The 2021-2022 Priorities are:

• Invest in Road Safety, Transit and Safe, Accessible Active Transportation
• Invest in Climate Action and a Healthy Environment
• Focus on Strong Local Economy and Supporting Agriculture
• Manage Responsible Growth

These priorities influence the focus of the District staff and Council and determine the major projects for the coming two years.

Comment on the Draft Tree Protection Bylaw

Trees and ecosystems are vital to long-term climate resilience. We have drafted a new Tree Management Bylaw that would see stronger protection of permit trees and include replacement measures for trees that are removed. Please see LetsTalkCentralSaanich.ca/TreeBylaw to review the highlights and offer feedback.

• Register for a virtual open house: Thursday, January 28 or Saturday, January 30, from 10 am to 11 am.

Draft Active Transportation Plan to be shared for comment in February

We are looking forward to sharing the draft of the District’s first Action Transportation Plan soon. The draft plan will be presented to the community for feedback on LetsTalkCentralSaanich.ca/ActiveTransportation before being presented to Council. The plan will guide our investment in key projects and support us in applying for grants to start building a connected network that enables more biking and walking in Central Saanich. (Completing the plan hasn’t stopped us on pursing opportunities; in the past few months, the District has applied for grants that would enable five major active transportation projects.)

Free Webinar: Are you Considering a Heat Pump? ~ by Bring It Home 4 Climate Program

Heat pumps are the most efficient and climate-friendly heating and cooling system on the market today. Join friends and neighbours in this interactive webinar and learn what a heat pump is, the environmental & financial benefits of heat pumps, how to find a program registered contractor, and what rebates, financing offers and supports are available to help you upgrade your heating system.

• Time: Tuesday, February 09, 2021 at 12 -1pm PST open to everyone!
• Space is limited so make sure to register early! Register Here

A recorded version of the webinar will be made available soon for those that are unable to attended the live webinar. Please register for the live webinar or to receive the recording.

Double the Rebates offer extended!

To meet our climate goals related to greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy, Central Saanich is targeting a 100% conversion of oil heated homes to electric heat pumps by 2030. We align with the region and province on this goal – and happily, this translates to financial support!

In response to both the pandemic and significant interest province wide, CleanBC Better Homes is extending their “Double the Rebate” offer by three months. If your home is heated by natural gas, propane, or oil and you are interested in switching to an electric heat pump or heat pump water heater, you could be eligible! Register for a promo code by March 31, 2021 to receive up to $6,000 in rebates. Your upgrades must be completed and invoiced by June 30, 2021.

Learn more at https://betterhomesbc.ca/rebates/double-the-rebate/.

Receive a Free Virtual Home Energy Check-Up

Central Saanich is proud to partner with the CRD on the Bring It Home 4 the Climate program. Visit bringithome4climate.ca to learn more, and register to get access to:

• Free Virtual Home Energy Check-Up
  • Kick-start your home energy improvement and climate-friendly home action plan and get expert advice online by phone or video call.
  • The Free Virtual Home Energy Check-Up is designed to help you think about your personal or household goals and motivations for improving your home, and help identify any issues or concerns which could be solved by completing home energy improvements.
  • Covid-safe virtual format
• EnerGuide Home Evaluation Subsidies
• Free Educational Workshops and Special Offers
• Success studies from folks all over southern Vancouver Island

Plus, along with all CRD residents, access to the Free CleanBC Energy Coach Service and online resources.

The District has developed an Electric Vehicle (EV) and Electric-Bike Strategy that outlines ways to help achieve our goal of seeing more low emission transportation within the District.

Action items include adding more public Level 2 chargers in the community, adopting requirement for new construction to ensure redient access to at home charging, publically promoting incentives for installing EV chargers, implementing Central Saanich's Active Transportation Plan, when finalized, and further developing the District's EV education and outreach, amongst others.

Draft Electric Vehicle and Electric Bike Strategy Goes to Council Sept 14

The District’s draft and E-Bike Strategy outlines ways to encourage more low-emission transportation within the District. The strategy will be presented to Council on Monday, September 14, at 7 pm during the (virtual) Council meeting, which can be watched here.

The strategy was developed in consultation with the District’s EV and E-Bike Strategy Committee, which was comprised of residents and those with expertise in the field. We thank the committee members for volunteering their time to assist with this important work.

If you have comments on the draft strategy, you are welcome to contact Council. Questions about the strategy can be directed to the Climate Action Specialist.

Central Saanich's updated Climate Leadership Plan, which was just released, includes accelerated targets adopted by Council in late 2019. These updated targets are in alignment with the latest recommendation to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C, set by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Central Saanich climate targets are to reduce community emissions by 45% by 2030 over 2007 levels and become a carbon neutral community by 2050. You can read about the actions the District is taking here.

The plan was originally published in 2018 and outlines paths for achieving the climate targets as well as a variety of actions the municipality can take to reduce the community's greenhouse gas emissions as well as those from the District's operations.

The action areas are:

• Transportation and Land Use
• Buildings
• Solid Water
• Municipal Operations
• Adaptation to Climate Change

A total of 23 actions are included under these areas, and the climate action work of the municipality is not limited to these items.

Implementation will involve a commitment of resources to plan, develop and oversee actions while also staying abreast of leading practices, opportunities and funding. With renewed senior government focus on climate action, support may be available for partial funding of municipal staff positions that support implementation. The District continues to focus on applying for grants to support climate action related infrastructure and programs while also utilizing the District's Climate Leadership Reserve Fund to fund new projects.

The District annually reports to the Province on climate action activities undertaken in relation to community-scale and municipal operations through the CARIP report. The District will also publish the measurements identified in the updated Climate Leadership Plan with all available data in the District's Financial Plan, Annual Report, and Mid Year Report.

Wondering how you can help achieve our community goal?

Find out what you can do to reduce your GHGs by using the carbon calculator and checking out the transportation rebates, home rebates, and more ideas at centralsaanich.ca/whatyoucando.

Read the plan

The plan and resources are available to review here.