Climate Action

We have a number of actions in motion to reduce fuel usage, including right-sizing our corporate fleet and purchasing electric vehicles, and today we piloted an electric bike for the Public Works crew to use when they're reading water meters around the District! We also piloting electric off-road vehicles and equipment.

Things are ramping up for our climate action program, with the hiring of our two-year Climate Action Specialist funded by a grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Brentwood Bay Festival

Central Saanich staff were able to join the community for the Brentwood Bay Festival and share information on how households can reduce their carbon footprint. IF you missed the event, you can view some of the information shared, here.

Sun Powered Fire Station

With the addition of 360 solar panels, Central Saanich’s Fire Station 1 is a shining example of cost-effective renewable energy. The new photovoltaic system, to be unveiled July 19, can generate up to 80% of current energy consumption. The expected return on investment is less than 12 years.

Residential Infill and Densification

The Residential Infill and Densification Study is exploring how Central Saanich can support community design that is complete, compact and energy efficient. Residents were invited to join the discussion during two open houses in June.

Transition 2050: Energy Efficient Building Retrofit Incentive Program

Staff are working hard behind the scenes with local partners including City Green Solutions, the CRD, Provincial ministries, and municipal staff through-out the capital region to identify strategies that accelerate residential energy efficiency retrofits.

Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program

Central Saanich completed the 2018 Climate Action Revenue Incentive Report, which summarizes actions taken in 2018, as well as what's proposed for 2019 to reduce corporate and community-wide greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The District of Central Saanich has reduced corporate emissions by 30% compared to 2007 levels.

Active Transportation Plan

Central Saanich is in the early planning stages of an Active Transportation Plan. Stay tuned for public consultation opportunities in early 2020.

MODO Car Share

Through a partnership with Modo, the District of Central Saanich now has three car share vehicles available. Two vehicles are located in Saanichton Village—one of which is electric — and the third is in Brentwood Bay at the Cultural Centre, For locations see our website. Car sharing is a terrific way to see fewer vehicles on the road. To learn more or join Modo, visit www.modo.coop.

Central Saanich residents and businesses can try Modo by joining online using the promo code CENTRALSAANICH to get $50 in free drive time.

We are very excited to be adding our first Climate Action Specialist to our team this spring. The posting is open until Feb 28 and can be viewed here: https://www.centralsaanich.ca/our-community/news/were-hiring-climate-action-specialist

This is a big year for us; we are working on a number of projects focused on developing a culture of sustainability in the community:

· A net-zero solar power demonstration project at Fire Hall #1.

· Replacing our light duty fleet of vehicles with electric.

· Bringing MODO Car Share to Central Saanich.

· Implementing Step Code for improving building energy efficiency.

· Installing more public electric vehicle chargers (dependent on grant support).

· Developing a model deep energy retrofit and emissions reductions strategy with a group of other local governments on Vancouver Island.

· Participating in the CRD's Regional Electric Vehicle/Electric Bike Charging Infrastructure Strategy, which will see a network of charging stations throughout the region.

We may be small community but we are committed to becoming a leader in climate action both locally and regionally. We will be posting updates on these projects throughout the year, so please check in periodically or subscribe for updates!

We are pleased to inform you Central Saanich Council has adopted the Climate Leadership Plan, at their meeting on June 18, 2018. We thank you for your interest and ideas and hope you will continue to engage with us as we roll out new initiatives and seek your input in the future.

We are happy to share the draft Climate Leadership Plan, a community-wide plan that sets targets and outlines key action areas we, as a community, can act on.

We would like to thank you for your involvement as we sought ideas for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The ideas received so far are included in the draft plan, and you are welcome to continue to offer feedback and ideas. The draft plan will be presented to Committee of the Whole on Monday, June 11, 2018.

Goals

The draft plan renews Central Saanich’s commitment to substantially reduce GHG emissions in community-scale and municipal operations with three ambitious targets.

• Goal 1: 80% less community-scale GHG emissions by 2050, relative to 2007
• Goal 2: 100% renewable energy community-wide by 2050
• Goal 3: 90% less GHG emissions from municipal operations by 2050, relative to 2007.

Action Areas

This draft plan outlines action in five areas within the realm of responsibility and influence of the District:

1. Transportation
2. Buildings
3. Solid Waste
4. Municipal Operations
5. Adaptation to Climate Change

In addition, the draft plan highlights the importance of preparing the District and community members for changes to our climate; this includes preparing our infrastructure, social and economic systems and natural systems to handle these changes.

To meet the goals, the District will require the support from senior governments, community members, industry and other partners.

The District is reflecting on progress and refreshing our former energy plan into a Climate Leadership Plan to guide climate action planning, programs and activities in the community for the next 10 years based on goals for 2050.

We are setting goals to educe energy and greenhouse gas emissions and create a community that is vibrant, responsible, sustainable, and resilient in the face of climate change, and we want to hear from you!