The City of Richmond is expressing “concerns” over the provincial government’s new Climate Leadership Plan, stating that it will likely impact the municipality’s ability to achieve its stated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals by 2020.
To 2014, the city estimates that Richmond, as a whole, has reduced its emissions by about six per cent since 2007, when Richmond’s stated population was 10 per cent less.
“The City has moved in the right direction, and Richmond’s performance has exceeded that of the province as a whole,” stated a report by Peter Russell, senior manager of sustainability and district energy.
“In order to achieve the large additional reductions required, significant additional action must be taken now by the provincial and federal governments,” noted Russell.
However, “the measures outlined in the Climate Leadership Plan fall far short of achieving the province’s legislated GHG reduction targets, and provide inadequate support to local governments diligently seeking to achieve their GHG reduction targets under the Climate Action Charter,” Russell added, in a report that asks city council to write a letter to Premier Christy Clark outlining his department’s concerns.
When council charted its Official Community Plan in 2010, it agreed to GHG emission reductions equal to the province’s goals at the time — a 33 per cent reduction below 2007 levels by 2020, and 80 per cent below 2007 levels by 2050.
The city is now hard-pressed to meeting those goals, especially after the new provincial GHG reduction plan — which makes no reference to the 2020 goals, as noted by Russell — was announced by Clark on Aug. 19.
Russell stated the province is now planning to reduce GHG emissions by increasing replanting of trees in areas devastated by the mountain pine beetle, rather than reducing fossil fuel emissions.
Cities may take their own steps to reduce GHG emissions. The City of Richmond has, for instance, installed a taxpayer-backed geothermal energy program in the West Cambie and Oval areas.
“A great deal of our new [development] is using district energy,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie.
Despite population growth, electricity consumption across the city has only increased by one per cent, while natural gas use has decreased four per cent, since 2007.
In Richmond, it is estimated, using Translink data, that GHG reductions from vehicles declined by three per cent since the introduction of the Canada Line in 2010. Vehicle emissions account for about 60 per cent of all GHGs in Richmond.
Meanwhile, according to Russell, the city’s corporate (only City of Richmond facilities) GHG emissions are down 45 per cent since 2007. Notably, this reduction doesn’t include the Richmond Olympic Oval, which represented about 16 per cent of emissions in 2013. Nor does it include emissions created from new construction-related activities.
According to the city, the Oval qualifies for exemption from city totals under provincial laws because it’s a subsidiary corporation and thus pays for, and uses, its own energy.
The city has been rebuilding numerous civic facilities that are energy efficient by present-day industry standards. Notably, the new Minoru pool and Brighouse fire station will be one-third powered by solar panels.
Last week, Russell presented council with an award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for achieving all five milestones in its Climate Protection Program, meaning it is now fully monitoring its GHG emissions.
Comox, Surrey, Whistler, Nelson, and Saanich are among 17 Canadian municipalities that had already achieved the milestones. About 270 other local governments are in the program.
However, municipal action can only account for about one-quarter of GHG emission reductions by 2050. The rest is dependent on federal and provincial measures, such as taxing emissions, lowering vehicle emissions and improving building codes.
Last week, the Liberal government of Canada stated it would be seeking to impose a cross-Canada carbon tax on all provinces. However, it has not yet committed to increasing GHG reduction goals, as it promised prior to the 2015 election.
The announcement drew criticism by the Conservatives, who believe Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is imposing his will on provincial jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the Greens have taken aim at the Liberals’ alleged turnabout on promises to increase reduction goals set by the previous Conservative government.
The BC Carbon Tax, which presently sits at $30 per tonne of emissions, is the largest such tax in Canada, with Alberta set to match it by 2018.
