The Metro Vancouver regional district has achieved corporate carbon neutrality for 2019 and potentially through 2022.
“It’s so great to see Metro Vancouver reach carbon neutrality in their 2019 operations,” said the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “Local governments play an essential role in the fight against climate change and it’s leadership like this that will help Canada exceed our Paris Agreement targets and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.”
Metro Vancouver’s carbon neutrality is attributable to projects such as:
- Ecological restoration of Burns Bog, which sequesters large amounts of carbon, and improves the ecology of North America’s largest urban bog, affectionately known as “The Lungs of the Lower Mainland.”
- Parkland acquisitions at Widgeon Marsh in Coquitlam and Codd Wetland in Pitt Meadows, which sequester carbon, protect ecosystems and help people connect with nature.
- Trenchless tunnel construction methods for major liquid waste infrastructure projects, which cut down on heavy trucking and cause fewer community disruptions.
- Installation of energy-efficient boilers and appliances in Metro Vancouver Housing sites, to reduce emissions, save on operating expenses and help deliver more affordable housing.
- Increasing the share of electric and hybrid vehicles in Metro Vancouver’s vehicle fleet, which reduces emissions and contributes to cleaner air.
Metro Vancouver has implemented innovative actions in order to reach carbon neutrality as an organization, and is seeking feedback on innovative and transformative “big ideas” that are needed at the regional level to extend that achievement and reach the targets of a climate neutral, resilient region by 2050.
Implementation of Climate 2050 is underway and is structured around 10 different issue areas, each with its own Roadmap for climate action. Public and stakeholder engagement is currently ongoing on the individual roadmaps and the Clean Air Plan, which will be the next iteration of Metro Vancouver’s plan to manage air quality and greenhouse gases in the region.
