Green Light For Green Committee

The City of Vernon has agreed to look at ways reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

The City will develop a terms of reference for an ad hoc committee to make suggestions to council on green initiatives.

Mayor Akbal Mund says the cost will always be looked at, when council makes the final decision on how environmentally-friendly projects will be.

“You have to be cognizant that it’s taxpayer’s money. If you’re going to be doing any initiatives to improve a building for sustainability for the future, the cost will definitely be a factor,” Mund tells Kiss FM.

Mund says all developments, not just public projects, could go before the committee.

“I’m sure it will be all developments, not just public. The ad hoc committee can come back with suggestions that provide some incentives for the private buildings. So if they have solar panels on their rooftop, cutting down half the energy, maybe we give them some incentives.”

Councillor Scott Anderson has a concern it could become a “bureaucratic cog.”

“There’s going to be tension between the ideas and the cost and the actual work-ability of the ideas, because there’s some much information, and misinformation about how well this and that technology works,” says Anderson.

Council took the action after a presentation from the Vernon Climate Action Group back in February.

The city’s current target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2% each year.

Photo: Akbal Mund, Vernon Mayor