Photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters

By Liam Verster

Climate Action Goals

Priority areas identified for Vernon’s Climate Action Plan

Dec 12, 2022 | 7:00 AM

Veron’s climate action advisory committee has identified seven key areas to pursue from the city’s Climate Action Plan.

A report to council outlines the areas, which include one goal in health and well-being, two in governance, two in land use and transportation, one in building and real estate, and one in agriculture and food security.

“Each identified priority area from the Climate Action Plan has a specific goal, main action, and supporting actions associated with it,” wrote Brendan Riome, climate action implementation coordinator, in a report to Vernon council.

“The supporting actions are intended to provide tangible actions for achieving the goals of the Climate Action Plan.”

The first goal involving health and well-being involves developing a program to raise awareness on climate response activities and bolster social connection among Vernon residents on these actions through communication channels.

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The first governance goal involves embedding considerations from the Climate Action Plan into all existing and new policies and bylaws. This could involve embedding climate visions into the strategic plan; developing a policy to incorporate greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction and climate change preparation in municipal decisions; updating the procurement policy to ensure contractors and suppliers have requirements for incorporating climate change and GHG into their services; and integrating objectives into new and existing policies and bylaws where appropriate.

The other governance goal would see the development and funding of a climate ready community communications and outreach strategy. This would require public engagement and education; defining the role of climate ambassadors; working with local teachers and schools on local-based curriculum on climate change; and encouraging neighbouring communities to take action on climate change.

The first land use and transportation goals involve reviewing and updating the official community plan (OCP) to integrate climate risk, vulnerability, emissions date and objectives and actions, while the other would see the continued work on the master transportation plan that integrates and prioritizes active transportation investments.

In the buildings and real estate category, the recommendation is to develop a retrofit program to support residents improving their building efficiency and GHG reduction. This would also need some support from the provincial government, such as through a property assessed clean energy program to allow commercial and residential property owners to borrow or finance funds for energy efficient upgrades.

The final recommendation would be exploring the possibility of supporting the food and agricultural systems at the municipal level, including supporting small-scale gardening and allowing food gardens on private and public lands.

The report will be presented to council at the regular meeting today (Dec. 12). Council will then consider including the priorities within the 2023-2026 strategic plan.