Local government climate action highlights

These stories demonstrate the ongoing leadership and experiences of communities across the province in areas such as land use planning, climate adaptation, buildings, transportation, waste, water and energy. 

These climate action highlights are accurate as of August 2023.

On this page

• Charge North Level 2 EV charging network
• Active transportation corridor
• Community wildfire resilience plan
• Sustainable asset management
• Advancing the BC Energy Step Code
• Equity and community climate action
• Coordinated land use and transportation planning

Charge North Level 2 EV charging network

North Coast Regional District

The North Coast Regional District, in partnership with the Community Energy Association and partnering local governments, implemented the Charge North Level 2 EV charging network for north and central B.C.

The initiative received federal and provincial funding through the CleanBC Communities Fund and includes the following desired outcomes:

• Reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from transportation
• Increase the amount of charging stations in the region
• Make electric vehicle (EV) ownership feasible and accelerate the adoption of low-emission vehicles in the region
• Support economic development and tourism

Active transportation corridor

qathet Regional District

In 2021, the qathet Regional District (qRD) completed a five-kilometre active transportation route connecting Powell River's urban centre to Electoral Area B. The route, adjacent to the highway, gives locals a safe and reliable route for biking, walking and other means of transport and includes a pedestrian bridge that crosses Myrtle Creek. This new connecting route lowers GHG emissions by providing a safe alternative to driving a personal vehicle. The qRD partnered with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and the project was supported through gas tax funding.

In 2022, the qRD worked with BC Transit to increase and expand the region’s rural-paratransit service (a service to supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables) and continues to explore future service expansion opportunities. 

Community wildfire resilience plan

Uchucklesaht Tribe Government

In 2021, Uchucklesaht Tribe Government developed a community wildfire resilience plan to improve safety and reduce risk of property damage from wildfires, which has been exacerbated by climate change. The community has implemented recommendations from this plan, including landscape buffering and FireSmart education.

Sustainable asset management

City of North Vancouver

Advancing the BC Energy Step Code

City of Nelson

In 2020, the City of Nelson amended the City Building Bylaw to accelerate the adoption of the BC Energy Step Code. They required new residential buildings to meet a higher Step Code standard (Step 3) and introduced a Step Code standard (Step 2) for complex developments.

In 2021, the City of Nelson initiated the Low Carbon Homes Pilot to determine if higher Step Code levels could be achieved without increasing embodied carbon emissions. They discovered that constructing highly energy-efficient, low embodied carbon homes was possible and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing Step Code.

In 2023, the City of Nelson amended their Building Bylaw to mandate that all new residential buildings must meet either:

• Step 4 of the BC Energy Step Code, or
• Step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code alongside EL-3 of the new BC Zero Carbon Step Code

Equity and community climate action

City of Kamloops

The City of Kamloops' Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) commits to evaluating opportunities and challenges for equity and climate justice upon implementation. As the climate crisis affects people differently, staff seek to design, implement, and promote climate action measures that target the barriers faced by those most impacted by climate change (for example, by promoting income-qualifying rebates for home energy retrofits).

Social and Community Development staff are engaged with local social services agencies on climate issues such as heat response measures.

Climate and Sustainability staff work collaboratively with the local Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc staff on climate action and updates.

Local economic development and business groups were part of the CCAP advisory, and an economic analysis was undertaken to provide insight into employment creation opportunities that could result from climate action. 

Coordinated land use and transportation planning

Kelowna Council

In 2022, Kelowna Council endorsed both its Official Community Plan (OCP) and Transportation Master Plan, which, for the first time, were developed in tandem to ensure coordinated land use and transportation planning. Kelowna's OCP supports the creation of more complete, compact communities by:

• Utilizing a unique district-based approach, providing each district with its own policies that speak to the unique context and approach to accommodating growth
• Including a pillar to "stop planning new suburban neighbourhoods." This signals that, beyond what is already approved, there will be no new expansion beyond the Permanent Growth Boundary
• Directing 73 percent of future residential growth to Urban Centres and the Core Area
• Identifying a network of "Transit Supportive Corridors" where more housing and jobs will be focused. These corridors will connect major employment hubs and the fastest growing areas with improved transit service
• Signaling more opportunities for residential infill and redevelopment across the Core Area to:
  • Increase housing variety while allowing compact growth
  • Protect critical agricultural lands
  • Position the City of Kelowna to address its infrastructure deficit
• Providing flexibility in the Core Area for a variety of housing types and other key ingredients for great neighbourhoods, such as small-scale commercial opportunities and institutional uses
• Accommodating 76 percent of new residential growth in multi-unit buildings