District is seeking volunteers for a climate leadership team as it starts work on a plan to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.
The Centre for Sustainability in Whistler and the Community Energy Association have been engaged to develop the plan which will include setting a baseline of where Squamish is today, developing an inventory of current emissions and setting targets that will support meeting the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal.
A review of best practices and leading policies will help inform a set of actions to move Squamish towards the 2030 goal.
Squamish joins 26 other communities across British Columbia and over 400 across Canada in pursuit of emergency climate action.
“This plan will outline bold steps that our community can take to act on climate change now to create positive local and global impacts,” says District of Squamish Acting Mayor Jenna Stoner.
The district plan is in support of the international effort to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In order to achieve this goal, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that emissions must be reduced by at least 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050.
The community is encouraged to participate in the development of the plan, expected to be complete by January 2020.
District will invite community input through a survey, public open house, a workshop with commercial, industrial and institutional stakeholders, and through participation on a volunteer Climate Leadership Team, which will act as champions for the plan, advise staff on plan content, and act as plan ambassadors within their industry and peer groups. Approximately three meetings will be held between now and December.
Applicants with expertise and passion for community-wide greenhouse gas reduction methods from buildings, transportation and industry, as well as an understanding of the Squamish community are invited to apply.
Visit Squamish.ca/climate-leadership for details. The deadline to apply is September 29, 2019.
