Carbon Neutral Islands Trust

As a signatory to the BC Climate Action Charter the Islands Trust is committed to achieving carbon neutral operations by 2012.

By becoming a carbon neutral organization the Islands Trust will ensure that there is no net increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its activities. Carbon neutrality is generally achieved through three steps:

• Performing an emissions inventory of an organization’s operations.
• Implementing an action plan to reduce emissions.
• Purchasing carbon offsets to counteract emissions that cannot be readily reduced.

The Islands Trust hired a co-op student in 2008 to complete a Corporate Climate Action Plan. The Plan includes an emissions inventory for Islands Trust operations and suggested emission reduction strategies. The emissions were measured in 2007, before the Islands Trust knew the requirements for reporting under the Climate Action Charter. The Islands Trust's achievement of carbon-neutrality by 2012 will be assessed using the appropriate methodology at the time.

While the Islands Trust works towards fulfilling its carbon neutral commitments by 2012, staff and Trustees are already taking the following steps to reduce the Islands Trust’s carbon footprint:

Transportation

• Sought changes to provincial regulations to allow for electronic committee meetings
• Adopting Islands Trust Council Bylaw No. 133 to enable the Islands Trust Executive Committee to hold special meetings in an entirely electronic fashion and permit up to two individual members of the Executive Committee to attend regular meetings through electronic means.
• Scheduling consecutive Executive and Financial Planning Committee meetings.
• Encouraging car pooling by staff and Trustees.
• Installing a bicycle locker outside the Victoria office.

Energy Use

• Placing BC PowerSmart reminder stickers to turn off lights.
• Turning computers off when not in use.
• Installing T8 fluorescent lamps and CFL bulbs in Salt Spring and Northern offices.

Paper Consumption

• Using 100% recycled copy paper in all offices.
• Setting all printer defaults to print double-sided.
• Collecting single sided paper in the Victoria office for re-use by another organization.
• Holding as many paper-less meetings as possible, including all Executive Committee meetings.
• Distributing Islands Trust policy manuals and updates to new trustees and staff electronically.
• Using electronic newsletters and web-sites wherever possible.

Other

• Eliminating disposable dishes, cutlery and beverage containers from office meetings.
• Composting lunchroom waste.
• Recycling all other recyclable materials.