Local Trust Committee and Island Municipality Climate Actions
NOTE: For information on the climate change actions, notes of meetings, and decisions of individual local trust committees visit the "Projects, Bylaws Reviews and Reports" sections of local trust committee webpages which are linked through the drop-down menu at the top right of this webpage.
The authority of Local Trust Committees (LTCs) is defined by the Islands Trust Act and the Local Government Act. These Acts grant Local Trust Committees jurisdiction over land use and development – two of the key drivers of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The LTC areas of responsibility relevant to GHG emissions include:
- Official community plans
- Zoning
- Density bonus
- Parking (including parking variance)
- Runoff control (including max percentage of land that can be covered by impermeable surfaces)
- Screening and landscaping
- Development permit areas
- Development approval information areas or circumstances
- Subdivision servicing standards for roads, sidewalks, water distribution, sewage collection and disposal, and drainage.
Complying with Bill 27, the Local Government (Green Communities) Statutes Amendment Act is currently the primary focus of our climate change work. Nineteen Official Community Plans must be amended by May 31, 2010 to include targets, policies, and actions to reduce GHG emissions. To assist our elected officials in meeting the goal the Islands Trust has prepared the Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Islands Trust Area (1MB PDF) document.
Examples of Local Trust Committee Climate Actions/Resources:
Salt Spring Island LTA
Official Community Plan. Includes policies on climate change.
Salt Spring Island Sustainability Checklist for Residential Development.
Salt Spring Community Energy Strategy. A community-based organization that has produced several relevant studies and reports:
The Salt Spring Island Energy Strategy measures emissions, sets short-term reduction targets to reduce energy consumption and GHGs to 2002 levels by 2012, and recommends actions to achieve these targets
The Energy and GHG Implications of Different Settlement Patterns on Salt Spring Island
Microhydro Feasibility Study for Salt Spring Island
Community Action on Energy Efficiency (CAEE) Pilot Community. Established targets for energy consumption in new and existing buildings, and produced several relevant studies and reports:
Density Bonus & Other Policy Options for Energy Efficiency
Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis for New Residential Buildings
Plan to Farm An Area Farm Plan for Salt Spring Island. To be integrated into OCP to encourage local food growing.
Denman Island LTA
Official Community Plan. Includes policies on climate change.
Bowen Island Municipal Council is responsible for governing the municipality under the authority of the Community Charter, Local Government Act and the Island Trust Act. Unlike local trust committees, a municipality is also responsible for solid waste and other public works functions, and so has greater scope to influence the GHG footprint of the community.
Bowen Island’s leadership on the climate change issue has resulted in the resources listed below and their Sustainability Planning page provides highlights of their achievements.
Examples of Bowen Island Municipality Climate Actions/Resources:
Community Energy Planning Options Report. Established a baseline inventory of energy consumption and GHG emissions and provided policy options to reduce emissions.
May 2007 Greenhouse Gas Action Plan. Updates the GHG emissions inventory, outlines actions taken since 2003, and provides new policy recommendations to reduce emissions.
Green Buildings Standards for Residential Re-zoning Policy. Used to evaluate the energy efficiency and green building practices of all residential rezoning applications
Community Action on Energy Efficiency (CAEE) Pilot Community. Committed to adopting standards for new residential construction requiring rezoning; creating building/development guidelines; and integrating community energy plan options into a broader community planning framework.
Draft 2020 Vision and Sustainability Framework. Includes energy and emissions as key elements, and establishes GHG reduction target of 33% below 2007 levels by 2020; 80% below 2007 levels by 2050. It also establishes a target to reduce emissions from transportation by 50% by the year 2020 (2007 baseline).
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