A resilient and low carbon community where all people and nature thrive.
The Climate and Environment Strategy is the City’s guide for making decisions that foster a resilient urban and natural environment, today and over the coming decade.
This is the City's first comprehensive guide to planning and decision-making related to climate mitigation and adaptation, and climate resilience of the natural environment. City Council endorsed the Strategy on June 17, 2024.
The Path Forward
The Climate and Environment Strategy sets four strategic pathways, each with clear policy directions and tactics. It includes an implementation plan with targets and metrics for monitoring and reporting, and priority projects – which will drive action and accountability.
The key targets of the Strategy are to: increase our urban tree canopy, decarbonize our Community Energy System, shift to active modes of transportation, and accelerate prefabricated low-carbon construction projects in the City.
Learn more about each of the pathways below.
Less Grey, More Green
Restore, protect, and enhance natural areas and biodiversity on public and private property.
TARGET
Grow the City’s urban tree canopy coverage to 22-24% by 2035 – to be confirmed through the City’s forthcoming Urban Forest Plan.
HOW WE'LL GET THERE
- Position the environment and climate priorities at the core of land use and transportation planning, and at the foundation of decision-making.
- Integrate an updated hazard, risk, and vulnerability analysis approach to ensure safe and resilient land use planning, and for the management of the City’s public infrastructure and natural assets.
- Protect and grow the City’s park and public space system, natural areas, urban forest, and habitat connectivity.
- Protect and improve biodiversity, the health of flora and fauna, and improve soil health for a changing climate.
- Improve stream and riparian health and water quality across the City and as it flows to the Burrard Inlet.
- Enhance and restore the City’s foreshore while adapting to rising sea levels.
- Better utilize rainwater, recharge groundwater, and reduce impervious surfaces on public and private property.
- Conserve drinking water and promote education concerning water management, particularly during times of shortage.
- Reduce noise, light, and air pollution.
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Climate Resilient Buildings
Transition to a resilient building stock through improvements to new and existing buildings.
TARGET
Low-carbon heat to supply 40% of the Community Energy System by 2027, and 60% by 2030.
HOW WE'LL GET THERE
- Implement energy and carbon performance standards for existing buildings.
- Incentivize and remove barriers to low carbon and resilient retrofits, including buildings connected to the community energy system.
- Undertake low carbon and resilient retrofits of City buildings.
- Transition to high efficiency, zero carbon building standards that are adapted to a changing climate and extreme weather events.
- Use the development process to demonstrate leadership in resilience and innovation for buildings and sites.
- Increase public and industry awareness and action regarding the energy and carbon performance of buildings.
- Reduce the embodied carbon of building materials and construction projects.
- Ensure the City’s community energy system meets our climate goals, including the transition to renewable energy.
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Connected Neighbourhoods
Build compact and mixed-use communities that support zero emission and active modes of transportation.
TARGET
50% of trips in the City are taken by walking, rolling and transit by 2030 – supporting the City’s Mobility Strategy.
HOW WE'LL GET THERE
- Use the City’s land use planning and policy framework to create a City of low carbon and resilient neighbourhoods that enable access to daily needs and greenspace within a short walk or roll from home.
- Increase the utilization, comfort, and climate resilience of the City’s active transportation network – adopting a seamless and integrated experience between sustainable modes.
- Increase the number of climate resilient transit shelters in the City.
- Support and enable the switch to zero emission passenger vehicles (ZEVs) and the electrification of medium and heavy duty vehicles.
- Increase access to zero emissions mobility-sharing and car-sharing services.
- Decarbonize the City’s fleet and equipment, and make low-carbon travel the most attractive option for City staff trips.
- Transition to sustainable urban logistics.
Empowered Choices
Foster a low-impact and circular economy that empowers our community to move to a zero carbon and zero waste future.
TARGET
Annual increase of prefabricated construction projects in the City.
HOW WE'LL GET THERE
- Embed a culture of reducing and rethinking the use of products and materials into City policies and communications.
- Support reusing, repairing and repurposing of materials to extend the life of goods in circulation.
- Increase the recovery and recycling of resources such as food and construction materials to reduce waste.
- Shift to the consumption of low-impact food, products and services and support businesses making this transition.
- Expand and diversify opportunities to grow and process more food locally, and foster learning and knowledge-sharing about local food and cultural plants.
- Encourage and facilitate the sharing of resources, food, and common amenities, such lending libraries, shared laundry rooms, and consumer goods rental services.
- Provide leadership, education and resources – including incentives, grants, awards, and regularized funding – to support community-driven change.
- Advocate and coordinate for legislation that strengthens the circular economy across products’ full lifecycle such as durability and right-to-repair standards, and extended producer responsibility.
- Expand the City’s culture of innovative sustainable operations within the City’s processes, procurement and financial practices through interdisciplinary collaboration.
