The City of Coquitlam has received numerous letters from the public requesting a formal declaration of Climate Emergency.

At the Regular Council meeting on December 16, 2019, Council unanimously endorsed the following motion:

“The City of Coquitlam Council acknowledges that the impacts of climate change are becoming more severe, that all levels of government around the world and their citizens must act with more urgency to lower GHG emissions, and therefore Coquitlam’s Environmental Sustainability Plan currently being developed, should include corporate and community reduction targets including exploring the actions required to achieve the IPCC targets.”

As the City moves forward with developing Coquitlam’s Environmental Sustainability Plan (ESP), staff will review the City’s existing GHG reduction targets and explore the actions required to achieve the IPCC targets. The ESP will include Climate Action as one of five key themes and our process to develop the ESP will take into consideration feedback from the public, which includes the points raised in the letters sent to Council.

To learn more about the City of Coquitlam’s climate action initiatives, please visit our website at coquitlam.ca/climateaction.

Wondering about the five theme areas of the Environmental Sustainability Plan and what they mean? Here are some descriptions and examples of work the City has done in these areas.

· Climate Action –Energy management, greenhouse gas emissions reduction and climate adaptation. Examples of related work to date include energy-efficiency City building upgrades and installation of LED streetlights and electric vehicle charging stations in the community.

· Built Environment –Urban design, transportation and buildings. Examples of work to date include neighbourhood design promoting walking, cycling and transit use, and encouraging a greater range of housing options.

· Natural Areas, Wildlife and Habitat – Natural areas, parks and green spaces, watercourses, riparian areas, biodiversity, wildlife and habitat, and forest and tree management. Examples of related work to date include bylaws to protect watercourses, tree and forest management, and promoting co-existence with wildlife as a Bear Smart Community.

· Water Management – Water conservation, water quality monitoring and storm water management. Examples of related work to date include a long standing water conservation program, integrated stormwater management planning, an erosion and sediment control management strategy and bylaw requirements that protect water quality and the City’s drainage system network.

· Waste Management – Reducing, reusing and recycling solid waste, including garbage, recyclables and green waste. Examples of related work to date include curbside collection of garbage, organics and recyclables, city-wide garage sales, large item pickup, and the city-owned and staffed Town Centre Recycling Depot.

Have a question about these theme areas or about the ESP? Go to the "Ask a Question" section and post your question.

On Dec. 6, the ESP hosted a pop-up engagement booth at the City Centre Library. During the pop-up facility, users had an opportunity to learn more about the ESP and complete the survey to provide their valuable input. This was the final public engagement activity of Phase II of the ESP.

On Dec. 6 the ESP project team attended the Urban Development Institute (UDI) / City of Coquitlam Liaison Committee Meeting. The UDI is a non-profit association of the development industry and its related professions. Attendees provided input and feedback on environmental sustainability in Coquitlam from a development industry perspective.

On November 27, 2019 The ESP project team attended the Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC) final meeting of 2019. Some of the Committee’s objectives include fostering awareness and understanding of the City’s multicultural population/diversity and initiating/facilitating discussion around existing and emerging multiculturalism issues. MAC provided feedback on the ESP themes from this perspective.

On Nov. 26, the ESP project team visited the Sustainability and Environmental Advisory Committee (SEAC) meeting. This committee has provided valuable input throughout the development of the ESP thus far. In fact, the idea to develop an environmental strategic plan was initially raised at the November 28, 2017 meeting of the City's SEAC during a discussion about the City's community and neighbourhood planning processes and the various plans that support these processes. The SEAC members observed that within the list of supporting plans and documents, there was not one listed that relates specifically to environment and sustainability. Staff subsequently recommended to develop a strategic Environmental Sustainability Plan.

During the Nov. 26 2019 SEAC meeting, the project team provided a general update on the project and the SEAC members completed the ESP survey activity.

On November 25^th the Gleneagle Secondary Green Team completed an engagement activity to provide their feedback on the ESP. The group consists of grade 11 and 12 students with a keen interest in environment. They identified greenhouse gas reduction, waste management, and fish, wildlife and habitat as top three topics that they believe the City should be focusing on.

The ESP team hosted a pop-up booth at Dogwood Pavilion on November 20^th. This facility is a social recreation centre for adults 50 years or better to get together, make new friends and enjoy a variety of leisure activities. During the pop-up facility users had an opportunity to learn more about the ESP and complete the survey to provide their valuable input.

On November 19^th a member of the ESP project support team attend the Charles Best Secondary – Force of Nature Environmental Team’s weekly meeting. This group of high school students participated in an engagement activity and discussion regarding environmental sustainability at their school, in , and beyond.

City of Coquitlam is asking residents about climate change action and other environment issues in an online survey

Tri-City News
November 14, 2019 11:10 AM

View the article on the Tri-City News

Coquitlam residents have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the city’s future when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.

Climate change effects are already being seen in extreme weather, droughts, torrential rains leading to mud slides in our creeks and rivers, and a noticeable reduction in salmon returns and some bird species.

So now is not the time to quibble about whether we are facing a climate emergency. We are.

Councils may or may not choose to declare a climate emergency but all cities have come to the realization that they must do something to ensure the long-term resiliency and sustainability of their communities.

Thus, the city of Coquitlam is asking its citizens to complete an online survey at coquitlam.ca/enviroplan, to help create a “flexible framework to help guide future decisions.”

This Environmental Sustainability Plan and survey is no window dressing, or green-washing, Coquitlam has to adapt and it will take a clear vision — and money — to make it happen. Those who don’t participate in the survey can’t complain when it is introduced.

The city of New Westminster, meanwhile, offers some perspective in how climate change can be addressed and what it may cost. Earlier this year, an analysis of upgrades to capital assets found that an additional $650,000 per year might be needed because making changes to reduce carbon emissions, such as electrification of the vehicle fleet, would cost money.

But aside from those direct expenses, which may or may not come to be, the city set out what it considers to be a bold seven-step plan to reduce carbon emissions, and Coquitlam may be looking at some or all of these types of things.

Among the steps New West is planning include achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030, accelerating a car-light community with 60% of all trips in sustainable modes (such as walking or cycling), an increase to the urban forest canopy, encouragement of pollution-free vehicles, carbon-free homes and buildings, with requirements that new and replacement heating and water systems be emission-free, and the establishment of a smart electrical grid for building and vehicle electrification.

The may seem like a grand plan but may be necessary to ward off the worst effects of climate change. And while Coquitlam has already made steps to reduce carbon emissions, the next phase of the plan will likely affect taxpayers directly. The plan being considered will take into account climate action, water management, the built environment, natural areas, wildlife and habitat, and waste management.

This is where you come in. As residents, you will want to have a say in how this carbon-free future is carried out. So don’t delay, fill out that survey soon because the deadline is Nov. 30.

If you believe the city must have a plan in place to deal with climate change, make sure you have a say in what that plan should be.