Greenhouse Gas Emission Community Action Plan Approved by Vaughan Council
April 9, 2014
In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from community sources, Vaughan Council has approved the Greenhouse Gas Emission Community Action Plan. The plan is an important component of Green Directions Vaughan, the City’s Community Sustainability and Environmental Master Plan.
In May 2011, Council approved Vaughan’s participation in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection program – a five-milestone framework. Vaughan completed milestone one, a greenhouse gas inventory, in May 2013, and received approval to move forward with the next two milestones.
The Community Action Plan outlines how the City will achieve its community greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and sets a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent per capita below the 2006 baseline year by 2026.
QUOTE
“The City of Vaughan is committed to environmental sustainability and creating a greener future by establishing an environmental ethic and the goals of an eco-friendly urban lifestyle. We understand the importance of taking a leadership role and encouraging action at the community level in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are committed to building a strong culture of conservation and this Community Action Plan outlines the actions we must all take at work and at home. The steps we take now will have a direct impact on the health and prosperity of our community today, and in the future.”
-Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
QUICK FACTS
- The Community Action Plan was developed through a collaborative and stakeholder-driven process that included a 40-member steering committee, a community forum, an online idea scale and community surveys
- The nine actions under the Community Action Plan will result in a greenhouse gas emission reduction equal to taking 100,000 cars off the road each year
- Of the nine actions, the construction requirements for new developments, both residential and commercial, active transportation and transportation demand management, and industrial, commercial and institutional energy conservation and efficiency retrofits, are the top initiatives which have the greatest potential for greenhouse gas avoidance by 2026
- Partners for Climate Protection is the Canadian component of Local Governments for Sustainability Cities for Climate Protection network, which involves more than 900 communities worldwide
- Since the program’s inception in 1998, 254 Canadian municipalities have joined, making a public commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
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