The City of Colwood has a strong commitment to climate action and is currently implementing a Climate Action Plan endorsed in 2023.  Colwood became a signatory of the BC Climate Action Charter in 2007 and Colwood Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019.  Highlights of Colwood climate initiatives are listed below and more to come as we actively work in collaboration for climate action with the community, key stakeholders, senior government and other partners.

Colwood Council and City staff are committed to helping our community reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use to minimize the impacts of climate change, while also adapting to make Colwood as resilient to the changing climate.

A few highlights of Colwood's developing leadership and actions to date include:

	Establishment of an internal Climate Action Team
	Electrifying our fleet and equipment (see Colwood's shift to zero emissions vehicles)
	Planning forReducing building emissions in new construction as well as municipal and community building retrofits (related work: Colwood moves toward adoption of Zero Carbon Step Code)
	Annual increases in sidewalks, bike lanes, and other active transportation infrastructure
	Local/regional partnerships for climate action

Municipal leadership in Colwood towards a net-zero and resilient community requires:

• Interdepartmental collaboration and climate-trained staff
• Collaboration and partnerships within the community, region and beyond
• Integrated climate action and internal tools to enable effective decision-making and maximizing co-benefits of climate action
• Effective communication on the urgency and approaches of climate action
• Having updated climate projections for planning and response

Leadership History

	Green Business Practices: Colwood City Hall was the first office on Vancouver Island to earn Green Certification from the Vancouver Island Green Business Certification (VIGBC). The Colwood Fire and Public Works Departments have since both earned certification.
	Solar Colwood 2011 – 2015: The Solar Colwood program resulted in 1,000+ renewable energy and energy saving upgrades
	Climate Planning: 2018 – 2020 Colwood was one of eight Vancouver Island communities in a collaborative adaptation assessment and planning program with ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) Canada
	Climate Leader: In 2018 Colwood was recognized as a Climate Leader by the province and the UBCM

Find out more about our current climate action work linked from our Sustainability and Climate Action webpage.