At their regular meeting on Monday, May 26, 2019, Colwood Council endorsed the Capital Regional District (CRD) Board's climate declaration. Read the report and watch video of the meeting.
As a seaside community surrounded by nature, Colwood understands the potential impacts of our changing climate and has been a leader in taking action to reduce energy use and emissions.
Climate leadership
Colwood Council views this climate declaration as a continuation of the City’s climate leadership, building upon initiatives like the Solar Colwood program, electric vehicle conversion, and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies outlined in the Official Community Plan.
- The Solar Colwood program engaged the entire community in reducing energy consumption and making renewable energy options more accessible.
- The City’s Official Community Plan promotes growth in town centres while taking extra care in environmentally sensitive shoreline and hillside areas to minimize climate impacts. It also recommends creation of a Community Energy and Emissions Plan to defines achievable emission reduction targets.
- Most recently, Colwood is one of seven communities participating in an International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Canada Island-wide project to increase understanding of how a changing climate could affect our community’s quality of life, and to make a plan to reduce the risks.
Next steps
Council directed staff to prepare a follow-up report outlining options for accelerating action and taking near-term steps to address climate change at the municipal level.
