The City of Burnaby has become the eighth Metro Vancouver municipality to declare a climate emergency.

Burnaby’s city council announced emission reduction targets while declaring a climate emergency today (September 10).

City staff are being directed to develop a plan, in which emissions reductions will accelerate in all sectors in Burnaby, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The City of Burnaby has set emission targets of a 45 percent reduction by 2030 and a 75 percent reduction by 2040.

These targets are consistent with regional, provincial, and national levels but are also on par with those set by the International Panel on Climate Change that will keep global temperature increases at a maximum of 1.5 C.

Current efforts to reduce carbon emissions in Burnaby include developing a City Corporate Energy Strategy, updating the Transportation Plan, and proceeding with the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Pilot Project.

Other Metro Vancouver municipalities that have declared a climate emergency include Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster, Port Moody, West Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver as well as the District of North Vancouver.

Canada’s House of Commons declared a climate emergency in June.