Vancouver city council approves Climate Emergency Action Plan

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      As far as city council motions go, this one was a doozy.

      Last night, members of Vancouver's council approved a comprehensive Cimate Emergency Action Plan, which aims to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

      The amended motion (see below) was cause for celebration for OneCity councillor Christine Boyle, perhaps the most vocal proponent on council.

      The motion directs staff to report back on how to achieve the plans targets for complete walkable neighbourhoods.

      Council also supported setting a target of 80 percent of trips being made on foot or by bike or transit by 2030 in "current and emerging planning areas around rapid transit stations".

      In addition, council has asked staff to bring back recommendations next year "aimed at eliminating off-street motor vehicle parking requirement minimums, except for spaces required for accessibility".

      One of the most controversial aspects concerns a "transport pricing work plan", which was covered in appendix A of the staff report.

      "For the City to address the largest outstanding gap in how transportation is priced, this means that a portion of vehicle trips in the Metro Core area would incur a fee to account for and improve carbon emissions, air quality, noise, safety, congestion and the use of public space," the report states.

      "If done thoughtfully, this will provide the City with the opportunity to work toward mending enduring inequities in the transportation system. This strategy could act as a test bed for eventual expansion to the broader Metro Vancouver region over time, which would significantly amplify many of the benefits expected at a local level."

      Council voted to ask staff report to back before the end of 2022 on stakeholder engagement and feedback before advancing recommendations in accordance with appendix A;

      The stakeholders will include residents, students, post-secondary institutions, employer and employee organizations, and business improvement associations.

      Read the complete motion below

      A. THAT Council direct staff to report back on specific recommendations and actions on achieving the City’s complete, walkable neighbourhoods target through the Vancouver Plan.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06629)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      B. THAT Council direct staff to seek to exceed the City’s walkable neighbourhoods target in current planning initiatives, such as the Broadway Plan, and that Council adopt a sustainable transportation target of at least 80% of trips being made on foot, bike or transit by 2030 in current and emerging planning areas around rapid transit stations.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06630)

      (Councillor Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      C. THAT Council direct staff to accelerate implementation of the Transportation 2040 directions seeking to ensure that the accessibility needs of seniors and people with disabilities are accommodated.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06631)

      (Councillor Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      D. THAT Council direct staff to assess the feasibility of transport pricing within Vancouver and the distribution of the cost and benefits of the policy across stakeholder groups;

      FURTHER THAT staff report back to Council before the end of 2022 on stakeholder engagement and feedback and do so prior to bringing forward further recommendations related to transport pricing, in accordance with Appendix A;

      FURTHER THAT staff consult with stakeholders including residents, students, post-secondary institutions, employer and employee organizations, and BIAs on the strategy;

      FURTHER THAT staff ensure a pricing strategy supports Covid-19 pandemic recovery, and that the implementation of such a strategy considers the additional pressures experienced by Covid-19, especially by those that are in disproportionately impacted communities;

      FURTHER THAT the additional revenue from such a strategy in part be used to improve access to the Metro Core through new investments and services, and to consider economic protections such as discounts and exemptions for vulnerable residents and businesses;

      AND FURTHER THAT staff work with the Translink Mayors’ Council, Metro Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, Translink, and other regional partners, to assess the feasibility of a transport pricing strategy and consider the impacts on the wider Metro Vancouver region.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06632)

      (Councillors De Genova, Dominato, Hardwick and Kirby-Yung opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      E. THAT Council direct staff to develop 5-year (2021–25) active transportation and transit priority plans and begin to seek implementation in 2021 in accordance with Appendices B1–B4.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06633)

      (Councillors De Genova and Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      F. THAT Council direct staff to develop a City-Wide Transportation Demand Management Action Plan, including the promotion of remote and flexible work, and begin to seek implementation in 2021 in accordance with Appendices C1–2 and Appendix D.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06634)

      (Councillors Hardwick and Kirby-Yung opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      G. THAT Council direct staff to bring forward recommendations in 2021 aimed at eliminating off-street motor vehicle parking requirement minimums, except for spaces required for accessibility, implementing parking maximums, and further supporting sustainable transportation choices in new developments in accordance with Appendix E of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”;

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06635)

      (Councillors De Genova and Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      FURTHER THAT Council direct staff to bring forward recommendations in 2021 to transition toward managing all curbside space, including an on-street parking permit system city-wide to support the elimination of parking requirements in buildings and better manage parking within neighbourhoods, and to support the introduction of carbon pollution surcharges for vehicles in accordance with Appendix F of the above-noted report.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06636)

      (Councillors De Genova, Dominato and Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Bligh abstained from the vote)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      H. THAT Council direct staff to bring forward recommendations in 2021 to apply a residential parking permit surcharge for vehicle model years 2022 and later with the surcharge price accounting for the vehicle’s carbon intensity and cost in accordance with Appendix F oif the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled "Climate Emergency Action Plan".

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06637)

      (Councillors De Genova and Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      I. THAT Council direct staff to develop and seek to implement programs to provide near-home electric vehicles (EV) charging options for residents without foreseeable access to home charging, and to expand access to Fast Charging Hubs and Level 2 charging at suitable amenities across the City in accordance with Appendix G of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06638)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      J. THAT Council direct staff to develop and seek to implement programs to expand access to off-street EV charging infrastructure for Vancouver residents in existing residential rental buildings in accordance with Appendix H of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06639)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      K. THAT Council direct staff to bring forward recommendations in 2021 to increase requirements for off-street EV charging in new non-residential buildings in accordance with Appendix H of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06640)

      (Councillor Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      L. THAT Council direct staff to bring forward recommendations in 2021 to change the business license fees for gas stations and parking lots to encourage installation of EV charging in accordance with Appendix H of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06641)

      (Councillor De Genova opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      M. THAT Council direct staff to develop and seek to implement programs to support the electrification of light-duty passenger fleets, transit and urban freight in accordance with Appendix I of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06642)

      (Councillor Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      N. THAT Council direct staff to bring forward recommendations in 2021 to limit annual carbon pollution from existing large commercial buildings and detached homes beginning in 2025 in accordance with Appendix J of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06643)

      (Councillors De Genova and Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      O. THAT Council direct staff to bring forward recommendations in 2021 requiring energy and emissions reporting (benchmarking) by large commercial and multi-family building and detached home owners by 2023, and for the provision of the tools, systems and programs required to support this reporting in accordance with Appendix J of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06644)

      (Councillors De Genova and Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      P. THAT Council direct staff to seek authority in the Vancouver Charter to facilitate building owner access to favourable financing and third-party investment in deep emissions retrofits by enabling long-term and secure repayment of this investment as part of property tax collection, such as property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing in accordance with Appendix J, making every effort to ensure that renters are protected from displacement and/or rent increases.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06645)

      (Councillors De Genova and Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      Q. THAT Council direct staff to seek to implement the elements of the Zero Emissions Buildings Retrofit Strategy, including the development of incentives, the removal of barriers, support for capacity building, and collaboration with utilities on the provision of renewable energy in accordance with Appendix J of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06646)

      (Councillors De Genova and Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      R. THAT Council direct staff to bring forward recommendations on updates to the Green Buildings Policy for Rezonings in 2021 to set initial limits for embodied carbon in impacted new developments in accordance with Appendix K of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06647)

      (Councillor De Genova opposed)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      S. THAT Council direct staff to bring forward recommendations in 2021 on incentives that encourage the use of materials and practices that substantially reduce embodied carbon from the construction of new buildings in accordance with Appendix K of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”. 

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06648)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      T. THAT Council direct staff to seek to implement the Embodied Carbon Strategy, including the development of additional incentives, the removal of barriers, support for the expansion of industry capacity, and alignment of complementary City strategies for low-carbon construction in accordance with Appendix K of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06649)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      U. THAT Council amend the timeline from fall 2020 to fall 2021 for staff to report back with nature-based carbon sequestration targets and recommended pilot projects, potentially working with local First Nations, Metro Vancouver and other local municipalities.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06650)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      V. THAT Council receive for information the 5-year forecast of City investment requirements (Appendix L of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”) as a road map to enable the City to scale up climate action over the next five years, in line with efforts to achieve our 2030 climate targets.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06651)

      (Councillors Dominato and Hardwick abstained from the vote)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      W. THAT Council direct staff to bring forward in 2021 potential new or additional fees or charges that will encourage low-carbon investments and behaviours, while providing a sustainable funding source to support climate emergency actions.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06652)

      (Councillors De Genova and Hardwick opposed)

      (Councillor Dominato abstained from the vote)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      X. THAT Council endorse climate action as one of the key priorities in the City’s mid to long-term capital planning processes, including development of the next 10-year Capital Strategic Outlook and 4-year Capital plan, recognizing the scale of action needed to achieve our 2030 climate targets.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06653)

      (Councillors Hardwick and Kirby-Yung abstained from the vote)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      Y. THAT Council direct staff to continue pursuit of funding from senior governments and partners to support the implementation of the Climate Emergency Action Plan, including partnering with Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Union of British Columbia Municipalities and Vancouver Economic Commission to advocate for dedicated and sustainable funding sources.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06654)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      Z. THAT Council adopt the indicators framework in accordance with Appendix M of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”, and direct staff to report annually on progress toward the City’s climate change targets and commitments in the Climate Emergency Action Plan.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06655)

      (Councillors De Genova, Dominato and Hardwick abstained from the vote)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      AA. THAT Council direct staff to be available to share knowledge and seek to collaborate with the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations on the development and implementation of climate plans, and explore financial support for the First Nations to help with the development and implementation of their climate plans.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06656)

      (Councillor Hardwick abstained from the vote)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      BB. THAT Council approve the continuation of the Climate and Equity Working Group and direct staff to develop for Council approval a Climate Justice Charter with the Climate and Equity Working Group to ensure equity is integrated and supported through the City’s climate actions in accordance with Appendix N of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06657)

      (Councillors De Genova and Kirby-Yung opposed)

      (Councillor Hardwick abstained from the vote)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      CC. THAT Council direct staff to continue engaging with residents and businesses on the implementation of the actions within the Climate Emergency Action Plan with careful consideration of equity and including efforts to reach disproportionately impacted communities.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06658)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      DD. THAT Council direct staff to prioritize actions that support and improve the effectiveness of the climate emergency initiatives, such as the enforcement of climate-related by-laws in accordance with Appendices J and K of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”. 

      CARRIED (Vote No. 06659)

      (Councillor De Genova opposed)

      (Councillor Hardwick abstained from the vote)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      EE. THAT Council direct staff to continue working with core partners such as the provincial and federal government, BC Hydro, FortisBC, TransLink and Metro Vancouver to advance common regional, provincial and national climate goals in accordance with Appendix O of the Report dated October 22, 2020, entitled, “Climate Emergency Action Plan”.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06660)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest) 

      FF. THAT Council direct staff to use the Vancouver Plan to set the foundation for Vancouver’s next comprehensive environmental plan and bring forward recommendations in 2021 on the next steps to develop that comprehensive environmental plan.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06661)

      (Councillor Hardwick abstained from the vote)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      GG. THAT Council direct staff to include in all CEAP reports, actions, and recommendations, an analysis of how each one will impact households earning under $50K per year and how to mitigate these impacts if they are adverse. 

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06662)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      HH. THAT Council direct staff to work with Translink and the Province to expedite a shift from diesel to 100% electric buses as soon as possible.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06663)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

      II. THAT Council direct staff to utilize the suppression fire fighter 24 hour shift schedule that was implemented as an emergency operational response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a sustainable community trial as part of the Accelerated Actions, Action 14G: Sustainable Community (Appendix Q), with a goal of reducing commuting emissions by 50%; 

      FURTHER THAT staff work in partnership with Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS) and Vancouver Fire Fighters IAFF Local #18 (Local 18) in the design of the trial, including the collection and analysis of data;

      FURTHER THAT the Fire Chief, in discussion with Local 18, determine the duration of the trial; 

      AND FURTHER THAT Council direct staff to report initial results and bring forward recommendations from this sustainable commuting trial to Council no later than Q1 of 2022, including options to continue the trial post-pandemic.

      CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (Vote No. 06664)

      (Councillor Wiebe absent for the vote due to conflict of interest)

       

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