Background

Creating the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan

Thousands of community members, organizations, stakeholders, as well as more than 60 City staff participated in creating the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan. (7mb)

Greenest City Action Team

The Greenest City 2020 Action Plan (GCAP) builds on the 2009 work of Mayor Robertson’s Greenest City Action Team. This group of local and internationally recognized experts researched best practices from leading green cities around the world, and established the goals and targets that would make Vancouver the world’s Greenest City. Read their report: Vancouver 2020: A Bright Green Future.   (569 kb)

Recognizing the importance of working toward the goals and targets right away, the team also recommended more than 75 quick-start actions (448 kb) that City staff could begin to act on immediately.

The team then tasked City staff to come up with a more robust plan to outline what would be needed to achieve the goals and targets. The result is the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan.

Public Input

During the development of the GCAP, many people gave their time and ideas. More than 35,000 people from around the world participated in the “Talk Green to Us” public consultation process online, through social media, and in face-to-face workshops or events. Over 9,500 people, actively added their ideas, insights, and feedback to help determine the best path to achieve this plan.

Ongoing Partnerships

Participants often asked how they could begin to take these ideas and make them real in their own backyards, neighbourhoods and businesses.

With over 60 City staff, more than 120 organizations, and thousands of individuals contributing to the creation of the GCAP, we’ve set the example for best practice in citizen collaboration and built the kinds of partnerships required for achieving the Greenest City goals and targets. These efforts will need to continue, with each of us contributing in our own way and in our own lives to becoming the Greenest City.