Climate Emergency Response

Climate Emergency Response report

The report contains big moves to reduce Vancouver's carbon pollution by building and expanding on our existing work to fight climate change. As well, it contains accelerated actions that will help us ramp-up local action right away.

Six big moves

The six big moves will reduce Vancouver’s carbon pollution by building on and expanding on our existing work to fight climate change. 

1. Walkable complete communities

By 2030, 90% of people live within an easy walk and roll of their daily needs.

2. Safe and convenient active transportation and transit

By 2030, two thirds of trips in Vancouver will be by active transportation and transit.

3. Pollution free cars, trucks and buses

By 2030, 50% of the kilometres driven on Vancouver’s roads will be by zero emissions vehicles.

4. Zero emission space and water heating

By 2025, all new and replacement heating and hot water systems will be zero emissions. 

5. Lower carbon construction

By 2030, the embodied emissions from new buildings and construction projects will be reduced by 40% compared to a 2018 baseline.

6. Restored forests and coast

By fall 2020, to develop “negative emission” targets that can be achieved by restoring forest and coastal ecosystems.

53 accelerated actions

The report includes 53 accelerated actions to help us ramp-up our local action right away. 

Examples of the accelerated actions:

• Make it more affordable and easier to get a permit for heat pumps
• Transition the Neighbourhood Energy Utility from 70% (today) to 100% renewable energy before 2030
• Develop a power supply plan for film, food trucks, and special events to help them transition off of diesel and propane generators, which are also significant contributors to noise and air pollution

Vancouver declares climate emergency

Vancouver is joining hundreds of cities around the world in declaring a climate emergency and committing to reduce emissions locally.

Buildings and transportation emit over 95% of the carbon pollution in Vancouver. That is why we are investing in new infrastructure, transitioning to cleaner sources of energy, and changing the way we plan and design our neighbourhoods and buildings.

We have a solid foundation to build from, which includes developing climate action policies since the 1990’s and a commitment to eliminate our dependency on fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy before 2050.

Why we need to accelerate climate action 

When Canada signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, we joined a global commitment to keep global warming below 2°C, and as close to 1.5°C as possible. In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) External web site, opens in new tab released a major report making a case to strive for 1.5°C. Every degree of warming beyond this threshold will lead to increased risks of extreme weather, more wildfires and floods, and increases in sea level rise.

If we fail to limit these impacts, climate change will be a threat to global stability.

Climate action is for everybody

We’re forming an Equity Working Group to ensure that equity has a central place in the City’s climate emergency and sustainability work moving forward.