Climate Action
Vancouver is taking urgent action to ensure the safety, security, and stability of our growing community in the face of climate change. How we respond can create opportunities for a healthier, safer, and more equitable community.
As a regional climate leader, the City is developing a wide range of new policies and programs directed by our Climate Action Framework to achieve our community’s climate goals, strengthen our ability to manage impacts that are already here, and make wise investments for the future. Sign up for our Climate Action Updates to receive climate news from the City and information on ways that you can take action.
Climate Action Framework
On Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, after extensive community and stakeholder engagement, City Council approved a resolution to adopt the City’s Climate Action Framework, a roadmap to support a just and equitable transition to community-wide carbon neutrality by 2040 and to build the City’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The following greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals guide our work:
- An 80% reduction in GHG emissions by municipal operations by 2025.
- An 80% reduction in GHG emissions by the Vancouver community by 2030.
- Carbon neutrality by both municipal operations and the Vancouver community by 2040.
Community Emissions 2019
Municipal Emissions 2019
The Framework provides strategies and specific actions to cut carbon emissions and build community resilience across six focus areas:
- Equity and Green Economy
- Buildings and Energy
- Transportation and Land Use
- Natural Systems and Water Resources
- Solid Waste and Wastewater City Governance
Every four years, City staff will work with the community to assess the greenhouse gas reductions that have been achieved and refine the strategies and actions to reflect new policies, technologies, and best available science. The next update of the Climate Action Framework will take place in 2026.
Major Climate Initiatives Underway
- Development of Vancouver’s first Green Building Policy to lay the foundation for future sustainable development community wide.
- Investment in solar power generation at City facilities, including emergency response centers and Pearson Airport.
- Energy efficiency projects at City facilities and identification of opportunities to transition from gas to lower-emission electric systems.
- Lowering emissions of City fleet vehicles by transitioning to cleaner, renewable fuels and introducing new electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.
- Encouraging community shifts to green modes of transportation through Complete Streets projects.
- Increased investment in municipal tree planting capacity to accelerate tree canopy goals.
- Experimenting with and expanding climate- and pollinator-friendly landscape practices in Parks, Greenways, and other City operations.
- Workforce development in Urban Forestry as a green jobs sector.
- Embedding climate action as a core value of Vancouver’s foundational land use and transportation planning efforts.
Documents
Contact us
Rebecca Small, Senior Policy Analyst and Climate Action Lead
360-839-6128
rebecca.small@cityofvancouver.us
Stacey Dalgaard, Associate Climate Project Coordinator
360-947-6503
stacey.dalgaard@cityofvancouver.us