The Toolkit provides BC communities with the latest news, best practices and practical advice to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement their Climate Action Charter commitments. The Toolkit also provides guidance and resources to support local governments to take a more integrated approach to planning that will lead to more resilient, complete, compact and livable communities
Our Partnership
The Toolkit content is developed in collaboration by the Joint-UBCM-Provincial Green Communities Committee (GCC) and Smart Planning for Communities, a program of the Fraser Basin Council. Ideas and contributions for Toolkit content is provided by a wide range of partners including BC local governments, provincial ministries and agencies, selected NGO’s as well as the Toolkit partners.
The Green communities Committee is a Joint Provincial-UBCM committee established under the Climate Action Charter to support local governments in taking action on climate change.
The Green Communities Committee (GCC) is made up of two Toolkit partners;
1. The Province of BC’s Ministry of Community and Rural Development; and
2. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).
The GCC’s intent is to provide climate action support to local governments. The Committee was established in 2007 after BC local governments, UBCM and the Province signed the BC Climate Action Charter. The Climate Action Charter reflects the shared commitment of the Province, UBCM and local governments’ signatories to take action on climate change.
Three GCC Working Groups were formed to provide practical ideas and advice on climate change actions to further support local governments
The groups were:
1. The Working Group on Carbon Neutrality,
2. The Working Group on Small Communities Strategies and Actions
3. The Working Group on Urban Strategies and Actions
The GCC Working Group members were mostly local government practitioners. The goal of each Group was to develop the best advice that could benefit other local governments in their efforts to reduce GHG emissions. They also identified additional opportunities and barriers facing local governments wanting to cut emissions in their communities.
The Working Group on Carbon Neutrality continues to meet and is developing guidance and supports to help local governments achieve the goal of becoming carbon neutral in their corporate operations by 2012.
The Working Group members’ have contributed their wealth of knowledge and experience in taking steps towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Their feedback and advice has been instrumental in shaping the Toolkit and helping to create a climate action resource ‘for local government by local government’. For further information or to contact the GCC please send a message here.
Smart Planning for Communities, a program of the Fraser Basin Council
Smart Planning for Communities is the third Toolkit partner.
Smart Planning for Communities is a collaborative initiative, managed by the Fraser Basin Council, offering the services of skilled Sustainability Facilitators to communities across BC to help address their long-term sustainability challenges. The initiative was developed in response to the call for “Integrated Community Sustainability Planning” (ICSP) in the 2005 Federal/ Provincial/ UBCM Gas Tax Agreement. The Smart Planning for Communities team became a Toolkit partner in the spring of 2009.
They continue to build on the expert advice of the GCC and its Working Groups in the Local Government Actions and Tools sections of this website. Contact any member of the team for further information.
Joan Chess MCIP, Northern Interior Facilitator: Prince George
T: 250 612-0282 E: jchess[at]fraserbasin.bc.ca
Laurie Cordell MCIP, Kootenay Facilitator: Cranbrook
T: 250 489-4860 E: lcordell[at]fraserbasin.bc.ca
Angela Evans MCIP, Vancouver Island Facilitator: Victoria
T: 250 858-6209 E: aevans[at]fraserbasin.bc.ca
Maureen LeBourdais Program Manager, Cariboo-Chilcotin Office: Williams Lake
T: 250 392-1400 E: mlebourdais[a]fraserbasin.bc.ca
Peter Ostergaard MCIP, Province-Wide Energy Specialist: Victoria
T: 250 888-3030 E: postergaard[at]fraserbasin.bc.ca
Donnella Sellars Program Coordinator, Cariboo-Chilcotin Office: Williams Lake
T: 250 392-1400 E: dsellars[at]fraserbasin.bc.ca