SLRD Climate and Energy Action Plan

The Squamish–Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) will create the first energy descent plan (EDP) in Canada - a Climate and Energy Action Plan that reduces carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by building energy resilience into the community. Producing the plan will involve regional corporate and community GHG and energy audits, updates to official community plans to include relevant emissions targets, a targeted oil vulnerability audit (OVA) that can then be used to model energy vulnerabilities in any sector and an Energy (Peak Oil) Task Force to identify vulnerabilities from oil price shocks and energy scarcity. The resultant EDP will include clear short-, medium-, and long-term actions and targets. This comprehensive, cross-sectoral approach to sustainability—but especially the OVA and the EDP, which are the unique components to Canada—can serve as a model for other regional districts. The SLRD’s Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) already emphasizes Smart Growth, GHG reductions, and green transportation options. The Climate and Energy Action Plan will complement the RGS and take long-term resilience planning for the SLRD to a much deeper level. The Energy Task Force preparing the plan will obtain stakeholder representation from various sectors: water, waste, transportation, energy, housing, land use, brownfields, tourism, business, and food and agriculture, among others. The draft Task Force report will then be presented across the region at public open houses to solicit additional feedback before finalization.

(Project description from original funding application)