City of Kamloops GHG Community Action Strategy

The City of Kamloops (with a population of 90,280) is developing a greenhouse gas (GHG) Community Action Strategy in order to reduce energy and GHG emissions and support economic and social priorities for local residents and businesses. The GHG Community Action Strategy will use sophisticated energy and emission modelling and mapping tools to update the baseline GHG inventory, will set targets using a bottom-up approach, and will develop a high impact action plan to reduce GHG emissions. Although the specific targets will be set as part of the planning process, the City of Kamloops hopes to establish a 50% community-wide reduction target by 2050 and a 25% by 2030 below 2007 levels. The City of Kamloops joined FCM’s Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program in 1996, and the Community GHG Action Strategy will work within the PCP milestone framework to achieve milestones 3-5 as well as BC Hydro’s community energy planning program requirements. The Plan will address climate change in a manner that maximizes opportunity for residents, businesses and institutions. The project will have a high impact communications and engagement process that enables Council, senior management, key staff, stakeholders and the public to gain energy and emission knowledge and contribute to the planning process with the aim of optimizing priorities and buy in for implementation. Stakeholder engagement methods will include a website for external engagement, a public forum and stakeholder workshops and roundtables. Engagement will be supported by a coherent and strategic approach to communications that considers the key audiences the City is interested in reaching. The City of Kamloops will generate energy inventories, forecasts, performance indicators and illustrative mapping outputs using a hybridized version of its Community Energy and Emissions Modelling and Planning (CEEMAP) tool. A triple bottom line analysis will be used to contrast strategy options, as well as optimize strategies. The Plan will deliver some key strategic frameworks for key local priorities including: a low carbon affordability agenda; a residential retrofit agenda; a community renewable natural gas road map; EV charging infrastructure Jump Start Strategy; and a near net zero construction framework. The triple bottom line analysis will consider multiple priorities including affordability, forest and farmland protection, civic infrastructure and asset management, local economic development and job creation, traffic congestion and public health and active lifestyles. Successful implementation of the GHG Community Action Strategy will bring tangible financial, social, and environmental benefits to local residents and businesses in the City of Kamloops.