On September 28 at the 2011 Union of BC Municipalities Convention, Minister Terry Lake presented the cities of Vancouver, Dawson Creek and Colwood with Climate & Energy Action Awards. Burns Lake, Coquitlam and the Carbon Neutral Kootenays project received Honourable Mentions.
"I want to thank these communities because they demonstrate how local governments across B.C. are being creative in the quest to reduce the size of their carbon footprint," said Minister Lake. "Local governments that become more energy-efficient are showing they can save money while addressing climate change."
- The City of Vancouver won in the Community Planning and Development category for the Greenest City Action Plan. The Plan’s ambitious goals are already being implemented thanks to staff commitment from all departments and the leadership of Mayor Robertson and Council.
- The City of Dawson Creek won in the Corporate Operations category for its Internal Carbon Fund of $100/tonne to support emissions reduction projects.
- The City of Colwood won the Public Sector Collaboration category for the Solar Colwood Initiative. A unique collaboration between the City, Royal Roads University and BC Hydro, Solar Colwood is targeting energy retrofits of 1,000 homes in the community.
"The awards draw attention to the diverse challenges of achieving energy sustainability – and to the creativity and tenacity of those who are aiming to overcome them," said Dan Rogers Chair, Community Energy Association and Mayor of the City of Prince George.
Honourable Mentions were awarded to:
- Village of Burns Lake for a bioenergy retrofit of the Tom Forsyth Memorial Arena.
- City of Coquitlam for its holistic approach to reducing emissions from City buildings.
- The Carbon Neutral Kootenays project, a regional collaboration between Kootenay local governments and the Columbia Basin Trust.
A copy of the news release is available below.
The awards are organized annually by the Community Energy Association in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, Union of B.C. Municipalities, B.C. Hydro and FortisBC.
There were a record number of 26 applications for the 2011 Climate & Energy Action Awards this year. Applicants have created innovative financing approaches, formed strong implementation mechanisms, involved staff at all levels and shown exemplary energy leadership. Each of these communities has demonstrated that energy innovation is possible for communities of all sizes.
Please see the links below for a list of applicants and project titles and for application executive summaries.
