Leading Local Governments and Initiatives

Source: Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Every Year, the FCM has community energy missions to learn from international action on community energy planning.

The Mayors for Climate Protection web site is one result of an ongoing collaboration among four organizations – the US Conference of Mayors, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the City of Seattle, and the Sundance Preserve – to provide leadership to promote climate protection in cities in the United States.

The GVRD is developing a comprehensive bottom-up plan for GHG reduction.  This plan is extremely useful since it is built up from specific detailed measures and impacts.

Source: Vancouver, BC: International Centre for Sustainable Cities (ICSC)

Operational arm of Vancouver's Sustainable Cities Foundation. Focuses on sustainable urban development by demonstrating Canadian experience and technology. Includes information on topics such as urban greening.

Source: International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)

International association of local governments that is dedicated to preventing and solving local, regional, and global environmental problems through local action.

Source: International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Works to promote sustainable development in decision-making internationally and within Canada. Advances policy recommendations in areas such as international trade and investment, economic instruments, climate change, measurement and indicators, and natural resource management to make development sustainable.

Source: Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD)

Provides the framework for making regional land use and transportation decisions in partnership with the GVRD's member municipalities, the provincial government, and other agencies.

Source: Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Best practices in sustainable communities with a strong focus on energy.

Source: City of North Vancouver

The City of North Vancouver won the 2005 Energy Aware Award for its plan.

Source: University of British Columbia. Sustainable Development Research Institute.

Fosters research on sustainable development issues that is policy-relevant, interdisciplinary, and involves non-academic partners. Recognizes the linkages between environment and development issues, the increasing importance of environmental issues in the decisions of governments and industry, and the need to connect environmental imperatives directly to economic and social priorities. Seeks to develop research 'tools' that provide users with the capability to make up their own minds about the complex issues surrounding sustainable development. Fosters multi-stakeholder and collaborative research processes and workshops to put current understanding from the research community in the hands of the user community. Website includes links to the SRDI's publications, research, and outreach programs.

Source: City of Vancouver

The City of Vancouver has both a corporate greenhouse gas action plan as well as a community climate action plan.