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A peninsula

The Sunshine Coast Regional District developed two plans that move it toward a more sustainable future.

The first is a broad strategy called We Envision: One Coast, Together in Nature, Culture and Community. It sets out 13 interrelated mini-plans to achieve environmental, social and economic goals. These include protecting watersheds that provide drinking water, reducing poverty, and getting more people to use public transit.

The second plan is an energy plan that sets out a range of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Specific goals include enhancing the green building sector and reducing dependency on single-occupant vehicles.

The public helped to develop both plans and will help to implement them. 

Results

Environmental Economic Social
  • Reduces GHG emissions seven percent from 2007 levels by 2031
  • Creates compact communities based on energy-efficient settlement patterns
  • Enhances recycling and resource recovery
  • Saves residents $8.4 million per year if the 2031 GHG target is met
  • Supports regional economy, including jobs in green building, energy and resource recovery, and local food production
  • Eases access to locally produced food
  • Improves health of vulnerable populations
  • Adds natural spaces, parks and recreation opportunities
  • Broadens community awareness of sustainability issues

Challenges

  • The regional district includes three municipalities and five unincorporated electoral districts.
  • The district had to establish baseline emissions profiles and "business as usual" projections for each member municipality, the rural electoral areas and the region as a whole.
  • The public and stakeholders had to engage on a wide variety of issues, including energy, transportation, infrastructure, water, agriculture, solid and liquid waste, and recreation.

Lessons learned

  • The first step in the process — assessing the work already under way in the various communities — was extremely valuable.
  • Such a review can save time and money. It also builds community support and presents a sustainability plan as a logical evolution, building on what has already been accomplished.
  • Developing a community GHG reduction plan is a complex and demanding task that requires a full-time staff person.

Resources

Partners and collaborators

Project contact

Dion Whyte
Manager of Sustainable Services
Sunshine Coast RD, BC
T. 604-885-6819

Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada. 

Visit the projects database

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