Energy plans put small city on a sustainable track

City of Pitt Meadows’ Sustainability Plans

The City of Pitt Meadows developed two complementary plans to guide the municipality in reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. One plan addresses emissions from municipal operations; the other covers emissions from community properties and activities.

The measures in the plan for municipal operations focus on city buildings, the city fleet, water and wastewater, and solid waste. The community plan is broader in scope, addressing issues related to land use, urban design, transportation planning, as well as emissions from residential, commercial and industrial properties and solid waste. Reduction measures include things like promoting energy-efficiency in buildings, encouraging waste heat recovery in industrial facilities, launching a zero-waste challenge, and increasing transit ridership.

The plans will help the city balance growth with protection of the environment.

Results

Challenges

• Balancing future development and planning challenges in a small but growing municipality.
• Carrying out preparation of the plans within a limited budget.
• Completing the process in a reasonable amount of time.

Lessons learned

• To successfully develop an energy plan, community engagement should be fostered and sustained - which takes preparation and resources.
• Be patient and realistic with expectations, and listen to community members.
• Make sure consultants have relevant experience and keep them on track with frequent update meetings.

Partners and Collaborators

• City of Pitt Meadows
• FCM's Green Municipal Fund

Project Contact

Laurie Darcus
Director of Corporate Services
City of Pitt Meadows, BC
T. 604-465-2433