The Regional District of East Kootenay is seeking public input on their Climate Action Plan. The goal of the plan is to increase climate resilience and reduce emissions contributing to climate change.
The plan will lay out how the RDEK can make that happen both in the region and in the RDEK’s corporate operations.
This can include any actions that work to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases. The more GHG gas emissions are reduced the less intense climate changes will be over time.
The Plan will set targets to reduce community and corporate greenhouse gas emissions, identify actions in key areas that will set out how the RDEK will help meet these targets and identify actions to help the community become more resilient to changes in our climate. It will also provide guidance on the expenditure of the RDEK’s Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) funds. These funds are provided to local governments in British Columbia to help achieve provincial climate goals outlined in the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 and the Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy.
A survey has been established and will remain open until November 30 at the Climate Action Project page on the RDEK website, engage.rdek.bc.ca/climate
“Here in the RDEK we are experiencing things like more extreme wildfires, flooding, hotter summers, and poor air quality from wildfire smoke. These events have a direct impact on the health of residents, and we want to hear about the challenges people are facing around mental, emotional, and community health,” said RDEK Planner Krista Gilbert. “We collectively have an opportunity to reduce our contribution to local greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and to become a more resilient region.”
Pinna Sustainability has been hired as a consultant to help develop the Plan. The RDEK has also secured additional funding for the project from FortisBC through its Climate Action Partners program.