Energy Conservation, Air Quality and Climate Change

 

• Energy Efficiency, Air Quality and Climate Change
  
• Partners for Climate Protection Program
  
• Local Air Quality Study
  
• Anti-Idling
  

 

Energy Efficiency, Air Quality and Climate Change

The City of New Westminster is committed to protecting the natural environment and is playing a part in regional, national and international efforts related to both energy conservation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

New Westminster is committed to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and is participating in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate Protection Program. The City is currently implementing activities identified in the Green Action Plan. The Green Action Plan provides a set of GHG reduction initiatives that can be implemented at a local level.

Corporately, the City formed an Energy Management Committee in 2007 to provide a professional and coordinated approach to energy management of municipal operations. The Committee was instrumental in creating a Memorandum of Agreement that allows BC Hydro to offer the full complement of its Power Smart programs to the City’s electricity customers. City citizens can now take advantage of energy conservation and increased energy savings, both at home and the office. Check out the incentives that the Power Smart Program offers.

Did you know?
The pedestrian crossing signal at 6^th Street and Queens Avenue is powered by the sun!

The City has a new strategic priority, namely Climate Change and the Environment Strategic Priority.

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Partners for Climate Protection Program 

 

 

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate protection (PCP) program is a network of 151 Canadian municipal governments who have committed to reducing greenhouse gases and acting on climate change, of which New Westminster is an active member.

 

 The PCP program is based on a five-milestone framework:

1. Completing a greenhouse gas emission inventory
2. Setting a local emissions reduction target
3. Developing a plan to reach reduction target
4. Implementing the plan
5. Monitoring actions and results

In 2008, the City of New Westminster completed milestones #1, 2, and 3 for its municipal operations. The resulting Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management Plan states that the City can reduce its 2007 corporate greenhouse gas emissions quantity by 1,311 tonnes CO2e, or 15% by 2017.

More information on the Plan's details and recommendations can be found in the Corporate Greenhouse Gas Plan Executive Summary.

For more information, please visit the national PCP program website.

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Local Air Quality Study

Metro Vancouver (GVRD) has initiated a special study on the air quality in New Westminster as a follow-up to the New Westminster (Front Street) Air Quality Monitoring Study in 2004.  Since April 2009, specific air contaminants (e.g., nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particulate matter 2.5) have been monitored at Front Street (by the Parkade) and at a station in Sapperton Park.  The goal of the study is to gain a better understanding of air contaminant dispersion and the impact of vehicle emissions on the local air quality. Metro Vancouver’s aim is to monitor until spring 2010.

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Anti-Idling

The millions of Canadians who drive vehicles every day can take actions to help save fuel and money, and reduce tailpipe emissions that contribute to climate change and air pollution. Some actions include, avoiding jackrabbit starts, maintaining proper tire pressure, carefully planning trips by combing errands, or even walking or taking a bus instead of the car. But one of the easiest actions that motorists can take is to avoid unnecessary idling.

Many people are unaware of these basic idling-related facts:

1. With today's engines, the best way to warm it up is to drive it - assuming your windows are clear. Modern engines need less than 30 seconds of warm-up idling.
2. 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting your engine.
3. Idling can actually damage your engine components and reduce engine life by 20%.
4. Reducing idling by just 10 minutes a day saves of $70 per year in fuel AND reduces greenhouse gas emission by 1/4 tonne a year!

As part of the City's commitment to protect the natural environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, an anti-idling bylaw was adopted by New Westminster City Council in October 2008.

According to the bylaw, idling for more than three minutes is prohibited on city streets. Please review the Anti-idling Bylaw for more information and the exemptions to the rule.

Did you know?
This anti-idling initiative is supported by both the Federal government and the Province of BC.

Please check out their websites for more information:
Natural Resources Canada

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