CEEP - Community Energy and Emission Plan
As part of the City’s ongoing efforts to reduce its impact on climate change, the City endorsed an updated Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP 2050) in 2022.
This Plan provides a roadmap to approaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The complete CEEP can be reviewed here, and is organized into 5 key areas, as presented below.
Part 1 – Defining the Challenge: includes an exploration of the climate challenge we are facing, and the particular impacts and emissions in New Westminster.
Part 2 – CEEP Actions: is organized into five key action areas, including targets for each area, and 55 specific implementation actions. The five action areas are:
- Transportation – supporting sustainable transportation such as biking, eMicromobility (e-bikes, etc.), and electric vehicles;
- Buildings – retrofitting existing buildings and requiring new buildings to be built to high energy efficiency standards that helps reduce emissions;
- Energy – supporting energy conservation, district energy, and renewable energy;
- Waste and circular economy – reducing waste and embracing circular economy principles, which involves reusing, sharing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials for as long as possible; and
- Natural systems – preserving and enhancing natural areas and the urban tree canopy, and increasing the use of green infrastructure.
The biggest opportunities for GHG reduction are in the transportation and buildings sectors. Recommended actions in these areas look to ensure we reduce energy demand first, improve efficiency, and ultimately switch fuel sources to low carbon sources. This approach will help increase the resiliency of our electricity grid and make us better prepared to withstand the effects of climate change.
Implementation of the CEEP will need to include flexibility, to ensure the City can adapt and pivot as new action opportunities arise with policy and technological change. Ensuring actions are implemented in an equitable way will also be critical to ensuring the transition to a low-carbon community benefits everyone.
CEEP 2050 Development
The City conducted a variety of engagement activities from October 2021 to February 2022 to gather input on the CEEP development. Community and industry feedback and perspectives, combined with research and science, helped shape a comprehensive, updated made-in-New West plan to guide the City towards a low carbon, resilient, and equitable future. A summary of community engagement and key findings is available here.