Municipalities in BC have pledged to reduce their community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% by 2050—that’s our share of worldwide deduction necessary to maintain an average global warming of 2 degrees. Households directly account for 40% of BC’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and Central Saanich is committed to working with residents to improve our homes and infrastructure.
The municipality's corporate operations have been carbon neutral since 2015! We currently purchase some carbon offsets, and we will continue to require less offsets as we reduce our GHG emissions by replacing our light duty vehicles with electric models.
Goal 1: 80% less community-scale GHG emissions by 2050, relative to 2007
Goal 2: 100% renewable energy community-wide by 2050
Goal 3: 90% less GHG emissions from municipal operations by 2050, relative to 2007.
On July 8, 2019, Central Saanich Council declared a climate emergency. The level of climate action needed requires a coordinated effort, we are commitment to working with the community, partners, and other levels of government on our bold and necessary Climate Leadership Plan.
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For new construction, the District has...
- created the Development Cost Charges (DCC's) Reduction bylaw where, if eligible, the District's DCCs are reduced by 30%. A development project may be eligible if building energy efficient housing.
- adopted the BC Energy Step Code, Step 3, for new houses built after a rezoning process.
- completed the public consultation on the BC Energy Step Code for all new construction, and details on adoption of the Step Code will be presented to Council in th near future.
Stay tuned as the District reveals a new program to support the retrofit of existing buildings.
With the addition of 360 solar panels, Central Saanich’s Fire Station 1 is a shining example of cost-effective renewable energy. The new photovoltaic system, to be unveiled July 19, can generate up to 80% of current energy consumption. The expected return on investment is less than 12 years.
The development approval process is an opportunity for Council to request improvements to the development that help meet the goals outlined in the Climate Leadership Plan. Examples of these requests could be
- compact, affordable housing
- electric car charging stations
- modo car memberships
- BC Energy Step Code construction, better than base building code
We are participating in the CRD's Regional Electric Vehicle/Electric Bike Charging Infrastructure Strategy, which will add a network of charging stations throughout the region.
Through a partnership with Modo, the District of Central Saanich now has three car share vehicles available. Two vehicles are located in Saanichton Village—one of which is electric — and the third is in Brentwood Bay at the Cultural Centre, For locations see our website(External link). Car sharing is a terrific way to see fewer vehicles on the road. To learn more or join Modo, visit www.modo.coop(External link).
We are rolling on the early stages of developing an Active Transportation Plan. Follow this project on: https://letstalkcentralsaanich.ca/activetransportation
We’re adding electric and MODO vehicles to our light duty fleet.
We are currently working on an update to our Tree bylaw.
A number of areas in the District have been identified as a Development Permit area for the protection of the natural environment, its ecosystems and biological diversity. These areas include:
- Riparian and Sensitive Aquatic Ecosystems (creeks, streams etc)
- Marine Shoreline
- Sensitive Terrestrial Ecosystems
More information on these areas is available in the Official Community Plan or in the Planning section here.
Pesticide use is prohibited, by bylaw no. 1688, on any public land in Central Saanich.
