Campbell River has been chosen as one of three cities across Canada to take part in a pilot project to help communities lower their carbon emissions.
Campbell River, as well as Calgary and the region of Waterloo, Ont. have been selected as pilot communities for the Community Energy Planning: Getting to Implementation (GTI) in Canada initiative.
Dale Littlejohn, executive director of the Community Energy Association, said the goal is to help the city implement a Community Energy Plan which typically targets a range of local issues.
“The objective of the GTI Pilot Communities Initiative is to help communities navigate the challenges associated with community energy planning and to accelerate CEP (Community Energy Plan) implementation,” Littlejohn said. “Each of the three selected Canadian pilot communities will receive expert support from the GTI team to advance the implementation of their CEP over an eight-to-12 month period.”
A Community Energy Plan is a tool that helps define community priorities around energy with a view to improving efficiency, cutting emissions, and driving economic development. It typically includes an energy and greenhouse gas inventory, targets, and an action plan.
While 180 communities across Canada, representing 50 per cent of the population, have such a plan, all communities are facing challenges when it comes to implementation.
“The City of Campbell River is thrilled to have been chosen as one of the GTI Pilot Communities,” said Ron Neufeld, the city’s general manager of operations. “While we have made some progress in terms of implementing our Community Energy and Emissions Plan, we anticipate the expert support of the GTI initiative will help us make significant strides forward towards our vision and goals.”
Brent Gilmour, executive director of Quest, offered his congratulations to the communities of Campbell River, Calgary and the region of Waterloo on their selection as pilot communities.
“We are looking forward to working with them to build Smart Energy Communities through the implementation of CEPs,” Gilmour said. For more about the GTI Pilot Communities Initiative visit, www.gettingtoimplementation.ca/pilotcommunities
The project is an initiative of the Community Energy Association, Quest and Sustainable Prosperity. The Community Energy Association supports local governments in developing and implementing community energy and emissions plans, while Quest is a non-profit organization that conducts research, engagement and advocacy to advance Smart Energy Communities in Canada which improve energy efficiency, enhance reliability, cut costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable Prosperity is a national research and policy network. It focuses on market-based approaches to build a greener, more competitive economy. It brings together business, policy and academic leaders to help innovative ideas inform policy development.