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Saanich’s 2020 climate plan up for another award

District among eight nominees for 2020 Climate and Energy Action Awards
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Saanich’s 2020 climate plan is nominated for the 2020 Climate and Energy Action Awards. (Devon Bidal/News Staff)

Saanich may soon add another climate award to its trophy shelf.

On July 17, the Climate Energy Association (CEA) announced nominees for the 2020 Climate and Energy Action Awards and Saanich is among eight municipalities in the running.

Each year, the CEA, BC Hydro, Fortis BC the province, the Real Estate Foundation of BC and the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) present awards in three categories: community planning and development, corporate operations and climate adaptation. In 2018, Victoria won the community planning and development award for its All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Network.

This year, CEA recognized Saanich for its 2020 Climate Plan – 100% Renewable and Resilient Saanich.

Mayor Fred Haynes said the nomination is another in a series of recognitions Saanich has received for this climate plan and demonstrates the municipality’s dedication to addressing the issue.

In June, Saanich also nabbed a silver award for excellence in policy planning from the Planning Institute of British Columbia for its 2020 Climate Plan.

The 100% Renewable and Resilient Saanich plan stands on the shoulders of “decades of climate leadership” in the District, Haynes said.

Haynes noted that Saanich has taken a number of other actions to reach its climate goals – which include reducing carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and moving to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050. The municipality has adopted the One Planet Living framework which provides a guide for meeting sustainability goals and living within the resources of one planet and, in May, Saanich joined the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy – an international alliance of municipalities working to fight climate change.

Taking climate action is “not a ‘nice to do,’ it’s a ‘must-do’,” Haynes said, adding that the District needs to continue to set an example for residents.

The winners of the Climate Energy Association will be announced during the virtual 2020 Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in September.


@devonscarlett
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devon.bidal@saanichnews.com