Coquitlam approves climate action plan; GHG reduction targets aspirational

In their bid to turn Coquitlam into a “healthy, low-carbon city,” city council recently approved a climate action plan.

Using the year 2007 as a baseline, Coquitlam has a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent by 2030 – a target that elicited some skepticism from Coun. Brent Asmundson.

“I just think we want to be a little more realistic and let the public know where we’re at,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll be at 45 [percent].”

The effort to cut GHGs is somewhat outside the city’s control, acknowledged Coquitlam’s environmental manager Caresse Selk.

“I can say that we’re making good progress toward our targets,” she said. “Realistically, at this point in time, I would think of the targets maybe a little more aspirationally.”

Approximately 50 percent of emissions in Coquitlam are from transportation, Asmundson noted, emphasizing the importance of boosting TransLink funding.

“We need those other levels of government to step up,” he said, adding that the city will have a tough time cutting GHGs until the province pledges more money for TransLink.

Approximately 46 percent of Coquitlam’s GHG are from buildings, with most of those emissions attributable to fossil fuels used in heating.

“By making our buildings more efficient and switching to low-carbon energy sources like electricity, we can cut emissions while also adding cooling to keep homes and workplaces safe and comfortable all year,” the climate action report stated.

A key part of the city’s climate plan involves reducing the amount of garbage – particularly construction waste – sent to the landfill, noted Coun. Craig Hodge.

Since 2016, the city has moved 36 houses which otherwise might have been demolished, Hodge said, emphasizing the need to preserve more houses.

“Just in the Burquitlam area alone there’s 200 homes that we’ve got to try to keep out of landfills,” he said.

City operations account for one percent of the total emissions in Coquitlam. However, it’s still important to do what you can, Hodge noted.

“We have to certainly, as a city lead by example but also make sure that we encourage residents to do their bit.”

The city also has a climate adaptation plan which is intended to help Coquitlam deal with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change.

“These changes put our health and safety, local businesses, infrastructure and natural systems at risk,” the report stated.

Between 2007 and 2020, GHGs ticked up about half of one percent in Coquitlam. However, given that the city’s population swelled by approximately 25,000 in that period, Coquitlam has experienced a 17 percent drop in GHGs on a per capita basis.