Greenest City 2020 Action Plan

The GCAP outlines the following 10 discrete goals: • Green economy: double the number of green jobs and businesses with green operations • Climate leadership: require all new buildings built after 2020 to be carbon neutral • Green buildings: reduce emissions in existing buildings by 20% over 2007 levels • Green transportation: reduce driving and make the majority of trips by foot, bicycle, and public transit traffic • Zero waste: reduce solid waste going to landfills to 50% of 2008 levels • Access to nature: increase accessibility of green parks, greenways, and other green space, so that all Vancouver residents live within 5 minutes of these spaces • Lighter footprint: reduce Vancouver's ecological footprint by 33% over 2006 levels • Clean water: increase water quality and reduce water consumption per capita by 33% from 2006 levels • Clean air: increase air quality, measured against Metro Vancouver and World Health Organization guidelines • Local food: increase amount of locally grown food == Current status ==

There have been many steps taken to reduce waste and recycle more in the city. Out of all the priority actions, 80% have already been completed. Many “beaches, shorelines and waterfronts throughout Vancouver” have been cleaned up and restored. “Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) have been reduced by 7% across the city” which is an 18% decrease per capita since 2007. Newly constructed buildings are now using 50% less energy than those built elsewhere in the province. The city claimed that cigarettes were the most littered item in the city as the reason for the rollout, as part of the Greenest City action plan. The collected items are sent to TerraCycle for recycling. == Reception ==

Public input In 2015, Vancouver sought input from the general public on the initiative. Some respondents emphasized that the action plan is not enough and that “we need to do more to protect what we have rather than react to what we’ve lost.” Thus, having an active and proactive approach is emphasized rather than a reactive approach. Former city councillor Fred Bass commented that to “save our ecosystems, we need to be heroic [as] we’re facing a real ecological emergency.” The public's main concern is that they want to see measurable and concrete results instead of objectives such as to “secure critical and sensitive habitats and environmental corridors”. The public wants to know how these objectives are being implemented and if they are being achieved. Vancouver was recognized as the third greenest city in the world according to the 2016 Global Green Economy Index, behind only Copenhagen and Stockholm. == References ==