Metro Vancouver's goal is to cut carbon emissions by 45%. So far, it's down 1%

The needle has barely moved on greenhouse-gas reductions in Metro Vancouver, according to an annual report that tracks the region’s carbon emissions, employment growth and efforts to create compact urban centres.

The annual performance monitoring report that will be tabled at a regional district meeting on Friday estimates greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions are 14.8 million tonnes, a drop of only one per cent from the 2010 baseline year.

Metro Vancouver has a target of reducing emissions in the region by 45 per cent by 2030 and zero by 2050.

“There’s definitely a gap right now. And we’re going to have to be more aggressive in our policies,” said Lisa Dominato, chairwoman of Metro Vancouver’s climate action committee and a Vancouver city councillor.

She said the two biggest areas of focus for Metro Vancouver are road transportation and buildings, as they represent 65 per cent of emissions. Both areas require the co-operation of municipalities that control land-use policy and spending on infrastructure. Metro Vancouver, with a population of 2.64 million, stretches from Vancouver to Langley and includes the North Shore, Richmond, Surrey and the Tsawwassen First Nation.

The Metro Vancouver board is also examining other areas to push emissions down such as industry, where it could play a role in setting GHG limits in permits as it has the authority from the province for air quality in the region, noted Dominato.

Metro Vancouver also works with its 23 members to help create compact communities that provide comprehensive services in core urban areas, a planning strategy meant to reduce travel and the use of cars and increase walking and biking. The strategy can help reduce carbon emissions.

Dominato said to get more people out of their cars it’s also important to have a transit system that is efficient and accessible to all people. She noted there are parts of Metro Vancouver where that must be improved.

The latest annual performance monitoring report notes that between 2006 and 2016 (the latest year for which numbers are available) 40 per cent of the region’s dwelling unit growth took place in its 26 urban centres that include downtown cores and areas such as the Broadway corridor in Vancouver.

During that same period until 2016, 33 per cent of regional employment growth was within the region’s urban centres. The report noted this growth trend isn’t on track with the regional target of 50 per cent.

Metro Vancouver spokesman Don Bradley noted that growth information is expected to be updated this year.

“The 33 per cent is only a five-year snapshot on a 30-year target, so drawing any conclusions is not recommended,” said Bradley. “We are moving from an era of more job sprawl in further-flung office/business parks and are seeing more growth in urban centres.”

Andréanne Doyon, an assistant professor and director of the resource and environmental planning program at Simon Fraser University, says governments have more carbon reduction levers through legislation and bylaws in areas such as requiring more energy efficient buildings and supplying them with clean energy than on ensuring job growth takes place where people live.

She pointed out that while one family member in a home may work close to where they live that isn’t likely to be the same for other family members.

COVID-19 has also influenced how people choose to commute, she noted. People who are concerned about infection may choose to drive instead of use transit, adding to emissions, said Doyon.

The province also holds major policy levers to reduce emissions, including for buildings codes, carbon content of fuel and carbon taxes.

B.C. as a whole has also not made much progress in reducing emissions, just one per cent lower in 2020 than its baseline year of 2007.

ghoekstra@postmedia.com

twitter.com/gordon_hoekstra

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