Today’s Poll

Draft of regional district climate action plan to be discussed in online forum

Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
March 16th, 2023

Public reaction to the draft climate action plan will be gauged today as the regional district is hosting its first public information session on the booklet.

Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) staff will be hosting the first of two online public information sessions Wednesday, March 15 (3-4 p.m.) on its draft Climate Actions plan.

Meeting links (click on):

• Wednesday, March 15 – 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Tuesday, March 21 – 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

The climate actions plan has a rural connection, with 10 “pathways” to reduce carbon pollution, noted a press release from the regional district Tuesday morning.

“RDCK Climate Actions centres the rural experience, integrates equity into climate action, and focuses on building a culture that supports action,” it read.

The actions are organized across 10 pathways: land use and planning; transportation and mobility; energy; buildings; resource recovery; water; food and agriculture; floods and geohazards; wildfire; and leadership and operations.

The action plan comes out of the RDCK Climate Action Strategy with the goal of a more resilient region and low carbon operations, said RDCK board chair Aimee Watson, in the release. 

“RDCK Climate Actions is a four-year action plan focused on solutions that work within a rural landscape,” she said. “Responding to the climate crisis requires participation from all of us. The RDCK is laying out our pathway to a low carbon future with the ultimate goal of supporting resilient communities, reducing risks of climate change while building healthy and sustainable communities.”

There are a total of 96 actions detailed in the draft, with over 60 pulled from various departments within the RDCK, and the remaining actions gleaned from consultations with experts and community engagement.

Examples of the actions include:

• transition the RDCK corporate fleet to zero emission vehicles;

• develop an RDCK Asset Management Plan with climate resilience lens;

• support local producers to implement climate-adapted agricultural strategies; and

• integrate an assessment of climate impacts in RDCK Board reporting.

Further afield

• The draft climate action plan can be viewed here: RDCK Climate Actions.

• The workbook can be viewed here: Climate Action workbook.

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