Low Carbon Resilience: Community Conversation

City Green Solutions, BC Hydro, and municipal partners are undertaking a Study to better understand the costs and benefits of heat pump installations across British Columbia. Space heating accounts for a large percentage of a home’s energy consumption and heat pumps are considered the most energy-efficient, and climate-friendly, space heating option on the market today.

What is the Make the Switch Study?

• This Study aims to analyze the costs (purchase and operating) and homeowner motivations for switching from heating with natural gas to heating with an electric air-source heat pump.
• The Make the Switch Study will be recruiting participants from July 07 2021 to July 30 2021.

What are the benefits of participating?

• Receive $100.00 CAD for providing your utility billing data and completing the Make the Switch Survey.
• Support research that improves understanding the purchase and operating costs and homeowners motivations for switching to an electric air source heat pump.
• Contribute to the future development of home energy improvement and climate action programs in your community.

Who is eligible?

Homeowners who:

1. Are full time residents of British Columbia.
2. Have converted their primary heating system from natural gas furnace or boiler to an all-electric air source heat pump between January 01 2018 to October 31 2020.
3. Do not have a natural gas, oil, or propane furnace or boiler back-up for the heat pump. Fireplaces are acceptable.
4. Live in a single family detached home, town home, duplex, row home or mobile home.
5. Are willing to provide utility billing data for their natural gas and electricity utilities from 2016 to 2021 inclusive, or for as far back as they are able to access, and to complete a program Survey.

Register for the Make the Switch Study

Registrants that are selected for the Study will be contacted directly. This form is a preliminary registration form to identify homeowners interested in completing the Make the Switch Survey and providing their utility bills for analysis.

Selected participants will be introduced to a program administrator who can provide support with accessing utility data or completing the online Survey.

Participants will receive a $100.00 CAD incentive for completing the Survey and submitting utility billing data.

How do I participate?

You can sign up for the Study by completing the registration form here.

At the April 26, 2021 Regular Meeting of Council, Council resolved:
THAT Sooke's emissions reduction target be set as follows: a 50% cut from 2018 GHG emissions levels, by 2030 or 7% per year. This target should be in effect until supplanted by an equivalent or stronger target in the OCP.

Further discussions on how in relation to District programs and policies are underway, continuing both through the Climate Action Committee and the Official Community Plan Advisory Committee. To participate in public meetings, please see the Council Committees page of the District website. Please also stay tuned to this page for further updates.

Looking to learn more about your carbon footprint? The District now has a CARBON CALCULATOR. Use the Carbon Calculator to find out how many tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) you emit in a year. The lower your GHG emissions, the lower your impact on our planet's climate.

Source: co2living.com

April 22, 2021 - Earth Day, April 22, and every day. More than a billion people in 193 countries participate in Earth Day activities each year. This year, in Sooke, the District invites you to join a conversation on low carbon resilience as Earth Day activities take place around the world.

Welcome! How and where to participate:

Join a Community Discussion (register to participate):

• Let's talk transportation - participate in the discussion here
• Let's talk heating - participate in the discussion here

Share Your Story (register to participate):

• What are you doing today to lower your carbon footprint? Share the action you are taking. Do you: drive an electric car? have solar panels? grow your own food? made a change to travel by car less?
• What has your experience been like? What did you wish you knew sooner? What benefits have you experienced by making these changes?

Participate in quick polls (no registration required):

• How do you get around most often?
• How many times a week do you drive from Sooke to Greater Victoria (incl. Langford)?
• If you drive, have your driving habits changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?

We are just getting started so and anticipate as more residents join, we will expand the conversation topics. Have a question about the platform or an idea for low carbon resilience conversation topics? Please share in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by and engaging with us!

April 19, 2021 - Two members of the Climate Action Committee (CAC), Anna Russell (Lead, CAC Data Group, Masters in Public Administration - specialization in public policy research) and Elizabeth Lange (Lead, CAC Education/Engagement Group, PhD in Adult and Lifelong Education - specialization in transformative sustainability education), presented to the Committee of the Whole on behalf of the Climate Action Committee.

Three recommendations were carried unanimously:

• THAT the Climate Action Committee recommend to Council that Sooke’s emissions reduction target be set as follows: a 50% cut from 2018 GHG emission levels, by 2030 or 7% per year. This target should be in effect until supplanted by an equivalent or stronger target in the OCP.
• THAT the Climate Action Committee recommend to Council that the CAC's Data Working Group should meet with the OCP Advisory Committee, Sooke planning staff and the representative from Sustainable Solutions Group to discuss GHG target setting in the OCP and provide our advice on what this OCP target should be.
• THAT the Climate Action Committee recommend to Council that $7,500 be drawn from the Carbon Tax Rebate Reserve Fund to hire communications consultant Denise Withers to assist the Education & Engagement Working Group and the District’s Communications Coordinator in the design and launch of the first steps in a climate action citizen-mobilization campaign.

WATCH the recording, 39-minute mark to 1:58-minute mark:

April 19, 2021 - Gemma Martin, Sooke Communities Health Network, presented to the Committee of the Whole on Homelessness in the Sooke Region.

Read the report: Amidst the Paradise Homelessness in the Sooke Region.

WATCH the presentation and discussion: 6:30-35:00

April 19, 2021 - During the quarterly strategic priorities update to Committee of the Whole, CAO Norm McInnis updated Council on the progress of the identified strategic priorities.

For the full presentation and discussion, WATCH the recording 2:03:00-2:29:30.

For presentation on "Goal #2: Demonstrate leadership in climate action in response to the climate emergency" AND "Goal #3: Manage long-term growth while enhancing community, vitality, and safety" WATCH the recording 2:09:30-2:10:35 (NOW Action items) AND 2:13:00-2:14:00.

March 22, 2021 - The District of Sooke Committee of the Whole voted to recommend that Council formally adopt Low Carbon Resilience, as defined by the Integrated Climate Action for BC Communities Initiative, as the District of Sooke's definition of green lens/climate first. Low Carbon Resilience is a type of green lens that balances the co-benefits of environmental, economic and social determinants and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals. The District of Sooke Council Strategic Plan references a "green lens\climate first" approach to planning. The green lens\climate first reference is without a definition. The recommendation that Low Carbon Resilience be the definition helps to ensure Council and staff have a shared understanding to support subsequent planning.

February 2019 - The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board identified Climate Action & Environmental Stewardship as a priority for the region and approved a motion to declare a climate emergency.

A growing list of cities has joined an international movement to declare a state of emergency regarding the climate crisis, promising to accelerate their climate action efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. The CRD is developing and implementing strategies to address this issue. At the community level, the Regional Climate Action Strategy guides the CRD’s services to support community-focused climate mitigation and adaptation action over the next five years.

The Strategy aligns with federal, provincial and regional initiatives to ensure a coordinated approach that identifies all opportunities and maximizes region-wide benefits.

April 12, 2017 - The CRD Board approved the Regional Climate Action Strategy, learn more.

2008 - The CRD signed the BC Climate Action Charter.

The B.C. Climate Action Charter is a voluntary agreement between the B.C. government, Union of B.C. Municipalities and each local government signatory to take action on climate change.

The Charter was launched at the 2007 UBCM Convention. Since then, almost every local government in B.C.—187 of 190 municipalities, regional districts and the Islands Trust—has signed the Charter.