June, 2007
The Green Action Plan proposed by Councillor Jonathan Cote includes a variety of action items for the City of New Westminster’s consideration:
- Promote sustainable development in the existing downtown area and in other areas near SkyTrain.
- Preserve open spaces, such as public parks, plazas and natural areas.
- Promote high density and infill development.
- Implement policies to limit suburban sprawl.
- Protect green zones, agricultural land and industrial land within the municipality.
- Promote the creation of a local farmers’ market.
- Incorporate energy management in the official community plan.
- Reduce commercial and residential parking standards in neighbourhoods that are served well by public transportation.
- Purchase fuel-efficient and/or smaller fleet vehicles.
- Develop a pedestrian charter.
- Encourage carpooling and transit use by municipal employees.
- Equip police officers with bicycles.
- Pass an idling bylaw in the community.
- Improve signal synchronization.
- Reduce the number of vehicles in the municipal fleet.
- Initiate a Be Tire Smart tire maintenance program.
- Require bicycle storage in new commercial and residential buildings.
- Conduct an energy audit of municipal facilities.
- Perform energy-efficient lighting retrofits on all municipal buildings.
- Install building/office occupancy sensors.
- Perform heating, cooling and ventilation system retrofits.
- Install energy efficient traffic lights.
- Invite B.C. Hydro Power Smart programs to New Westminster.
- Install energy efficient street lights.
- Establish a green procurement policy for all municipal equipment.
- Provide green buildings information to the public.
- Share the efforts and knowledge of the city’s green building resources.
- Include energy efficiency requirements in the city building codes.
- Encourage the installation of geothermal heating systems in new construction.
- Promote tree planting to increase shading and to absorb carbon dioxide.
- Maintain healthy urban forests and street trees.
- Implement naturescaping and improve the biodiversity of landscaping at municipal sites.
- Expand recycling programs.
- Implement organic and yard debris collection and composting.
- Implement solid waste reduction programs for facilities.
- Consider a waste-to-energy facility for the community.
- Set aggressive recycling targets/goals.
- Educate the public about existing programs to boost compliance.
- Implement penalties for noncompliance with recycling programs.
- Establish a system for reuse or recycling of construction and demolition materials.
- Establish a reuse website that provides a forum for citizens to exchange household items they wish to give away.
- Educate city staff about global warming pollution and its importance to their work and the city’s mission.
- Help educate the public, schools, professional associations, business and industry about the effects of global warming.
- Hold Energy Awareness Day/Week or a community energy challenge.
- Publish energy conservation tips on the city page in the local media.
- Showcase industries, neighbourhoods and developments that are showing leadership on climate change initiatives.
