The Cowichan Valley Regional District is being recognized for successfully achieving its goal of corporate carbon neutrality in 2018.
In a letter to the district from the Green Communities Committee, a joint venture by the province and the Union of B.C. Municipalities, it stated the CVRD has demonstrated its commitment to work with the province and UCBM to take action on climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the local community and in its corporate operations.
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The GCC was established to support local governments in achieving their climate-change goals.
“The work that your local government has undertaken to reduce and offset its corporate emissions demonstrates significant climate leadership, and sets the stage for broader climate action in the community,” said the letter, signed by Assistant Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Tara Faganello, and UBCM executive director Gary MacIsaac.
“Your leadership and commitment continues to be essential to ensuring the achievement of our collective climate action goals.”
In July, CVRD chairman Ian Morrison said the district doesn’t need to be told to act on climate change created problems because it’s already hard at work, in response to a letter, sent by One Cowichan and endorsed by nearly 50 Valley groups and agencies, asking local government to declare a climate change emergency.
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Morrison said at the time that One Cowichan has accused local governments in the letter of sitting on their hands in regards to climate change, but he said it just isn’t so.
“When a person reads the letter, I read it as if we haven’t been doing much,” he said.
“Well, not only is our rubber on the road, we’re up to speed.”
The letter to the CVRD from the GCC went on to say that, in recognition of the district’s significant achievements in meetings its climate change goals, the GCC will provide the CVRD with carbon-neutral branding for use on official websites and letterheads.
Morrison read the letter to directors at a meeting on Aug. 28.
He said the CVRD has worked hard on efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
“Our staff have been working on this for as long as I’ve been here,” he said.
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
