Metro Vancouver’s Clean Air Plan, which contains actions meant to provide deep reductions in regional greenhouse gas emissions and yield air quality health benefits estimated at up to $1.6 billion, has been approved by the Board of Directors.
Urgent action is needed to accelerate greenhouse gas reductions to meet ambitious, science-based climate targets, while continuing to implement policies and programs to improve regional air quality. The plan includes 29 foundational “big moves” that should be started as soon as possible, and cover areas such as transportation, buildings, industry, agriculture, health and equity.
Many actions in the Clean Air Plan will be implemented through Metro Vancouver’s regulatory and planning authority, delivery of regional services, and its role as a convener and advocate of issues of regional significance. The plan also identifies actions for implementation by other governments and organizations.
Initial modelling indicates the plan’s actions could reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions by about two million tonnes by 2030 (2015 emissions were approximately 15 million tonnes). The actions over the next nine years will evolve through Climate 2050, Metro Vancouver’s long-term strategy to address climate change in the region, and be updated in order to achieve the 2030 target.
