Invest Vancouver, Metro Vancouver’s regional economic development service, and the B.C. government are celebrating Clean Transportation Month this June, holding events and recognizing organizations and individuals at the forefront of clean transportation solutions.
According to the regional district, transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Metro Vancouver region, accounting for more than 40 per cent of all emissions.
Strategies at the regional, provincial and national level, including CleanBC, Climate 2050, 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan and Transport 2050, are working together to encourage innovation, generate clean jobs, reach net zero, as well as achieve a stronger and resilient green economy, this district notes.
Transportation is also a key component of the City of Delta’s new Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP), recently endorsed by council, containing a series of proposed actions to encourage shifting beyond the car and encouraging active transportation.
Prominent is Delta’s Cycling Master Plan, creating additional protected lanes, and the ongoing Electric Vehicle Strategy, increasing the number of electric vehicle (EV) chargers available to the public.
The report notes in Delta, as of 2019, passenger vehicles contributed the largest proportion of emissions at 37 per cent. Commercial vehicles followed closely in emissions at 31 per cent, which the report notes is unusually high compared to other Metro Vancouver communities, but can be explained by Deltaport being a hub for commercial goods and higher per cent of heavy-duty vehicles registered in Delta.
The CEEP outlines several goals to including optimizing land use planning for compact community growth, increasing walking, cycling and other forms of zero emission mobility, as well as increasing transit ridership and supporting a transition to a zero-emission transit network.
The goals also include electrifying passenger transportation, enable charging on-the-go, enabling charging at home and at work, encouraging EVs through outreach and supportive policies, decarbonizing commercial transportation and accelerating the adoption of zero emission vehicles and low carbon fuels for commercial fleets.
However, when it comes to decarbonizing commercial transportation, the report notes local government impact on that sector is currently limited due to lack of availability of commercial-sized EVs, and commercial fleets being owned and operated either privately or from other orders of government.
The city owns and operates more than 30 public Level 2 charging stations at civic facilities and plans to have around 20 more installed this year, along with one DC fast charge station at the North Delta Recreation Centre. It’s all part of the Electric Vehicle Strategy.
The Metro Vancouver Board earlier this year endorsed the regional district submitting several climate action resolutions to the Union of BC Municipalities including calling on the province for even more funding for EV charger deployment.
