Since 2010, government policy has required all BC public institutions, from schools to hospitals to be carbon neutral. To reach this goal public institutions are forced to purchase carbon offsets from Pacific Carbon Trust, a crown corporation. In 2010 BC schools paid out nearly $4.5 million in offsets, while the public health authorities paid $5.4 million.
Vancouver's bikeability index is a project coordinated by a group of UBC researchers and funded by the Heart and Stroke foundation and the Canadian Institutes for health research. As the city attempts shift transportation modes, from driving to cycling, the index allows planners to see where the gaps in the city's cycling infrastructure are. The index scores neighbourhoods on: bike facility availability; bicycle facility quality; street connectivity; topography and land use.
With layers of failed negotiations and inaction at the International, National and Provincial levels, Canadian Municipalities are responding responsibly to the urgent warnings of climate scientists. Because they are smaller, cities, municipalities and regional districts have a different variety of tools available to them for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Their relative size allows them to be more responsive and maneuvrable, implementing plans to increase density, better manage waste, improve transportation, and reduce energy use.
