Proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions of 15 per cent by 2015, and 85 per cent by 2050 were queried by Trustee Sheila Malcolmson at the Jan. 29 Local Trust Committee’s (LTC) meeting, as were the ramifications of not being able to meet those goals.

All BC local governments have been ordered by the Province to set targets for the reduction of GHG emissions into their Official Community Plans (OCP) by May 2010. Contract Planner Pamela Shaw, who worked for some time as a Planner for Gabriola is guiding the process for the Northern Trust Islands.

Malcolmson observed that the lofty targets contained in the policy would be difficult to attain since, unlike all other local governments, zoning is the only tool the Islands Trust has to achieve the desired results.

There are other options however, Malcolmson said. Instead of striving for an overall per centage reduction of GHGs, the community could set “aspirational” targets. For example it could plan to reduce the number of trips in single passenger vehicles by a certain per cent by a certain time, or increase the number of bicycle paths on the island by a certain per cent.

Planner Patricia Maloney said that there does not seem to be any information about what will happen if the island doesn’t achieve the delineated goals. She said there is concern Trust wide about how high the goals are.

Trustees directed staff to get specific advice on the LTC’s “financial and emission reporting obligations” in relation to the targets adopted.

Trustees made a number of revisions to the proposed policy, including changing wording around density from “increasing” to “concentrating”. Malcolmson noted that GHG emissions cannot be reduced by increasing density.

Trustees also added considerations to the proposed policy, including creating mechanisms to transfer densities (moving dwelling unit potentials from one lot to another), and amendments to zoning in the village to improve “walkability”.

Trustees directed staff to send the revised policy to the Gabriola Advisory Planning Commission for review. They also directed staff to set up an open house and community meeting so that the community could review the policy, and resolved to invite De Courcy Islanders and Mudgekins to the meeting.

The committee also received a report from Fay Weller of Island Futures estimating probable GHG emissions on Gabriola Island (see insert this article). Chair Louise Bell noted the report was “fabulous”. Malcolmson added later: “I’m delighted to have the greenhouse gas emission inventory Island Futures provided, and we’re lucky to have such human resources on the island”.

Bell said that all the islands are on target to have their climate change policies ready to go into their OCPs by the end of May.