Vancouver on track to meet 2050 clean energy targets: staff report
City aims to run off renewable energy by 2050 and create fossil fuel-free districts by 2030
Vancouver's goal to run completely on renewable energy might only be two years old, but the city claims it's on track to hit the 2050 target.
A new staff report to be presented to council on Tuesday suggests the city is on pace to meet its 2050 goal, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent of 2007 levels, according to Mayor Gregor Robertson.
"We have research showing the average savings per household by 2030 of $583," said Robertson. "By 2050, almost $1000 per household will be saved in energy costs."
Vancouver City Council will vote to implement the Renewable City Action Plan — a report that outlines strategies to reduce pollution from buildings, transportation and city waste — on Tuesday. The city would reconvene in five years to review the effectiveness of the plan.
Fossil fuel-free
The council meeting comes after Vancouver also pledged to create "fossil fuel-free" zones in the city by 2030. Earlier this week, mayors from 11 other cities also agreed to the goal to create an emissions-free district, including those from Paris, Los Angeles, and Copenhagen.
"There's a big health driver here, particularly with diesel being a driver of respiratory illness and death," said Robertson. "We're part of that movement of big cities around the world to go fossil fuel free."
Robertson says in the near term, the city intends to build upon its electric vehicle charging stations to facilitate the change. The city is currently running a two year long pilot project that will add 15 stations — all of which charge fees.
When asked how the city intends to convince drivers to switch over to electric cars, Robertson put the onus on the private sector.
"We're seeing signals from entire countries that the age of fossil fuels is coming to an end, and that's pushing on the market. We're going to see a lot more [electric vehicle] production."
Electric buses
Part of the city's plan includes a major emphasis on green public transit. TransLink is in the early stages of developing a "low carbon fleet" strategy.
According to TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond, the transit company hopes to begin testing four battery-powered buses running from New Westminster to Vancouver by the end of 2018.
"It's going to be an excellent chance for us to get used to that technology, and I think it's just a precursor to what we have coming before us."
Nearly half of TransLink's fleet currently runs off of diesel engines.