Langley City Official Community Plan

Last night, I attended a public hearing and council meeting at the City of Langley. The public hearing was on Official Community Plan amendments and other by-law amendments which the province requires to be passed by May 31, 2010 to reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions. The GHG reduction targets for the City of Langley are from the Community Energy & GHG Emissions Plan which they completed last month. The City's Sustainability Framework was also covered.

Sustainability Framework

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The framework is similar to the Township of Langley's Sustainability Charter. The City's framework talks about improving cycling and pedestrian infrastructure and building complete, mixed-use communities as some of the key routes to sustainability.

Russ Haycock from Hyla Environmental Services Ltd reviewed the Community Energy & GHG Emissions Plan. The plan covers the City's own operations plus community building, waste, and on-road transportation. The plan proposes to reduce GHG 16% below 2007 levels. On-road transportation is responsible for about 50% of all GHG emission in the City of Langley. This plan bases its on-road GHG reduction targets on the provincial government's upcoming fuel efficiency and tailpipe emission standards. Walking and cycling was on the list of things that reduce GHG, but was not a major focal point of the plan. On-road transportation is the biggest area that need to be dealt in the City, but the plan looks to senior levels of government for funding and help. I believe that cycling and pedestrian infrastructure combined with sustainable land use is one of the few things that local government actually has control over.

City of Langley GHG Reduction Targets (Click Image to Enlarge)

Council voted to approve the Community Energy & GHG Emissions Plan.