Residential solar power, Nanaimo area (Credit: Ting Pan, Regional District of Nanaimo)

Sustainability goals can be challenging to meet, but the Regional District of Nanaimo is well on its way thanks to the work of its Energy and Sustainability Division. Working within a regional planning context, the division develops and implements tools to help reduce GHGs and improve the region’s resiliency.

It does this by evaluating tools—programs and policies—against three specific regional planning goals, asking what barriers currently exist and how can a new initiative address these barriers to meet planning goals and create positive change.

The district’s goals are lofty: it wants to prepare for climate change and reduce energy consumption, enhance economic resiliency, and enhance cooperation among jurisdictions. But by tailoring programs and policy to these goals, it has made headway. In 2010, buildings accounted for 24% of the GHG emissions in the Nanaimo region. Now, through a green building incentive and outreach program, the district is reducing emissions while simultaneously stimulating the green economy.

Two more initiatives—the Real Estate Energy Efficiency Project and bylaw amendments to allow green building features—are bringing the district even closer to its goals.

Download Spring 2015

Find out more about the district’s sustainability initiatives from author Ting Pan, sustainability coordinator in RDN’s Energy and Sustainability Division, in the Spring 2015 issue of Input, page 32.

More information about the Regional District of Nanaimo

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