How well do you think Canadian cities are doing in sustainability?
Vancouver, BC
When it comes to cities, sustainability is not only about the environment, but also the communities and people who reside there, the politics and governance of the area, as well as economic site. Many of the activities which occur in our urban areas have the potential to cause serious damage to the environment due to the release of greenhouse gases, urban development and much more.
However, according to the “2011 Most Sustainable Cities Report” released by Corporate Knights on February 9th, Canadian cities are taking big strides in sustainability. In particular, cities in Western Canada prove to be great role models!
The report compares 17 cities across Canada using 28 sustainable indicators listed under five different categories: Ecological Integrity, Economic Security, Governance and Empowerment, Infrastructure and Built Environment, and Social Well-Being. The cities are categorized depending on population size as being a part of either the Big, Medium or Small cities group. (A list of the Canadian cities and their groups is listed in the table below).
The cities of Vancouver and Victoria are ranked highest – both tie for first place in the overall standings as Canada’s most sustainable cities. Vancouver scores an impressive 71% and lands the top spot in the Medium cities group. Meanwhile, Victoria with the same score tops the small cities category. Toronto on the other hand, trails closely behind with 69% and receives the top spot amongst big Canadian cities. It is important to note that St. John’s and Iqaluit did not participate in this study by choice, and the data for Whistler has not been included in the results.
It comes to no surprise that Vancouver is a leader in the ranks, since Vancouver is known to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world. A unique example of a sustainability initiative in Vancouver is a renewable heating system that takes sewage and turns it into heating for homes, known as the Neighbourhood Energy Utility. The Neighbourhood Energy Utility is the first of its kind to be developed in North America.
Plus, since January 31st, 2011, Vancouver’s policy now requires the rezoning of new buildings to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified at the highest green building standard in Canada – Gold. LEED is a certification program which is recognized worldwide for green building. This is all in the hopes of making Vancouver the greenest city in the world.
The sustainability scores, however, can still use some improvement. Cities such as Saskatoon, Ottawa and Charlottetown, need upgrading in the Ecological Integrity category, which takes water consumption, green space and air quality into consideration; and in Infrastructure and Built Environment, which compares density, green buildings and renewable energy among others.
Remember, everyone can do their part to help their own city become more sustainable. It all begins with you!
Read the entire report here: http://corporateknights.ca/report/2011-most-sustainable-cities-canada
