Municipal governments currently have direct or indirect control over approximately 44 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada. In 2006, this represented control over the equivalent of 315 megatonnes of carbon dioxide out of a national total of 718 megatonnes. As the order of government that is closest to Canadian citizens, municipalities play a key role as regulators, facilitators, partners, program deliverers and educators in reducing GHGs and building stronger, greener communities.

As federal, provincial and territorial governments enact legislation designed to improve air, water and soil quality, and protect the climate, a growing number of Canadian municipalities are integrating sustainability at the local level in their plans, bylaws and policies.

In 2009, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) undertook a one-of-a-kind project to capture and share the results of their efforts: the Municipal Sustainable Bylaw Collection (MSBC). The collection was made available online to encourage replication by municipalities across Canada and supply them with templates to support their own efforts.

In its first nation-wide call for submissions, FCM collected over 100 sustainable municipal policies, bylaws and procedures from large and small municipalities across Canada and made them available online. The MSBC now boasts almost 170 excellent examples and is still growing. Categorized under the five sectors of activity funded through FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) – brownfields, energy, transportation, waste and water – the MSBC provides a clear snapshot of municipal trends in sustainable development and community revitalization, energy conservation and renewable energy, sustainable transportation, waste management and diversion, and water management and conservation.

Here is a baker’s dozen of the many examples of leadership in municipal policy included in the MSBC:

•    The City of Brantford (ON) Development Charges Bylaw 90-2004 (2004) provides a credit against development charges for remediation within the Brownfield Sites Community Improvement Project Area.

•    The Town of East Gwillimbury* (ON) Energy Star Policy (2006) requires all new residential developments needing either site plan or subdivision approval to be built according to Energy Star guidelines.

•    The Town of Stratford (PE) Wind Energy Bylaw(2009) sets provisions for establishing small on-site wind energy systems within town boundaries.

•    The City of Whitehorse (YT) Building and Plumbing Bylaw 99-50 (2009) amendment (consolidated with Bylaw 2009-16) outlines minimum energy conservation standards for new construction.

•    The City of Dawson Creek (BC) Green Vehicle Policy (2006) aims to reduce municipal fleet emissions by 20 percent (below 2004 levels) by 2016, consider the life-cycle cost of operations when purchasing vehicles, maximize vehicle efficiency, and provide a framework for lessening environmental impact.

•    The City of Victoriaville* (QC) Bylaw 238-1996 (1996) establishes the town’s waste management services, including collection, transportation, disposal or processing of waste, including hazardous household waste (HHW).

•    The Town of Leaf Rapids (MB) Bylaw 462 (2007) made it the first community in North America to ban single-use plastic shopping bags. The bylaw prohibits retailers from giving away or selling single-use plastic bags and levies a fine of up to $1,000 for anyone found in contravention of the bylaw.

•    The City of Kingston (ON) Single-Use Bottled Water Policy (2009) restricts the sale of single-use bottled water at city-owned facilities where there is easy access to tap water.

•    The City of Calgary (AB) Water Utility Bylaw (40M2006) (2006) requires all residential customers in Calgary to use water meters for billing purposes by 2014 and requires all new homes and commercial construction, including renovations that require a plumbing permit, to install low water-use fixtures.

•    The City of Toronto* (ON) Green Roof Bylaw (2009) requires all new developments over 2,000 square metres to include a green roof with coverage of available roof space ranging from 20 to 60 percent.

•    The Halifax Regional Municipality (NS) Bylaw P-800 (2000) regulates the use of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides.

•    The City of Edmonton* (AB) Environmental Management System Policy C505 (2004) establishes the ISO 14001 international standard as the benchmark for a corporate Environmental Management System (EMS).

•    The Town of Markham (ON) Tree Preservation Bylaw 2008-96 regulates or prohibits the injury or destruction of trees.

These policies and bylaws set the local stage for sustainability, and document the commitments of municipal governments to make decisions that account for their impact on the environment. They also establish the framework within which important capital projects can be undertaken that result in tangible and measurable environmental benefits.

From the launch pad of forward-thinking municipal policy, great municipal initiatives – site remediations, green construction and retrofits, district energy projects, green fleets, waste diversion programs, watershed protection initiatives and so many more – are sprung.

Karen Leibovici is second vice-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and chair of its Green Municipal Fund Council, and councillor for the City of Edmonton. The municipalities marked with asterisks* were recipients of an FCM Sustainable Community Award for leadership in sustainability. Summaries and videos of this and other award-winning initiatives are available on the FCM Green Municipal Fund website at www.fcm.ca/gmf (click Awards).

SIDEBAR
FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is a $550 million endowment from the Government of Canada. The Fund supports municipal initiatives that reduce GHGs, improve air, water and soil quality, and protect the climate. FCM shares the lessons and expertise gained through these initiatives with other communities to encourage their replication, and to help build their capacity to set and surpass their own sustainability goals. The Municipal Sustainable Bylaw Collection is available on the GMF website at www.fcm.ca/gmf (click on Tools and Resources).