The long delayed Sustainability Charter has finally been released, rather conveniently with just over a month till the municipal elections.
The Sustainability Charter is the first document of its kind in the Lower Mainland that comprehensively addresses the issues of social, environmental and economic sustainability. It is an overarching policy document that will guide all city decisions in the future.
The Sustainability Charter identifies a number of immediate actions to advance the Vision and Goals set out in the Charter, including:
- Establishing a Sustainability Office and hire a Sustainability Manager
- Establishing a Sustainability Indicators Task Force to set baseline indicators to monitor success in implementing the Charter
- Creating a Development Checklist that will require all developments to be sustainable
- Creating an Economic Development Strategy and an Employment Land Strategy, with the goal of creating a 1:1 job to resident worker ratio
- Creating a Housing Action Plan to set housing targets for a full range of housing needs
- Increasing Energy Security through district energy facilities in town centre plans
- Supporting the Climate Change Action Plan, of which Surrey is a signatory
- Completing an Ecosystem Management Study to enhance and protect Surrey’s natural areas and fish and wildlife habitats
You can read the full document here.
