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Local Policies Push Green Agenda Forward Sustainable Development Begins with Municipal Approvals Process
November, 2007
By Scot Case
East Gwillimbury, a community on the East Holland River with just a little more than 20,000 residents, is becoming a significant green centre in Canada. Although the country as a whole is embracing green initiatives quite rapidly and taking steps to help protect residents' health and the environment, it appears that East Gwillimbury is a few steps ahead of the pack.
A quick visit to the municipality's web site reveals just how green this town has become. Whereas many city web sites focus on providing information on how to pay a parking ticket, how to do business with the city, how to reach the fire or police departments, building and construction permits, or city council happenings, East Gwillimbury's web site is all about "Thinking Green."
Its Thinking Green logo is prominently displayed twice on the home page, nestled in and below an image of clear blue skies and a beautiful green field. Everything from clean air and water to using rechargeable batteries is discussed on the web site.
In early 2007, the municipality, in partnership with Enbridge and Union Gas Company, held its first Sustainable Community Forum. A variety of Green topics were addressed, and from this meeting the Thinking Green program evolved.
This is a wide-ranging program to help protect the environment, as well as the health and well-being of the community, including the town's economic well-being. The program addresses the way buildings are constructed, the use of energy and sustainable energy in the municipality, waste reduction measures, and a host of other programs and regulations.
The Thinking Green program has been recognized by many environmental advocates as a very well thought out set of rules and requirements. City officials maintain it encompasses "policies and actions that make sense...and can make a difference."
GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS
Although the true impact of these changes won't be known for some time, the Thinking Green program could serve as a precursor to green and sustainable policies other municipalities in Canada, if not all of North America, may be adopting in the very near future. Some of the programs East Gwillimbury has focused on and is making a commitment to address include:
* LEED. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program rates buildings on their environmental responsibility and sustainability. The building owner earns points by taking significant steps to improve energy and water efficiency, protect indoor air and environment quality, and use green- and EcoLogoCM-certified building and interior materials and products instead of conventional products. A facility can reach four possible levels of certification, based on the number of points earned: beginning with Certified, followed by Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The Town of East Gwillimbury now requires all new buildings to achieve a LEED certification level of Silver (33-38 points).
* Energy. Even though Canada does not have as great a dependence on foreign oil as some other countries, East Gwillimbury believes this does not mean the town should not become more energy-efficient, sustainable and responsible. Under its Energy RFI program, the town will work with local building owners to establish energy retrofit programs that will help lower energy use and costs, reduce airborne emissions as a result of energy generation and use, develop more sustainable sources for energy, and, according to the web site, "lead the way with an innovative approach... to providing power to sustain our growing communities."
Additionally, the municipality requires developers of ten or more residential developments to meet ENERGY STAR(r) requirements. An ENERGY STAR home is as much as 40% more energy-efficient than a conventional residence.
* Long-Term Planning and Development. Like most municipalities, East Gwillimbury has a long-term plan to address future growth. East Gwillimbury's places greater emphasis on sustainable development, environmental design, and, according to the Town resolution, "a clear set of guidelines designed to be environmentally friendly and create standardized polices and development based on the principle that "growth pays for growth."
Although East Gwillimbury may be a leader in going green, it certainly is not the only municipality dancing to an environmental beat. Throughout Canada, steps to protect the environment are taking center stage.
"The Greening of Canada has been a slow but steady process," says Sheila Brown, Practice Director, Sustainable Building Solutions of Jacques Whitford, an engineering and consulting firm that focuses on environmental and green issues. "However, in recent years the pace has picked up significantly."
One reason she sees this happening is because many other communities like East Gwillimbury as well as Public Works and Government Services Canada are encouraging, if not requiring, that the environment be considered in all new development projects throughout the country - a trend that has evolved in just the past few years.
"Although some of these programs apply to just the government's own development of new buildings, they are setting trends and driving the market," Brown says. "As more and more government entities require that their facilities meet LEED standards, it is encouraging private industry to do the same. We see this happening in the United States, and it is happening here now as well."
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Besides the obvious reasons of protecting the health of people and the environment, there is another reason to go green in Canada that is much more practical - if not pure dollars and cents. According to Brown, for every 25 workers who retire in Canada, there are only four people to replace them. Retiring workers take their invaluable experience, education, and know-how with them when they leave, and this has created great demand and competition for talent.
"Employers, both public and private, must do everything they can to keep their staff," she says. "And maintaining a healthy environment through the use of environmentally preferable building products and operations is one of the best ways to do this." In addition to retaining current staff, a company that incorporates green measures can also have an advantage over the competition when recruiting new employees.
Until recently, most people did not view buildings or new developments as energy-guzzling entities that use not only lots of power and water to operate, but are also constructed with many unsustainable products and materials. But that is essentially what they are. In the United States it is estimated that buildings such as office towers, schools, airports and other larger structures account for as much as 65% of electricity consumption and 36% of total energy use and are the source for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions.
We are living in a world that can no longer sustain both the massive use of these natural resources or the impact their use is having on our environment. Some may view the steps a small town like East Gwillimbury is taking as very limited and isolated, but history shows that one small voice can prompt change.
As famed author William Faulkner once said, "The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." There are lots of East Gwillimburys emerging around Canada and the world, and they are all, step-by-step, starting to make a big difference in protecting our planet.
Scot Case is Vice President of TerraChoice, responsible for the U.S. office of TerraChoice Environmental Marketing and EcoLogo certification. He is an internationally recognized expert on responsible sourcing. He can be reached at scase@terrachoice.com.
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