Announcements UNION OF BC MUNICIPALITIES
Community Excellence Awards: Nominations are currently being accepted The Community Excellence Awards recognize and celebrate UBCM member First Nations, regional districts, and local governments that have implemented projects or programs that go above and beyond in meeting the purposes of local government in BC. The awards are intended to showcase outstanding initiatives and share them with other members to implement in their own communities. The awards are open to all local government and First Nation members of UBCM; one application per category. The four categories are: - Excellence in Governance
- Excellence in Service Delivery
- Excellence in Asset Management
- Excellence in Sustainability
To view the program application guide and application form, visit Community Excellence Awards | Union of BC Municipalities (ubcm.ca)
PROVINCE OF BC - CLIMATE ACTION SECRETARIAT
The third year of the Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) launched May 1, 2024. This program provides local governments and Modern Treaty Nations with predictable and stable funding to support timely local climate action that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, prepares communities for the impacts of a changing climate and creates new opportunities for people in the clean economy. Through annual program reporting, the Climate Action Secretariat collects information from participants on climate action related to buildings, transportation, land use, greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation and resilience, equity, how LGCAP funds were used and more. You can see information collected in previous LGCAP reporting periods via the new dashboard. As part of Budget 2024, the Province is providing nearly $72 million to communities through LGCAP so local governments and Modern Treaty Nations will be able to work on larger climate-action projects, as shared in the Ministry’s April 18, 2024 press release. Please visit the LGCAP webpage to learn more and reach out to LGCAP@gov.bc.ca with any questions.
PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA - MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE - Preventing Waste from Packaging Outside the Home
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is inviting all local governments, indigenous governments, businesses, residents and other impacted organizations to share their feedback through an online questionnaire to inform the development of policy approaches that will improve the prevention and recycling of non-residential packaging waste in communities across B.C.
One of the specific audiences they want to hear from is Indigenous Peoples, including Rights and Title holders; Métis, Inuit, and First Nations in urban settings. In addition to the other engagement opportunities offered, the Ministry welcomes you to attend a roundtable session specifically for Indigenous participants. If you are interested in attending, please email CircularEconomy@gov.bc.ca.
To participate and find out more information, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/preventing-waste-outside-the-home/
NATURAL ASSETS INITIATIVE
New Guidebook from the Natural Assets Initiative Bridges Gap in Infrastructure Planning
The Natural Assets Initiative (NAI) has released progressive guidance to help local governments plan with our most valuable but often overlooked assets in mind: nature.
Supported by the Greenbelt Foundation and the Municipal Finance Officers’ Association of Ontario (MFOA), Nature is Infrastructure: How to Include Natural Assets in Asset Management Plans outlines comprehensive best practices so that municipalities can effectively manage natural assets — such as forests, wetlands, and shorelines — and the critical infrastructure services they provide.
To view the guidebook, visit: https://mnai.ca/nature-is-infrastructure-how-to-include-natural-assets-in-asset-management-plans/. For more information on this initiative, visit: https://mnai.ca/how-to-include-nam-in-asset-management-plans/. |