In exchange for the calculation and reporting of Bowen’s greenhouse gas emissions, the municipality will receive a grant of $3,781 from the Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program (CARIP). On Monday, council approved the report detailing those calculations and its submission to the program, and also agreed to devote the grant money to the planned solar panels on the Cove Commons project.
While presenting the report to council, the municipality’s Manager of Parks and Environment, Bonny Brokenshire, noted that last year, the CARIP grant amounted to $2,844. This year’s increase, she added, is a nice bonus financially but does not necessarily reflect on any improvements in the environmental sense: the CARIP grant reflects one hundred percent of the carbon tax paid by the municipality as a direct expenditure.
The initiation of a Climate Action Plan is a strategic priority in the municipality’s 2017 Island Plan. Brokenshire says she has worked on carrying out the initiatives of the action plan at an operational level.
“When you look at some climate action initiatives, on the surface they may seem tangential, but you don’t need to look far in order to connect the dots,” says Brokenshire. “Take enforcing riparian area setbacks as an example. This protects our streams from sedimentation, which ultimately helps to protect sea life such as eelgrass and plankton, and the carbon sequestration effects of these life-forms is well-documented.”
Brokenshire adds that while it is complex, looking at carbon-emissions from a holistic perspective shows that municipal actions can make a significant difference on carbon emissions.
Towards the end of council’s discussion on the CARIP grant, Councillor Maureen Nicholson suggested putting the funds into the Cove Commons project. The estimated cost of solar panels, she says, is $50,000. So far, $20,000 has been donated by the office of MLA Jordan Sturdy, and the Bowen Island Community Foundation has donated $7,000. She added that current construction plans see the roof going on the project in the next month.
Councillor Sue Ellen Fast offered her support to this suggestion, stating that research indicates that public demonstrations such as putting solar panels on the roof of a public building “actually helps sustainability happen in communities.”
