Community feedback reflected in the plan

Thanks again for your feedback throughout our previous engagement phases! The table below provides a high level summary of what we heard from the community, and how that feedback is reflected through corresponding actions in the CEEP.

Click here to read more about the community consultation conducted and key findings.

If you would like to review the complete CEEP, please click here and remember to share your feedback on the plan through our discussion forum.

Summary of Feedback What we Heard	Outlined in the Plan
Support for building energy efficiency retrofits, including electrifying buildings by using heat pumps.	One of the major actions included in the draft is a commitment from the City to increase the supports and programs for energy retrofits for existing residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial buildings, including: Prioritizing addressing the unique retrofit needs of multi-unit residential buildings, especially rental buildings; Focus on the least efficient building stock (pre-1980); Adapting retrofit strategies to work with heritage and character buildings; Exploring innovative financing mechanisms and tools to support retrofits (e.g. on-bill financing, green revolving load funds, or Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE)); and Collecting and analysing energy and spatial data of existing buildings to identify priority building archetypes and optimal strategies to support energy retrofits.
Support for more locally-generated renewable energy, such as community solar gardens or solar panels on buildings.	The draft plan includes the following actions: Explore how to encourage cost effective, on-site renewable energy generation in new and existing buildings through incentives and policy tools, such as preferential net-metering rates. Explore opportunities to expand urban solar gardens that enable community members to invest in solar projects. Explore opportunities to encourage on-site waste heat recovery systems in buildings with a net positive internal rate of return.
Support for enhancing active transportation infrastructure, such as protected bike lanes and secured bike parking at high-frequency destinations to encourage bike trips.	The draft plan includes the following actions: Prioritize sustainable transportation action implementation from the Master Transportation Plan, including: rapidly completing a network of active transportation infrastructure; Implement the eMobility Strategy. Ensure EV and eMicromobility (e-bikes, etc.) adoption is accelerated by: Incorporating an eMicromobility lens into planning and policies, enhancing e-bike accessibility, and improving access to secure public and private e-bike parking; Collaborate with Metro Vancouver and TransLink to implement the Regional Greenway and Major Bikeway Networks within New Westminster.
Greater support for making transit more convenient, affordable and accessible, than for encouraging the use of electric vehicles.	The plan emphasizes the need to reduce overall energy demand (consistent with taking transit and active transportation), in addition to switching fuel sources, in order to avoid overwhelming the grid. The draft plan includes both actions around transit and electric vehicles, such as: Continue to implement the Official Community Plan, including: pursuing complete communities with transit-supportive densities and land use mixes; and enabling transit-oriented development in the Downtown and at SkyTrain station areas. Advocate for and support implementation of TransLink’s regional Transport 2050 plan, including: expanding frequent transit service, and improving service along the Major Transit Network (development of rapid bus along 8th Street, and capacity relief measures on the Expo SkyTrain line); and improving affordability, accessibility, and safety of transit and active transportation for all community members. Implement the eMobility Strategy. Ensure EV and eMicromobility (e-bikes, etc.) adoption is accelerated by: enabling residents to choose EVs by supporting access to charging at home, work, and in public spaces, and supporting EV affordability; and proactively managing electricity grid impacts of charging.
Design City programs and incentives to better reach equity-denied groups with financial and structural barriers (e.g. renters are not able to retrofit their buildings/ apartments and are impacted by decisions made by building owners).	Ensuring that the transition to a low carbon future is equitable is a key focus of the CEEP. A tangible way this comes up in the plan is the focus on developing programs and incentives to retrofit multi-unit residential buildings. The Climate Equity section states that “implementation of the CEEP must ensure that equity-denied groups benefit from the transition to a low-carbon society and are meaningfully involved in decision-making that informs this transition”.

Consultation has concluded