BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
BCIT launches resources that help BC communities take climate action

The BCIT Centre for Ecocities has launched two online tools to help BC local governments, organizations, businesses, and communities understand their impact on the environment and take meaningful climate action. These tools focus on Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, which are the indirect emissions that come from the daily activities and choices that an organization or individual makes. These include choices such as what we eat, where we live, how we travel, and the types of supplies we purchase.

While Scope 1 and 2 emissions (which primarily address energy use in buildings and transportation) are typically tracked at the city or provincial level, Scope 3 is reported by industry. This means it is often overlooked and difficult to track at the local level.

"When we understand how lifestyle choices impact the environment, we can make smarter decisions," says Dr. Jennie Moore, Director of Sustainability at BCIT and the BCIT Centre for Ecocities. "Tracking Scope 3 gives a fuller picture of a community's impact and opens the door to more effective and fair climate solutions."

Two tools to support sustainable communities

The Consumption-based Solutions for Climate Action Guide and the CBEI and EF Archetype Tool for BC Communities are designed to help local governments, businesses, and communities adopt practical strategies to reduce pollution, shrink ecological footprints, and promote equity and community wellbeing.

Consumption-Based Solutions for Climate Action Guide

This guide gives cities a clear, step-by-step way to take action that's both environmentally responsible and socially fair. Not everyone contributes equally to climate change, but everyone is affected by its impacts.

"Helping communities find ways to support their most vulnerable members is especially important as we face rapid change," says Jennie.

The guide includes:

• A practical approach that focuses on three actions: shrink (reduce environmental impact), share (promote fairness), and regenerate (restore nature). These apply to five key areas: community planning, buildings, transportation, food, and consumer goods.
• Suggested priorities based on typical ecological and carbon footprints in BC.
• Step-by-step guidance and sample measurements to track progress.

Consumption-Based Emissions Inventory and Ecological Footprint Archetype Tool

This tool provides an overview of how people across BC communities are contributing to emissions. It includes data from 2011 to 2023 and breaks it down by:

• Food
• Buildings
• Consumables and waste
• Transportation
• Water

The numbers come from research conducted in BC communities between 2015 and 2021, using a tool developed by Jennie.

Traditional emissions reports focus on territorial emissions those that occur within a community's borders. However, this tool uses a consumption-based approach, which looks at the full impact of the products people in a community use, even if they were made elsewhere. This method encourages globally impactful action, highlights inequalities in how different groups contribute to emissions, and helps people understand how their everyday choices affect the planet.

A collaborative effort

These new resources have been made possible with funding support from the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia (REFBC). REFBC is a philanthropic organization that works to support resilient, healthy communities and natural environments.

Visit the BCIT Centre for Ecocities to learn more about resources, tools, and services available to help your region, city, industry, community, or organization become socially just and ecologically sustainable.

Quotes

Kenneth Porter, Manager of Communities, Climate Action Secretariat, Government of British Columbia
"These new resources represent an important step forward in helping communities across British Columbia lead the way on climate action. The Guide and Tool align with BC's CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 and long-term sustainability goals and will support local governments in gaining a deeper understanding and awareness of opportunities to reduce their consumption-based emissions. Empowering local action is essential for building a more resilient, equitable, and climate-smart province."

Glenys Verhulst, Sustainability Planner, District of Saanich
"As a local government, we're always looking for actionable, data-informed ways to reduce emissions and build more sustainable communities. "The new guide and CBEI tool from the BCIT Centre for Ecocities give us exactly that a practical framework and resources that can help us understand where we can have the greatest impact, while also advancing equity within our climate action work."

Jen McCaffrey, Acting Director Grants and Community Engagement, Real Estate Foundation of BC
"Now more than ever, BC municipalities need support to help move climate action forward. It is great to see that the BCIT Centre for Ecocities is providing easy-to-access tools and resources to advance equity-informed climate action that supports community wellbeing."

About the BCIT Centre for Ecocities

The BCIT Centre for Ecocities advances the transformation of cities to become socially just and ecologically sustainable through applied research, education, and tool development. The Centre helps municipalities reduce their carbon and ecological footprints while regenerating natural habitat, anchoring BCIT's global leadership in restructuring cities to operate within the Earth's carrying capacity.