Maple Ridge, B.C., September 25, 2025 – The City of Maple Ridge has been recognized as a provincial leader in climate action, receiving the Climate & Energy Action Award at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention for its Resilient Future 2050 climate action plan.
“On behalf of Council and our community, I’m honoured to accept this award,” said Mayor Dan Ruimy. “Resilient Future 2050 is about making sure people in Maple Ridge are safer during heat waves, better protected from floods and wildfires, and supported with solutions that save energy and money. This recognition is shared with our staff, partners, and residents who helped build a practical roadmap to a resilient, net-zero future. I’m proud of the work we’ve done and excited about where this will take us.”
A panel of judges from the Community Energy Association selected eight projects with Maple Ridge as one of seven communities recognized this year, praising the plan for embedding climate and equity data into real-time decisions. Judges noted the plan’s integrated approach to mitigation and adaptation, robust data analysis, meaningful regulatory updates (including adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code), and 18 months of inclusive engagement with more than 500 residents and a cross-departmental task force.
Resilient Future 2050 is Maple Ridge’s long-term climate action and resilience roadmap, approved in 2025 following 18 months of technical work and three rounds of engagement. It charts a path to net-zero by 2050, with an interim 45% GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction by 2030.
The plan includes more than 160 cross department actions under five Bold Moves:
- Address critical climate risks with and for the community
- Enhance City infrastructure, natural assets, and services for climate readiness
- Encourage zero-carbon, high-efficiency buildings
- Foster sustainable and active transportation choices
- Support a low-carbon, resilient economy and agriculture
Key highlights
- Adopts a low-carbon resilience approach that integrates mitigation and adaptation and considers health, equity, biodiversity, and economic development co-benefits.
- Prioritizes vulnerable groups (seniors, renters, newcomers, low-income households).
- Uses extreme heat mapping (post-2021 heat dome) to target cooling and retrofit investments.
- Applies multi-hazard mapping to guide land use, infrastructure upgrades, and emergency planning for wildfire, flooding, and severe weather.
- Embeds climate and equity criteria into daily decision-making and capital planning—shifting from reactive to proactive action.
- Built on scientific data (GHG modelling, hazard mapping) and lived community input.
Implementation and next steps
Implementation of the plan is underway, guided by a cross-department Steering Committee. Climate criteria are being integrated into policy and capital planning. Heat-risk data is informing investments in cooling centres, shade, and retrofits in high-risk areas. Maple Ridge is advancing active transportation, electrifying its fleet, and supporting community EV adoption. By 2030, the plan is projected to reduce emissions by 15–20% from buildings, 10–15% from transportation, and 5–8% through nature-based solutions. View the plan at MapleRidge.ca/ClimateAction.
About the Climate & Energy Action Awards
Administered by the Community Energy Association with utility and provincial partners, the awards have been presented at UBCM for more than 25 years to recognize local governments leading in climate action and energy management. This year saw a record 29 nominations, spanning plans and strategies, transportation, buildings, energy projects, and engagement initiatives.
Climate & Energy Action Award Sponsors: BC Hydro, FortisBC, the Province of British Columbia, the Real Estate Foundation of BC, the Union of BC Municipalities, and Vancity.
Read the Community Energy Association’s announcement: https://www.communityenergy.ca/2025-climate-energy-action-award-winners/
For more information, contact Phil Sanderson at PSanderson@MapleRidge.ca.
Photo caption
Community Energy Association CEO Megan Lohmann (far left) presents a 2025 Climate & Energy Action Award to Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy and Cllrs: Korleen Carreras, Onyeka Dozie, Sunny Schiller, Jenny Tan during the UBCM convention.