Climate Action

Maple Ridge Climate Action Plan:

Resilient Future 2050

Resilient Future 2050: Moving Boldly Towards Low-Carbon Resilience charts a clear path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build climate resilience, and support sustainable growth.

Learn more on our Resilient Future 2050 page or read the full plan here:

Resilient Future 2050

Scorecard on Climate Leadership

Learn more about the work the City is doing under Council's Strategic Priority - Climate Leadership and Environmental Stewardship:

Corporate Scorecard on Climate Leadership

Climate and Energy-Related Project Highlights

  • Expanded EV Charging Infrastructure to Power Municipal Fleet: The City of Maple Ridge is expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to support the transition of its municipal fleet to cleaner, cost-efficient EVs. Supported by $390,000 in federal funding from the Zero Carbon Emissions Infrastructure Program, the new chargers will help reduce emissions, cut costs, and advance the City’s Resilient Future 2050 climate action plan. Installation is set for completion by August 2026.

Provincial Climate Action Plan

The Province of British Columbia is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 16% below 2007 levels by 2025, 40% by 2030, 60% by 2040 and 80% by 2050. Through the development of the Climate Action Plan (Bill 44), the Province has implemented a range of initiatives related to climate change and environmental management, including the Green Communities initiative. The City’s Resilient Future 2050: Moving Boldly Towards Low-Carbon Resilience climate action plan will be implemented in the context of the provincial plan. 

Local Government Climate Action Program

Launched in the spring of 2022, the Local Government Climate Action Program intends to provide predictable, long-term funding for local climate action to support communities in achieving their climate targets. Municipalities are required to report on their actions and measurable progress towards the targets every year.

Climate Change Risks and Likely Impacts in Maple Ridge

Here in Maple Ridge, we are located further from the coast than other Metro Vancouver municipalities, so we will likely see fewer obvious impacts of sea level rise. Unfortunately, this does not mean that our city will be completely unaffected.

Flooding: 

The Fraser River borders Maple Ridge to the South, and there is a significant chance that an increase in sea level will push salty ocean water further upstream, increasing the water levels of the river. Flood risk from the Fraser is also impacted by a flow increase caused by heavier rains and increased alpine snowmelt.

With an expected increase in the incidence of extreme weather events, these factors give rise to a dangerous situation where many areas adjacent to the river will be at a greater risk of flooding.

High Temperatures

Beyond an increase in flood risk, climate change will increase the temperature by several degrees and reduce rainfall during the dry summer months. This puts forested areas throughout the province at an incredible risk of fires, as drought conditions make trees more susceptible to combustion, and water shortages hamper the ability of fire fighters to contain the flames.

For agriculture, a higher temperature could benefit Maple Ridge, as a longer growing season would allow farmers to grow crops almost year-round. Despite this, agriculture systems are more likely to suffer from a changing climate because the irrigation systems upon which they depend will become increasingly strained as it gets warmer.

With less winter snowpack available to supply the region's freshwater reservoirs and with a growing population increasing the demand for fresh water, it is not unreasonable to expect future water shortages, similar to the one we experienced in the summer of 2015.

Pests

In the future, agriculture may also be impacted by an increased incidence of crop-damaging pests. Shorter, milder winters mean that fewer pest species will die off, allowing populations to increase and new species to settle in the region. While it is likely that a warmer climate will increase the prevalence of agricultural pests, the exact effects that they will have here in Maple Ridge is unpredictable at this point.

Urban Heat Island

Generally speaking, in the future the city expects wetter, milder winters and much hotter, drier summers. The health impacts of these changes have not been fully analyzed but hotter summers are likely to enhance the urban heat island effect. This effect results from concrete and asphalt storing thermal energy during the day and releasing it at night, preventing the urban area from cooling once the sun goes down. It is particularly dangerous to those vulnerable to heat stress, such as seniors, those without homes or adequate shelter, infants, and individuals with respiratory illnesses.

Green Communities Act

In May, 2008, Bill 27, the Local Government (Green Communities) Statutes Amendment Act, was enacted by the provincial government. The intent of this bill is to facilitate more sustainable initiatives within British Columbian municipalities when planning and managing land use by having them consider climate issues and energy conservation approaches. Through this legislation, the Local Government Act was amended to require each municipality to establish targets, policies and actions for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Because of the Green Communities Act, Maple Ridge includes GHG targets, tracking and communication in the Official Community Plan (OCP). A list of Official Community Plan Policies that support GHG emission reductions are included in the OCP.

Climate Action Charter

Maple Ridge's Council voluntarily became a signatory to the British Columbia Climate Action Charter in 2009. Through this action, the city has committed to achieving carbon neutral operations and measuring GHGs in the city, while also supporting the development of complete, compact communities.

Under the Climate Action Charter, a joint Provincial – Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) effort created the Green Communities Committee (GCC). The mandate of the GCC is to ensure effective implementation of charter commitments and to go further to ensure that local governments have the necessary tools and support to address climate change. Over 170 local governments in British Columbia have signed the British Columbia Climate Action Charter.

Community Energy and Emissions Inventory

The Community Energy and Emissions Inventory (CEEI) provides an assessment of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other supporting indicators at the community level. The inventory is intended to provide local government and interested parties with usable information that helps them achieve their Climate Action Charter commitments.

Energy use and GHG emission estimates are provided for four major sectors:

  • Buildings
  • On-road transportation
  • Solid waste
  • Land-use change from deforestation

There are also seven supporting indicators, including housing type, residential density, greenspace and proximity to transit. You can access the data from Maple Ridge and other municipality's CEEIs.