Our vision is to be a global leader in protecting and regenerating ecosystems, supporting a healthy and prosperous community
The Environmental Sustainability Strategy (ESS) is a plan for Burnaby’s “green” future. Together with our social and economic sustainability strategies, it helps define how the city can evolve and build on its strengths to become an even more vibrant, resilient and sustainable community, integrated with healthy ecosystems.
The ESS is intended to set directions for environmental protection, stewardship, enhancement and resilience in the city. It supports many shared regional, provincial and federal goals for environmental protection and sustainability and influences many other citywide plans, programs, bylaws, regulations and operations.
A companion to the ESS is the Community Energy Emission Plan (CEEP). The CEEP was created to help reduce the community’s overall energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in order to address climate change, improve local air quality, save money, and improve health and community livability.
The CEEP was developed using a combination of technical work, stakeholder input and public consultation. The CEEP framework supports and complements the ESS.
Burnaby declared a climate emergency in 2019 and developed a Climate Action Framework to ensure that climate action remains a high priority. The framework provides a context for the City to meet the ambitious targets established by Council.
Developing the plan
Led by the mayor’s ESS Steering Committee, the development of the ESS included extensive public consultation broken into 3 phases