UBCM responds to eliminated CARIP program


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Port Moody Climate Action open house

The Province of BC recently announced this would be the final year for the current CARIP program. Since that time UBCM has heard from many of our members expressing concern about this decision. Recently the UBCM Executive met with Premier Horgan and Minister Osborne as part of Advocacy Days and added the CARIP funding as a discussion item. UBCM President Brian Frenkel followed up with correspondence on May 28th.

UBCM members have been sharing stories about the impact and effectiveness of the CARIP program. In some communities, funding has been used to green light initiatives that has drawn additional funding support from local governments and other orders of government. Other communities have used the funding to build sustainability capacity. 

In addition to installing a public EV charging station and developing a climate action leadership program for local schools, the City of Port Moody has used the funding to create expand its staffing to include a Sustainability and Energy Coordinator. CARIP funding was also used to support development of the City of Port Moody’s first Climate Action Strategy from 2019-2020. The Climate Action Plan was adopted by Port Moody Council in July of 2020, with several actions from the Plan being implemented and funded from the City’s CARIP fund in 2021, including:

  • Performing comprehensive climate audits on all civic facilities and prioritizeing upgrades; 
  • Revising the City’s Sustainability Report Card to include performance measures;
  • Developing a resilient, zero-emissions plan for all new and existing buildings; and
  • Develop an extreme weather response plan with a focus on supporting the most vulnerable populations.

Local Governments across BC have shared similar stories about the benefits of the CARIP program. UBCM is seeking a commitment from the province to discuss the design of a replacement program, and for UBCM to participate in the design process. Photo Credit: City of Port Moody.